Steinfeld plays her part exceptionally, combined with excellent writing for her character. She's rude, awkward, says things that she instantly regrets and talks like a real teenager. She says things that are inappropriate and the script is unapologetic for it. It isn't watered down to show a censored representation of high school students. These teenagers are realistic, and the situations they find themselves in and the emotions they feel are so relatable. A lot of the time, teenagers in films don't feel like real people, they feel like an idealised version of themselves, but The Edge Of Seventeen doesn't try to hide what high school is really like- after all it is rated 15 (R) so chances are, if you're watching it then you're either going through it all or you've already been through it before. By all accounts, Nadine's abrasive and stubborn personality should make her an unlikable character, but the emotion that Steinfeld plays and the pure tangibility of the humiliating situations she finds herself in, make her a sympathetic and lovable person- a tribute to great screenwriting from director Kelly Fremon Craig.
Woody Harrelson plays Nadine's teacher and most of his scenes involve her ranting about her insecurities to him while he responds with deadpan sarcasm. Their relationship is funny, incredibly well written and played perfectly by the two actors, creating some of the best scenes in the film. Another highlight of the film is Hayden Szeto as a second choice friend and very obvious admirer. His awkward adorableness is very entertaining to watch, and I'm sure that this role will be the start of a great career for him.
When it's funny, it's funny, when it's awkward, it's unbearable (in all the best ways) and when it's emotional it really hits hard. The Edge Of Seventeen is heartfelt, relatable and probably the best teen film I've seen in a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment