dogmaticdogs Reviews

Midsommar (2019)

Ambitious Nightmare Examining the Male and Female Relationship Power Struggle

[9/10 · 4 July 2019]

I can't believe all the bad reviews, especially those relating to substance or lack thereof. It seems like many missed the point or didn't know what to expect going into the movie.

This is not a horror movie (at least not in the typical sense like Hereditary was, and which I thought was easily the best horror movie of 2018 and is by the same director) although it certainly is horrific. Rather, it is an acid-trip nightmare born from the anxiety arising from the contemplation of a life-long commitment to a mate and starting a family, and familial pressure regarding the same. Much like Rosemary's Baby was a play on female anxiety arising from one's first pregnancy, this is a journey through the cycles of human life with special emphasis on fear of commitment and what it means for one's individual identity.

The woman is portrayed as having a lot of family baggage and worried that her chosen partner's friends will not accept her, that he may be cheating on her, that her friends cannot be trusted, and that she will give up all power by continuing the relationship. Consumed with beauty and dreams of idyllic happiness replacing the chaos that is her current life. I should note that these traits are not always exhibited directly through her eyes or mouth but through the lens of her trip.

The man is portrayed as doing his best to do the right thing but still wanting the respect of his buddies, tempted by seducers, and surrounded by women that want to lock him down. One friend, a horny but hopeless geek always getting into trouble. The other, a rival.

The director doesn't pick a side (i.e., the female perspective v. the male perspective), but rather tries to show both sides fairly (including flaws) at the same time. You will have to watch the movie yourself to see who wins this power struggle for dominance and who is subsumed by the other.

Don't go in expecting a simple-minded horror movie, go in expecting to see a brilliant manifestation of the complex emotions many women and men go through when finding a mate and trying to decide whether to commit. This movie will be too raw, graphic, violent and ethereal for many, but if you don't mind that sort of thing, what a truly brilliant piece of art this is. The visuals are absolutely stunning.

Brightburn (2019)

Exponentially Better than I was Expecting

[10/10 · 26 May 2019]

I went into this movie with very low expectations as the trailer seemed rather weak, they used a child star and I was concerned they would try to temper the horror to make it kid friendly, and I thought they might try to add some comedy to the movie which I think ruins horror movies. Boy was I wrong. This was very dark, disturbing and horrifying. No happy moments, no trying to preach or trying to teach us a lesson, and no comedy, just all out horror. Thank you for making the best horror movie so far this year! Up there with Hereditary.

Cold Pursuit (2019)

Great Film Once You Understand Its Intention, With a Beautifully Surreal Depiction of Denver

[8/10 · 9 February 2019]

This film was not what I was expecting but once I understood and came to grips with the fact it was a dark comedy, in a Fargo-esque sort of way, and a parody of revenge killing films, rather than meant to be taken seriously other than for its beautiful absurdity, I started to really enjoy it.

The whole movie was fun escapism with gratuitous violence, and hyper-exaggerated cliché portrayals of Native Americans, crime bosses and average men being local heroes, etc. Not to mention an exponentially growing kill tally. What is not to love?

It was a special treat for those of us that live in Denver, as although much of the movie was supposed to take place here, none of the neighborhoods, architecture, streets, buildings, trees, landscaping, mountain ranges, etc. matched anything close to what really exists in Denver. I spent the entire movie looking for something I could place as actually being in Denver, but I came up empty. Instead, a totally fictitious version thereof was portrayed (too surreal to match any actual city I am aware of, but closer to a blend of the more affluent parts of Los Angeles and Vancouver than Denver, with world class architecture and night clubs) which fit in perfectly with the artfully crafted alternative universe intended to be created. Like the bizarre relationships between the characters, I slowly began to realize that what first appeared to be a sloppy annoyance was in fact an intentional critique of the genre and actually a quite clever game with the audience.

Many will undoubtedly knock this film for being unrealistic, absurd, over the top, culturally insensitive, and with settings that did not match named cities (at least those such as Denver that actually exist). Those people just failed to see that was the entire point. You shouldn't go in expecting to see realism, complex character development, suspense and drama, or something akin to Taken. Instead, go in expecting to see a dark comedy parody film. Think Fargo meets Peppermint, with a wink to Quentin Tarantino in honor of his impact on modern cinema.

Ben Is Back (2018)

Written and Directed by His Dad

[6/10 · 25 December 2018]

Lucas Hedges had a wonderful start of a career. Attractive, and born to rich Hollywood connected parents, he was given opportunities to star in some really great films that most actors could only dream of, and he did well in them. Lately, however, he seems in over his head. His acting in Ben is Back and Boy Erased was just not believable. I am concerned he is turning into the next Jaden Smith with his parents giving him more than he is ready for, and him thinking he deserves it all and more.

The writing and direction by Lucas' dad was pretty weak.

Julia Roberts married to a domineering black man, and driving her son around to drug dens? Get serious people.

Lucas willing to kill himself to rectify a situation in which a drug dealer who is owed a debt has his crew break into Lucas' family home, kidnap the family pet, and hold it hostage as leverage, while being careful not to do too much damage or steal anything, and never once expressly threatening any real harm to the animal? Yes, you read that right. Not to mention that the drug dealer forgot to tell Lucas that he is holding the pet hostage, causing Lucas to spend all night looking for his lost lil buddy. Huh?

Crime bosses that look like they could get beaten up by the residents of your local nursing home, obsessed for months, if not years, about getting revenge for unpaid balances of less than $1,000? How slow can business be?

A serial addict over-dosing on one hit?

Women walking up to Lucas and saying "you're hot!"? Knowing that this was written by his dad, that is one proud papa, not to mention slightly creepy.

Gay sex for drugs with your high-school teacher? If you want to go for shocking, you have to at least try to be original.

It goes on and on.

I was hoping for a great independent film about addiction, but this is not it. If you want to see that, watch Requiem for a Dream. It is everything this movie is not. Another option, but not as epic as Requiem, would be Beautiful Boy. I like Lucas, but Lucas Hedges v. Timothée Chalamet is no contest. It is an interesting comparison in that Lucas and his dad are trying desperately to get Lucas on the same career trajectory as Timothee (i.e., Timothee does Call me By Your Name and Lucas follows with Boy Erased, Timothee does Beautiful Boy and Lucas follows with Ben is Back). However, whereas Timothee always shocks with a mind-blowingly convincing performance, Lucas is just pretty good.

All that said, I enjoyed the movie. Mainly because I find it fascinating to see what happens when you write a movie because you are 100% obsessed with your son achieving super-stardom by any means necessary. Talk about a case of stage parenting gone wild. Just wait for it to be released on cable and realize it is grade B at best.

The Party's Just Beginning (2018)

Important and Powerful

[10/10 · 8 December 2018]

This movie is not for everyone. It is about those of us who are outsiders that often feel so dead on the inside we give up on life or seek self destructive behavior to feel alive or human, whether that be through drugs, sex, abusive relationships, risking one's life, intentional infliction of pain, or whatever else makes us feel alive for a moment, or a combination of all of the above, and the devastation it can leave behind. As someone that deals with depression and addiction to self-destructive behavioral patterns, I can tell you this movie was dead on in capturing what it truly feels like, and the impact it has on us and those around us.

For those that don't have such feelings, or know people plagued with them, I am not sure if they will get it. For those of us that do, it is hard not to view this movie as a masterpiece. It was not judgmental, overacted, or built on false assumptions. Rather, it was a brilliant showing of understanding and awareness for those of us that do not often feel understood or valued.

You will not feel good or happy leaving this movie. In fact, it was so realistic and on point it brought me straight to my dark place. However, for a change, I did not feel alone in my blackness, but felt like I was with friends that understood and wanted me to make better choices in life. For that I am grateful this important movie was made.

Absolutely exceptional. And again, I thank all of those involved for taking this so seriously.

I have no idea why IMDB has this movie listed as a comedy. It is a dark movie about depression, emptiness and suicide.

Boy Erased (2018)

Missed Opportunity

[6/10 · 25 November 2018]

I actually enjoyed the movie, and the acting was decent for the most part. However, these things really bothered me:

1. The star's first sexual encounter was with a straight-acting jock who looks like a model and who just happens to be addicted to raping men he knows personally, despite the fact his victims would most likely welcome a healthy sexual relationship with the attacker. This is pretty much unheard of in the gay community, and fosters the false idea that homosexuality is a mental health disorder. This is not to say there are no unhealthy relationships in the gay community. There certainly are. It is just that the one portrayed just didn't seem right. Especially not the awkward encounter itself. I realize this is supposed to be based on a true story, and I get the idea that attacker was supposed to be portrayed as having a lot of repression issues and self hate, but it seemed really off to me in a variety of ways.

