★★★½☆
15 November 2016
A movie review of THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN. |
“We don’t need to get into the minutiae,” Mr Bruner (Woody Harrelson)
The awkward high school comedy/drama/dramedy flick is usually the preserve of a male lead. There are positive signs gender parity is coming along, from JUNO to THE TO DO LIST and DETENTION, where the female protagonist is just as wittily unpopular. THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN overtly acknowledges the phenomenon by having Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) hold up a still of Pedro from NAPOLEON DYNAMITE in comparison to herself. How these teen movies break out is by speaking to all of the audience, of any age and gender, to say, we get it, most of us at some point are socially incompetent and often feel uncomfortable in our skin. “I don’t even like me.” Nadine verbalises (perhaps unnecessarily) about how she looks down on herself literally and figuratively.
The awkward high school comedy/drama/dramedy flick is usually the preserve of a male lead. There are positive signs gender parity is coming along, from JUNO to THE TO DO LIST and DETENTION, where the female protagonist is just as wittily unpopular. THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN overtly acknowledges the phenomenon by having Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) hold up a still of Pedro from NAPOLEON DYNAMITE in comparison to herself. How these teen movies break out is by speaking to all of the audience, of any age and gender, to say, we get it, most of us at some point are socially incompetent and often feel uncomfortable in our skin. “I don’t even like me.” Nadine verbalises (perhaps unnecessarily) about how she looks down on herself literally and figuratively.
Nadine represents our worst moments of self-obsession and self-pity, and makes those traits palatable for 104 minutes by her waggish observations on life’s grievances both large and small. We have automatic sympathy for her, not only because the film is from her perspective, but also because she suffers a major family tragedy early on. The one person who got her and unconditionally had her back is no longer there. It is a melodramatic, yet sharp, reminder that those we really count on are mortal, fragile beings. THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN is about the world as a battleground, and how we should be careful deciding the relationship skirmishes to engage.
Humour is rat-a-tat verbal jousting, and occasionally of the risqué variety. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH springs to mind. We are immediately greeted by the lead, in overblown mode, telling her favourite teacher of the desire for suicide. Grabbing the audience by the lapels, the film rewinds a little to show how we got to that point.
THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN concerns surfaces. The personalities we present to the world verses the dark wells of insecurity/despair flowing beneath the veneer. Nadine’s cynicism and facetiousness is a wall shielding brittle self-loathing. Said defence cracks and crumbles when best pal, and partner in crime, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating her older, prodigal brother Darian (Blake Jenner). Public personas are not criticised for being false. They are necessary for survival. The suggestion is that Krista and Darian have found kindred spirits where their guards can momentarily be withdrawn. Genuine romantic love, not often expressed in mainstream cinema, is the permission to reveal our rougher edges to another and not have them balk. Krista is tired of being in a club of two, and Darian is the high school star now with a non-judgemental girl to share anxieties.
Harrelson’s seemingly indifferent, jaded teacher, who steals the film, is also underneath caring and empathetic. Banter between Mr Bruner and Nadine is a hoot. One wonders why the latter has so little friends as she is hilarious.
The healthy moral appears to be know yourself, no easy feat, and such awareness will help to understand and be closer to others (worth being close to).
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