Written by: Kevin Berge
This movie not having Smells Like Teen Spirit in it was truly a missed opportunity. (Image Courtesy of: theplaylist.net)
Quick Take: Teen Spirit manages the stresses of a reality singing competition while adding a melancholy edge to the rags to riches dream of such entertainment. Carried by a weighty performance from Elle Fanning, it is emotionally engaging and driven by a memorable pop soundtrack.
***This review will not contain spoilers beyond the basic set-up of the story though will allude to the tone and overall focus of the story, which gives some hints about the arc of the plot. If you have not seen the movie and want go in completely blind, it may be best to not read past this point until you have seen it.***
Entertainment is often built on niche communities. As someone who enjoys pro wrestling and anime, I have seen glimpses of these niche communities. Those on the outside often have very different views of the entertainment than those enraptured in it.
Reality singing competition certainly fit into that niche. I saw this as someone who has watched every single season of American Idol ever aired. It's a weird form of entertainment all its own, listening to unknown artists attempt to take on the work of famous and successful singers to establish themselves.
It is an intoxicating experience to commit to, to watch rise and the fall of talent through the process. Most of the stars I have watched and followed over the years have not ended up getting much more of a spotlight no matter how good they were, but I still remember their journeys.
Teen Spirit taps into that feeling in a more grounded and relatable fashion. It is an accessible story about a young girl breaking away from his humble home through talent and a willingness to commit to those who matter most to her.
It sounds sappy, but it often is far more melancholy than one would expect. Through each success and failure, the movie remains consistent in its focus. Director Max Minghella's debut shows an impressively smooth vision that never feels like it overstays its welcome in any moment.
Perhaps nothing better represents this focus than the movie's use of color. It is constantly colorful though only in muted shades. Violet Valenski (Elle Fanning) goes through the most important transformation of her life, yet it is never a complete triumph but a quiet transition, built on intensely emotional moments.
Entertainment is often built on niche communities. As someone who enjoys pro wrestling and anime, I have seen glimpses of these niche communities. Those on the outside often have very different views of the entertainment than those enraptured in it.
Reality singing competition certainly fit into that niche. I saw this as someone who has watched every single season of American Idol ever aired. It's a weird form of entertainment all its own, listening to unknown artists attempt to take on the work of famous and successful singers to establish themselves.
It is an intoxicating experience to commit to, to watch rise and the fall of talent through the process. Most of the stars I have watched and followed over the years have not ended up getting much more of a spotlight no matter how good they were, but I still remember their journeys.
Teen Spirit taps into that feeling in a more grounded and relatable fashion. It is an accessible story about a young girl breaking away from his humble home through talent and a willingness to commit to those who matter most to her.
It sounds sappy, but it often is far more melancholy than one would expect. Through each success and failure, the movie remains consistent in its focus. Director Max Minghella's debut shows an impressively smooth vision that never feels like it overstays its welcome in any moment.
Perhaps nothing better represents this focus than the movie's use of color. It is constantly colorful though only in muted shades. Violet Valenski (Elle Fanning) goes through the most important transformation of her life, yet it is never a complete triumph but a quiet transition, built on intensely emotional moments.
In isolation, this is a great picture, but this scene is actually a massive strobe light effect risk which the audience is never warned about. (Image Courtesy of: movieweb.com)
A movie like this does not work without a great performance from the lead. Elle Fanning, both as actress and singer, drives this film forward. The subtlety of her performance makes the movie feel deeper than it perhaps truly is.
She also helps create a pop soundtrack that will stick in the mind of those who experience it. I found myself growing nostalgic for some of the best moments of American Idol listening to the covers as they add a new edge to familiar tracks, and they blend into memorable original work from Fanning.
Perhaps this film was built for a niche that entirely includes me, but there are so many well made moments in this movie that make it work. At just 92 minutes, it makes every second count in a way movies often fail to do these days. It makes the sometimes similarly focused A Star is Born feel massively overlong.
Certain elements of the film do not quite work though. The story is so short that it does take shortcuts in character development particularly in key relationships. Moreover, in an element I often do not notice in film, the movie's lighting is shaky particularly during the final stretch.
Even so, I was so enraptured in this journey that the flaws hardly bothered me. Teen Spirit is about the dream of musical stardom and its simplest problems, the rush of the moment and its long-lasting folly. It does not condemn nor does it uphold, leaving a question as it end that has many answers.
To this point, this is my favorite movie of the year, the first work to completely capture my thoughts and emotions, carried by the best performance I have seen all year. I don't expect its impact will be universal, but those looking for a film that has purpose, range, and entertain should not be disappointed.
She also helps create a pop soundtrack that will stick in the mind of those who experience it. I found myself growing nostalgic for some of the best moments of American Idol listening to the covers as they add a new edge to familiar tracks, and they blend into memorable original work from Fanning.
Perhaps this film was built for a niche that entirely includes me, but there are so many well made moments in this movie that make it work. At just 92 minutes, it makes every second count in a way movies often fail to do these days. It makes the sometimes similarly focused A Star is Born feel massively overlong.
Certain elements of the film do not quite work though. The story is so short that it does take shortcuts in character development particularly in key relationships. Moreover, in an element I often do not notice in film, the movie's lighting is shaky particularly during the final stretch.
Even so, I was so enraptured in this journey that the flaws hardly bothered me. Teen Spirit is about the dream of musical stardom and its simplest problems, the rush of the moment and its long-lasting folly. It does not condemn nor does it uphold, leaving a question as it end that has many answers.
To this point, this is my favorite movie of the year, the first work to completely capture my thoughts and emotions, carried by the best performance I have seen all year. I don't expect its impact will be universal, but those looking for a film that has purpose, range, and entertain should not be disappointed.
