by Cookie N Screen
You know me, I am not usually one to compare the film version of a book to its original source. In fact, I vehemently hate people who do so because, for the most part, they do so in some sort of pretention that does who love film are less. On the other hand, I completely understand that immersing yourself in the world of a book, getting excited over an adaptation only for the tone, characters and storyline to be completely off is the worst feeling. That loss of fictional identity when someone (or, in most cases, a studio) decides to completely eradicate all that the books had done is one I know all too well. Especially when it comes too Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
You know me, I am not usually one to compare the film version of a book to its original source. In fact, I vehemently hate people who do so because, for the most part, they do so in some sort of pretention that does who love film are less. On the other hand, I completely understand that immersing yourself in the world of a book, getting excited over an adaptation only for the tone, characters and storyline to be completely off is the worst feeling. That loss of fictional identity when someone (or, in most cases, a studio) decides to completely eradicate all that the books had done is one I know all too well. Especially when it comes too Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
Based on one of the more hilarious pubescent book series by Louise Rennison, the film revolves around Georgia, a young naïve and often selfish girl who is navigating the world of a fifteen year old teenager. When she stumbles into a grocery store, in order to help her friend secure her crush, she becomes all flustered by the arrival of Robbie, a guitar player in a band who she falls head over heels for. However, Robbie is dating Lindsey, one of Georgia’s enemies who is hell bent on making her miserable. Can Georgia secure the man of her dreams? Directed by Gurinder Chada, could the teen flick live up the the reputation of the book series?
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging has received a lot of praise for its humour and comedy which seemed to please critics for a while. The movie is a quaint and occasionally funny affair that relies on a lot of the ingenuity that Rennison had developed including olive costumes, kissing experts and little more. However, that is where a lot of the humour ends, dissolving into platitudes, wooden performances and a rather stiff storyline that strains during its runtime. The young stars are a ok but they do not excel with a shoddy script whilst the adults such as Alan Davis struggle underneath the plot.
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging has received a lot of praise for its humour and comedy which seemed to please critics for a while. The movie is a quaint and occasionally funny affair that relies on a lot of the ingenuity that Rennison had developed including olive costumes, kissing experts and little more. However, that is where a lot of the humour ends, dissolving into platitudes, wooden performances and a rather stiff storyline that strains during its runtime. The young stars are a ok but they do not excel with a shoddy script whilst the adults such as Alan Davis struggle underneath the plot.
The problem being is that the books have a lot of potential to convey the true quirks and surreal nature of fifteen year old girls that made the franchise pretty successful. The somewhat vanity compared with silliness was accurately written. But putting the book into the shredder, it translated into a yarn filled comedy that only touched upon Georgia’s surface rather then pull audiences into the depths of her world. Feeling stripped back as though to pander to general public that (I believe) would enjoy the original story, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is rather unoriginal affair with characters you’ve seen conveyed in tween flicks since the dawn of time. The entire film is shoddy and the final produce is unimpressive.
I’ll be honest, there was a part of me that felt indignant that the snarky and self-absorbed Georgia who was weirdly hilarious had turned into a moral lesson that did nothing to excite or amuse like the books did. However, after so many years, giving it another chance and placing the book down still rocked against the movie. There is too much twee and forced performances from talented actors such as Aaron Taylor Johnson (all baby-faced and such) and Georgia Groome. The finale ends on the elevated platform (literally) that felt predictably sweet and sickly so. Indignant I may be, but it goes beyond judging the film by the book. This still falls flat, fails to entertain or impress as a cinematic outing. The characters, the author and finally, the audience deserved better.
I’ll be honest, there was a part of me that felt indignant that the snarky and self-absorbed Georgia who was weirdly hilarious had turned into a moral lesson that did nothing to excite or amuse like the books did. However, after so many years, giving it another chance and placing the book down still rocked against the movie. There is too much twee and forced performances from talented actors such as Aaron Taylor Johnson (all baby-faced and such) and Georgia Groome. The finale ends on the elevated platform (literally) that felt predictably sweet and sickly so. Indignant I may be, but it goes beyond judging the film by the book. This still falls flat, fails to entertain or impress as a cinematic outing. The characters, the author and finally, the audience deserved better.
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