2. The lead role is played by someone (Lucas Hedges) who doesn't classify himself as a gay man (although in at least one interview he said he falls within a sexually fluid spectrum - mostly attracted to women, but not totally straight, but also not gay and not necessarily bisexual - I mention this without any implied judgement, but merely as a possible reason I couldn't relate to his character). What about the guy who his first portrayed sexual encounter is with? He happens to be a straight man dating Taylor Swift. What about the director? Again, a straight man who has dated many actresses and models over the years.

I realize that an actor does not have to had lived through all the things they are acting out to do a good job, but these roles went to men that didn't appear to me to connect to the subject matter on any meaningful level, nor ever had to endure all the hardships that most gay men have had to endure, especially those that have at least some feminine characteristics and thus do not have the option to be chameleons existing on some sort of fluidity spectrum. The non-gay actors pretending to be gay looked distractingly uncomfortable in their roles, and the director being straight didn't help either. Although there were several actors in the movie that were sure they were gay, they were given only subordinate roles without many lines, which I found unfortunate. Maybe I'm way off base but I think a movie about the issues gay men have to deal with should star people that are actually gay. Can you imagine a movie about African slavery where all the lead actors playing slave roles were white actors in black face with a Southern accent, and the director gave people that were actually black only small subordinate roles on the basis they were not likable enough to a general audience to play a bigger role? That is how this movie comes across.

Hollywood has many decent openly gay actors who would have loved these roles, and would have had much better insight into how to play such characters properly. I can only speculate as to why they were passed over but it is clear that the director has at least some homophobic tendencies and was in it for the money rather than to educate others.

3. The movie made conversion therapy seem better than most summer camps in America. It was simply portrayed as well-intended but misguided, and didn't delve much into the emotional turmoil the kids must have felt and into how horrible these places can actually be. To me it was way too soft in its approach. For example, I did not think it was possible to show the inner workings of conversion therapy and/or the suicide of a gay teen without triggering a deep emotional response from me, but this director somehow found a way.

4. There was pretty much no meaningful dialogue or relationships between the kids in the program. Not very realistic. Gay guys often have strong personalities, but those portrayed seemed to have none. For some reason the gay guys were not given center stage and allowed to let their personality shine in this movie.

I realize this movie was "inspired" by the life of Garrard Conley. Although this movie didn't seem relatable or realistic to me personally based on my life experiences, maybe it was to Garrard, and it is not my place to question his perception of his life story.

Suspiria (I) (2018)

Perhaps the Best Horror Movie of the Year

[8/10 · 4 November 2018]

I never really get scared at horror movies, but this definitely was the most tense and creepy movie I have seen this year. Many people will hate this movie. It is artsy; it has many loose ends and unanswered questions; it is pretentious; it has a political agenda, it is more reminiscent of a nightmare or acid trip than actual events; and it requires you to put in a real effort to try to follow - not dissimilar to Mother, yet entirely unique. I happened to love it.

This movie is filled with symbolism and metaphors, and will leave you thinking for days about what happened and what the movie was trying to say. It is not so much a remake of the original, as much as a new interpretation.

Beautiful Boy (I) (2018)

Could Have Been Perfection

[7/10 · 28 October 2018]

As usual, Timothée Chalamet put in another mind blowing performance. This guy really is one of the best actors of this generation. Unfortunately, he was paired with Steve Carell, a one dimensional comedian specializing in bodily function and body part jokes who was quite good at playing the office clown in The Office but not really ready to play a leading man in a serious drama. This could have been one of the best movies of the decade. Instead, it was just good.

Oh well, I still love you Timothée and can envision how amazing It could have been if you were paired better. You deserve an Oscar regardless of what others did with or to this movie. Standing alone, yours was the best performance I have seen this year.

Mid90s (2018)

Excellent Film

[9/10 · 27 October 2018]

First off, the soundtrack is amazing. Second, the acting is superb. So good in fact, it actually feels like a documentary.

I grew up with the skater kids, and it was an honest portrayal. Often misfits and somewhat broken, but usually loyal and just searching for a place where they can fit in and escape from some of their problems in life. Very few writers and directors can portray human psychology accurately. Usually characters are just portrayed as good or evil, rather than a product of complex genetic and environmental conditioning with both a good side and a dark side. People are not born and raised on the same playing field in terms of health, love, wealth, support, intelligence, attractiveness and opportunities. Most try their best but often fail or make mistakes. As a result, judgement of others is absurd. This movie captures all of that beautifully.

