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David Gordon Green's “All The Real Girls” features a love story involving two wonderfully deep and detailed characters. The film uncovers deep emotions and is genuine in a way that can’t be faked.
Screenwriting expert, Robert McKee claims that good writing is not so much about what happens but why it happens, and how it affects people. In other words getting to the feelings and motivations behind the actions should be the most important thing.
“All The Real Girls” is a thoughtful film that emphasizes the complexities and true emotions of love over an intriguing plot. This film looks at how perplexing our emotions can be and how desperate they can make us feel. It understands how being in love can mean doing things we didn't really intend and facing consequences we never anticipated.
Love allows us to feel idealistic about ourselves. The other person inspires, makes us want to be better and present the best parts of ourselves. Paul (Paul Schneider), has spent his youth having sex with every girl he could, but when he meets the young, innocent Noel (Zooey Deschanel), he doesn’t want to rush things. Paul and Noel are magnetically drawn to one another, and it’s not long before they become encapsulated in a timeless small-town romance.
Paul's best friend, Tip (Shea Whigham), has been his best friend from birth. He is Noel's brother and wants to protect his sister since he knows all about Paul's prolific past.
Paul spends his free time with a group of underachieving buddies, drinking and looking for their next female conquest. As one former girlfriend observes, Paul’s the type of sleazy good-for-nothing who’ll never amount to more than a drunken, childish buffoon with no ambition.
Paul and Noel’s relationship eventually begins to crumble under the weight of mistakes and regrets from both past and present. Paul's general lack of direction and inability to express himself makes it difficult for him to handle any cracks in the relationship.
Schneider (who co-wrote the film) brings a regular-guy, Dennis Quaid, appeal to Paul, a guy who wishes he could erase his past just as meets a girl who's realizing the world of experiences open to her.
Deschanel, as Noel, perfectly captures the pivotal moment of between childhood and the adult world, when vulnerability, confidence, confusion and yearning all collide. Previously known for small comic roles in "The Good Girl," and "Almost Famous", Deschanel has a natural charimsa and this is probably her breakout performance.
Like Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums"), Green offers an attention to character and place that's manifests itself not only in pacing and camera work but also in the naturalistic dialogue and music. Characters don't have quick minds and sharp retorts. They're more often tongue-tied, their emotions too tangled for them to understand or easily express.
Aside from a protracted conclusion, in which Green seems a little uncertain how he wants to wrap things up, this is a beautifully realized and assured work, packed with raw emotions. Some of the insights into the characters are deep and fascinating. It’s always fun to see the emergence of a director as distinctive as Green, and one with his gift for quiet, unhurried storytelling. Especially if you value creativity and emotion over formula and action.
BOTTOM LINE: “All The Real Girls” is a beautiful character study of a young couple dealing with the realities of love in a small town. (B+ to A-) |
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| "We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it." |
- Jack Nicholson
A Few Good Men
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Distributed Beers
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| 5 |
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot |
| 4 |
Guinness Draught |
| 3 |
Newcastle Brown Ale |
| 2 |
Bass Pale Ale |
| 1 |
Samuel Adams Boston Lager |
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