Talk about brutal honesty, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is an unfiltered and unnerved coming of age story that shares on screen, the life of a high school teen who is discovering her sexuality for the very first time. In the film, we follow Minnie (who is brilliantly played by breakthrough actress Bel Powley), who sets her sights on her mother's younger boyfriend Monroe, as her object of lust. Without proper guidance, we find her curiosity towards sex lead to manipulation, as Monroe obliges.
With its premise, it was a refreshing experience to witness adolescence from a woman's perspective. We don't have enough of these storylines. Minnie's issues in self esteem, extreme desires for physical contact, immaturity in the face of liberation, are must see, insightful topics the film boldly tackles. Props to writer/director Marielle Heller! On a side note, expect a certain level of discomfort as well, as the film ultimately deals with what is sexually taboo. Exploitation, in front of our very eyes, is a distressing subject but it is the sick and sad truth the film is being real about, but presented without judgement.
Another key asset of the film is its feel for the dark, edgy and hippy 70s San Francisco. The setting that Marielle masterfully crafted, including the animations, brings to life the pretense of Minnie's self discovery and propensity towards bad decisions.
The Diary of A Teenage Girl, is one of the most interesting films of the year, hands down. It is very well acted and directed. Its honest themes of a teenage girl's discovery of who she is, is fresh, unique and simply draws you in. Highly recommended!
With its premise, it was a refreshing experience to witness adolescence from a woman's perspective. We don't have enough of these storylines. Minnie's issues in self esteem, extreme desires for physical contact, immaturity in the face of liberation, are must see, insightful topics the film boldly tackles. Props to writer/director Marielle Heller! On a side note, expect a certain level of discomfort as well, as the film ultimately deals with what is sexually taboo. Exploitation, in front of our very eyes, is a distressing subject but it is the sick and sad truth the film is being real about, but presented without judgement.
Another key asset of the film is its feel for the dark, edgy and hippy 70s San Francisco. The setting that Marielle masterfully crafted, including the animations, brings to life the pretense of Minnie's self discovery and propensity towards bad decisions.
The Diary of A Teenage Girl, is one of the most interesting films of the year, hands down. It is very well acted and directed. Its honest themes of a teenage girl's discovery of who she is, is fresh, unique and simply draws you in. Highly recommended!