Sunny Suljic is going to be a superstar. At age 13, he exudes both genuine kindness and humbleness, as well as being able to simultaneously convey an edgy darkside. He has already surpassed many actors 30 years his senior.

Hunter Killer (2018)

Has Some Real Highs and Lows

[7/10 · 27 October 2018]

I thought the acting was great, and the underwater cinematography was awesome. Finally a movie that made the viewer feel they were actually at sea during a conflict rather than just watching models floating in a bathtub.

I guess the only thing that irked me was the following:

1. The movie preached loyalty to those that have your back over your superiors and politics. I agree completely with that message, but it was so pervasive and force-feed that it removed a sense of realism from the feel of the movie.

2. Gerard Butler was portrayed as a superhero rather than a human being. They showed him as having zero flaws and never making a mistake. When faced with difficult decisions he always chose the right one which resulted in the best outcome, regardless of his chances. I think all great men and women have some darkness and mistakes in their past. Since Gerald had none, it removed some much needed depth and complexity from his character, and again diminished the realism.

Both of these flaws had more to do with writing than the great work of the actors involved.

The Sisters Brothers (2018)

Enjoyable but Too Many Plot Holes to be Great

[7/10 · 21 October 2018]

This story is about two brothers raised by an abusive alcoholic until they eventually kill him as children. The movie starts with the brothers as adults. One questioning the path of his life and paternal, the other rowdy, impulsive and addicted to sex and booze. They survive working together as hitmen.

I didn't know what to expect, as the trailer made it seem like it would be a comedy with a lot of violence. Thankfully, the comedy routines were kept to a minimum.

The acting was very good, and the movie did not disappoint on the violence side. For the most part it was enjoyable. A decent pick for anyone that enjoys westerns. There were some things that irked me, however, in the form of enormous plot holes.

1. These stone cold men instantly fell in love with Riz Ahmed, a Middle Eastern socialist who supposedly developed a formula to help find gold in rivers whom they were hired to kidnap and torture to steal his formula. Their relationship never seemed to make sense and there was no believable background on this.

2. They decided to risk their life to find gold using Ahmed's process. It appears to work. In fact, they got such gold fever, they worked to the point of disfigurement and the death of their new found friends in extracting the gold, but when Ahmed dies they just move on. They never show the gold being counted or packed, or any of them attempting to recreate Ahmed's formula. The gold was just instantly forgotten with his death. It made zero sense.

3. Although they both appeared reformed men, they decide to go kill their former boss who is portrayed as having at least dozens of hitmen working for him and take over his business. When the arrive at his compound there are no guards or security, and they walk right into a room in which his funeral is being held. Security is so lax, they just beat the dead body during the funeral and leave, with no attempt to take over the business. Everyone is portrayed as being very poor except for this one dead guy, who has no security detail or anyone trying to take the reigns of his empire. You would think a man with such power would have to be highly connected with others who would have much interest in a succession plan.

4. After the funeral they just decide to move in with their mom with no real plans for the future. This really didn't fit into any patterns of family abuse and desensitization that I am aware of.

Although the acting was good, they story of redemption just didn't make any sense. They kept going down different plot lines with no explanation of why they came to a complete halt. The story showed no insights into cycles of abuse, only a lack of understanding thereof. It showed people entirely changing their character and personality rather rapidily and without explanation.

Go for the violence, but don't bother looking for any deep meaning.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Absolutely Amazing

[10/10 · 14 October 2018]

Move over Quentin Tarantino, you may have just been upstaged by Drew Goddard in your own genre, at least with respect to some of your weaker films, with less reliance on profanity and comedy, and more reliance on darkness and vocabulary having hints of Yorgos Lanthimos. Brilliant, witty, quirky, original, violent, complex and perverse, it was a fun roller coaster and perhaps the best movie of the year. Think Pulp Fiction meets Killing of a Sacred Deer, but rather than being derivative, borrowed only the best aspects and built on them to make an original masterpiece.

Everyone put in an award winning performance, but I have to say I thought Lewis Pullman, who was supposed to have only a supporting role, stole the show. Talk about unexpected brilliance. The guy was truly superb in this.

