Seen: May 24th, 2007
Format: Broadcase (HDNMV - HDNet Movies)
Rating: 6
I saw this in the Dish guide and thought "Why not?". You probably think I was just after nubile coeds running around in short prep school skirts. Hey, it's PG-13. And you're right.
But the punchline is that this was actually a decent film.
It's predictable. It's cliche. None of the characterizations are particurly great. Artistically it's all a bit flat. But it is clever. Very clever at times.
There are a number of sight gags. They're generally obvious, but are often very funny. They're taken for granted by the characters. They're simple, direct and honest and that's what makes them work.
They are pop culture gags that work as well. The character stereotypes are well used and exploited. Devon Aoki is perhaps the weakest of these. Not that she's bad, but her character has been short-changed on originality a bit.
There are interesting character quirks as well. My favorite of these is Mrs. Petrie. Angela Robinson has nailed this character from a writing perspective and Holland Taylor hammers it home.
There's a twisted little mind at work here. One who sees through people to their true motivations. One who knows that inside all of us lies a selfish and sometimes petulant brat. One who believes that their way is not only the best way, but the only way, and can't stand anyone suggesting, much less proving otherwise. We all want things to be predictable. We want surprises, but only nice ones.
This is what sets up the conflict here. When one of our heroines finds out that things aren't what they seemed, the others try to drag her back into line. You can imagine all the reasons. They're not even wrong, they're just short sighted and blindly judgmental.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I definitely got more than I expected, especially some serious substance via the subtext.
Aside: I think that Jordana Brewster may be the most beautiful woman alive.
The Good: Suprisingly clever
The Bad: Weak on supporting story
The Ugly: Bait and Switch, for some
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