Easy A gets an easy B

Rating: Null/10 (19 June 2011)

If getting an A from an exam was as easy as it is to spread rumors in high school, then we'd all graduate with honors. That is what Olive (Emma Stone) learns the hard way in the comedy 'Easy A'.
In a high school populated by horny, gossipy teenagers, rumors can really bring you down. But what if you make those rumors work for your own profit? Olive provides the right service for those desperate males whose social status benefits from a few (false) rumors about having had sex with a girl.
In exchange, Olive asks for a few gift cards to have her favorite shops. But while providing a service that has obvious demand, Olive learns that her peers aren't exactly flush with money, hence the profit margins are slim. And then there's the whole issue of being labeled as the school tramp.
What is the most strange about this film filled with witty banter is that in my own experience, people in high schools aren't that interested in gossip. Sure, sleeping around will get you noticed, but as a rule, people in that age are far too concerned with their own problems to actually care anymore. Even if you're a group of over-the-top stuck-up Christians, whom seem to populate TV and cinema high schools these days,
While Easy A has to work hard to make its premise credible, there is no doubt the film isn't funny, thanks to its smart script and a performance by Emma Stone that won't be left unnoticed. Neither will the supporting cast, though someone needs to tell Penn Bagdley that playing the same role over and over again won't get him Oscars. Or you know, fame. Neither will a shaved chest, but that's not for here.