It was complex and layered enough to watch more than once, and still be extremely enjoyable. Thank you for making the first truly enjoyable movie of the year Drew!

Black '47 (2018)

Best Movie of the Year

[10/10 · 13 October 2018]

At a time when so many movies are trying to mix comedy with darkness, it's about time that a director stands up for artistic integrity and goes pitch black. Our history is dark, and life can be hard. For some, it is a living hell.

This movie explores what happens when one's life reaches the point were the only thing you can focus on at all times is survival, and there are no safety nets. It is not easy to watch at times. There are corrupt leaders, and the dying masses. To thrive in this world you need to be ruthless. The soft are killed, and disregarded like worthless trash. The only hint of humanity remaining is those few instances where someone makes the decision to put their friends, family or neighbors first.

I found it to be a brutal masterpiece. The acting was superb. The scenery was beautiful. The cinematography was breathtaking. And the emotional impact was harsh and on point. The only distraction is sometimes they used painted backgrounds, and sometimes you couldn't understand even the English being spoken because of the Irish accents so I would have preferred they subtitled everything. Minor issues with a movie that is clearly the best of this year. A western of the highest caliber.

First Man (2018)

Worth Seeing

[8/10 · 13 October 2018]

Ryan Gosling did a great job playing the stoic Neil Armstrong. Solid as a rock and never cracking under pressure. So many of our heroes seem to be absent from their family's lives, and Neil is portrayed as being no exception. A man that would give his life for his Country, but feels uncomfortable exhibiting emotion. I only wish the movie did a better job explaining what drove him to pursue this mission. To me that is the most fascinating piece of this puzzle. As usual, you give Ryan a person to imitate and he hits it dead on. The only thing missing from an Oscar winning performance was some psychological depth and darkness. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend it.

By the way, I also have to give credit to his wife Claire Foye. She was able to brilliantly display her emotions without using words.

A Star Is Born (2018)

Incredible Movie

[10/10 · 6 October 2018]

Gaga always puts in a world-class performance and this is no exception. The movie is a bit long and depressing, but the acting is phenomenal. She sings and gets Grammy after Grammy. She stars in her first major tv role and wins a Golden Globe, and now stars in her first major film and deserves an Oscar. Even if you don't enjoy her style, you cant deny she is iconic and helped define an entire generation. She is the rightful queen of sound and stage. She is also very bright, sincere and caring, and doesn't let anyone stand in her way. Such an amazing person and inspiration.

Venom (2018)

Better than the Critics Would Have You Believe

[8/10 · 6 October 2018]

I wonder if all the hate is because Sony produced this film outside of the Marvel Studio universe because I actually found it very entertaining. There was a lot of action, and the special effects were very good. The movie theater was full, and many people were laughing out-loud and clapped after the movie. Yes, the main character was kind of corny, but I found Venom's human ego less corny than Iron Man or Captain America. I also found it refreshing that it occurred in a world that wasn't already occupied by other super heroes. It seemed more realistic and adult oriented than other marvel character movies, but I would have preferred it being a bit darker rather than light hearted.

I am not a huge fan of super hero movies other than Dark Knight, but I really enjoyed this. It shouldn't win any awards, but if you like the genre, I found it better than most. The movie suggested that Tom Hardy was a loser before he became Venom. If he was a loser, what the hell does that make me?

White Boy Rick (2018)

Not What I Expected, but a Good Movie

[8/10 · 16 September 2018]

From the previews, I went in thinking there would be a lot of action and high hustler living portrayed. Instead, it was much darker than expected, and didn't glamorize drug culture at all, which is a good thing. It was a movie about desperation and family bonds, or lack thereof. I felt they did a great job of realistically capturing Detroit street life.

I also enjoyed they gave a rather average looking kid with no experience a chance. How rare is that? He proved he was up to the challenge. His sister also did a great job as a heroin or crack head.

This movie was dark and bleak. These people were just struggling to make it through the day, and they didn't always succeed. The government's involvement was perverse, and only added to their problems, as is so often the case. The system often compounds rather than resolves problems.

The Predator (2018)

Pitiful

[2/10 · 16 September 2018]

The first Predator is one of my favorite movies of all time. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is hard to describe how bad this was, because I still cannot believe it. It was a jumbled mess with no good parts. The dialogue was corny, the plot was painfully bad and silly, and there were no good actors. Anyone involved with this film should be ashamed. Oh and the alien dogs, they made me cringe every time they appeared. Luckily I paid less than $2 for it since I have the AMC A-List pass, but I still feel like I over-paid.

