better than most

Rating: Null/10 (13 December 2004)

Although I'm definitely not a fan of teen movies or anything really pop-culture or mainstream (since the majority of music and movies in that category are crap) this one was definitely a cut above the rest. I picked it up at a movie rental going over to a friend's because I was bored and Elisha Cuthbert is super hot, but contrary to what I was expecting (something along the lines of Not Another Teen Movie) it turned out to have fairly good performances, some great one-liners, not a bad soundtrack, adequate directing and was overall very enjoyable. The majority of the cast have convincing performances, with Kelly being by far the funniest, most varied and most complex character, and they all seem very comfortable in their roles. The movie, as most do, has its share of sappy scenes (such as at the party when he starts kissing her; although sappy and unrealistic, this part is still a crucial part of the plot), but they are outweighed by the comedy ("I swear if you don't f*ck her I'll kill myself!") and some of the dramatic scenes. The movie doesn't get boring or repetitive, has mostly uninspired but not bad cinematography, moves along at a good pace but isn't overly long or short, and has a somewhat different plot than the generic boy-meets-girl sh*t that's clogging Hollywood (although they did partly bring that plague onto themselves). Overall, this movie is worth seeing more than once, strikes a good balance between drama and comedy, is quite enjoyable, features mostly good performances and entertaining characters, and is worth buying. Definitely a cut above the rest, and is on my list of most enjoyable movies.