Non-pretentious teen angst. How refreshing!

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2008)

I'm disappointed so many viewers and readers simply didn't get the approach this movie took. Was it cheesy, campy, ridiculously acted, poorly scripted? Absolutely! Was is a great movie? Absolutely! Why? Because real people don't have the perfect thing to say. We're clumsy and, quite frankly, sometimes rather stupid. This movie is directed at teens, and I'd prefer the characters portray themselves as imperfect as teenagers tend to be.
I also disagree with those who said big Hollywood budgets would have done this film wonders! Eegads! And do what? Turn it into another "The Covenant" nightmare? Please spare me the drama of CGI. I buy a ticket for a movie based on a book full of whiny little characters and obnoxious teen angst and, dagnabit, that's exactly what I better see on the screen! None of this big-action, computer graphic crap that would've detracted from what little chemistry two high school students could possibly, in reality, form with one another.
Over-the-top acting is exactly what I expected to see. Because, let's face it...teens are drama queens. If you aren't a teen now, you once were, and you know exactly what I'm talking about. And the awful filming... not so awful once you think about it. The gritty, shaky quality of the camera added a rather effective "diary-like" effect to the film, and seeing that it's totally a first-person narrative, I think it works.
All in all, I'm anxious for the next installment, and pray they don't go big-budget between now and then. As it stands, it has the making for a teen cult classic.