A Simple Favor (2018)

Not a Thriller

[4/10 · 16 September 2018]

Based on the trailer, I went in expecting to see a great indie thriller and/or drama like Gone Girl or American Beauty. What I saw was a mediocre chick flick comedy. If you are addicted to Lifetime made for TV movies, and enjoy sassy cat fights, blogging, mundane conversation, silly and unrealistic plot twists, and cliché portrayals of wealth and beauty, and don't mind purely derivative works, you might enjoy this. Otherwise, salvage your day and do something else.

The Nun (2018)

Hard to Call this a Horror Movie

[6/10 · 8 September 2018]

This movie was mildly entertaining but it never knew what it wanted to be. While supposed to be dark, they threw in a main character called Frenchie that did nothing but cheesy slapstick comedy the whole time. While it took place in a monastery, nothing that took place had any biblical significance. Rather, it seemed more video game based. Although it was supposed to be horrifying, only one person is actually killed and there were no scares other than the demon jumping out a few times. Hardly original. It was ok, but didn't satisfy my cravings.

Happiness (1998)

WOW. JUST WOW.

[10/10 · 8 September 2018]

Another top 10 of all time movies in my opinion. The subject matter, sexual dysfunction, may not be easy for some to take. However, it is enlightening and just over the top as far as acting and emotional impact. You feel like you are hit by a train. Decades later it still stands out in my mind.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Perfection

[10/10 · 8 September 2018]

I watch a lot of movies, and this is definitely one of the top 10 movies ever made in my opinion. It is not easy to watch, and not a feel good movie. It will get under your skin, and make you think for days. Nothing is predictable or derivative. Rather, it is just mind blowing creativity. I watch most movies and can think of at least 10 ways they could have been better. When I watched this one, I realized this guy was a master, there was nothing I could have done to improve this. It was very humbling in that regard. It really takes you deep into the mind of an addict in a manner that changed film making for eternity. Standing ovations for this one. Be ready for a jarring emotional impact. It may be more than some can handle.

Peppermint (2018)

Decent but No Award Winner

[7/10 · 8 September 2018]

This film is non-stop action. Execution style killing after execution style killing. The only real negative was that after the first few killings you know that there is no way this woman could have survived or accomplished all that she did. Thus, it becomes pure fantasy. If you are the type of person that in order to really get into a movie you have to believe it could actually happen, this one isn't for you. If you just want the satisfaction of seeing a woman killing everyone that wronged her (which is a hell of a long list), and can suspend disbelief, you will enjoy this.

Searching (III) (2018)

Searching . . . for a decent plot

[5/10 · 3 September 2018]

The plot twist in this movie is so unbelievable, unrealistic and silly you will never guess it, and that is not a good thing. Save yourself some time and money, and watch any made for TV Lifetime movie. The writing and acting would be about the same. There are so many great film opportunities to explore in the world of internet relationships, but this movie chose to explore none of them effectively, but instead tries to surprise you with unbelievable twist after unbelievable twist.. It is hard to take this seriously when there are dozens of reasons that this could never come close to happening in real life. There are a lot of crazy people on the internet doing insane and/or reckless things, why did they have to focus on a course that is impossible when there are 1000s of fascinating possibilities that could actually happen? This could have been amazing.

Eighth Grade (2018)

Good but not Incredible Movie

[8/10 · 3 September 2018]

The main character was not as likable as the one that starred in Welcome to the Dollhouse, but she captured the feeling of anxiety effectively. She was not portrayed as interesting or special, other than through her awkwardness and isolation (but most of us are not), and had a lot of extremely annoying habits. That is the point. Each of us needs to accept our differences and still find a way to thrive.

Some of the scenes, such as the banana scene, were purely derivative and unoriginal, but there was enough new stuff to keep it enjoyable.

Some may find it too whiney, as the girl's only real problem seems to be that she is average. As far as I could tell, she was never really bullied, abused or traumatized to an extreme extent. Although her mom is out of the picture, her father is portrayed as very loving. Thus, it is really a movie about the difficulties of being average and slightly awkward, with a loving parent, rather than about the difficulty of dealing with more serious issues. However, I guess that makes it more relatable to the average person. True outsiders, however, may find it a bit trivial.