SYNOPSIS:
On the verge of turning 15, grown-up-to-be Georgia sets her sights on the new guy at school, "gorgeous sex-god" Robbie, band member of the Stiff Dylans. Unfortunately, Robbie happens to already be dating Georgia's evil archrival: blonde and perfect Lindsay. With the help of her well-meaning but clueless parents, her flamboyantly dressed cat Angus and her girl posse, the Ace Gang, Georgia sets her mad schemes in motion to nab a snogtastic boyfriend and have the best birthday ever!
MOVIE REVIEW:
If this reviewer’s male instincts still serve him well, they tell him that this movie is made with girls (and he doesn’t mean any female viewer above the age of 20). With the pinkish DVD cover, the flowers, hearts and that cutesy lipstick mark, these definitely aren’t meant for your average male viewer who likes his action movies explosive and loud. And with a title like that, who else would it appeal to other than girls who would like to, err, find out the perfect Angus (that’s a cat’s name) , thongs and snogging (Google these terms if you have no clue what they are) styles? So the question is, why is this male reviewer tasked to review this DVD? To understand girls better, perhaps?
The female (you weren’t expecting a boy to be the lead here, were you?) protagonist here is a 14 year old who stays with her parents. She thinks that they are nosey and do not understand her (this is just part of growing up, dear), and things are made worse with a younger sister who is equally annoying. Being the young and dreamy girl she is, she wishes that she can be blonde and have a charming boyfriend. Based on Louise Rennison’s books "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" and "On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God", this movie presents itself as her hilarious journal entries, and illustrate the joys and angst of being a teenager.
Depending on your age (and don’t forget, gender), this Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice) directed teen movie will either appeal to you, or irritate you to bits. Well, if you are well past your puberty, the issues discussed in this 100 minute movie aren’t exactly refreshing or innovative – they may even be whiny to a certain extent. Similarly, on the other side of the coin, there are viewers who are going through this stage in life who can identify with the protagonist’s problems and issues in life.
Given that the movie takes place in UK, some of the jokes may fly past local viewers. Even certain slangs and terms used by the characters in the movie may not be familiar with local audiences. That aside, the movie does have its youthful charm and laugh out loud moments (check out the consumer advice “some sexual references” and you’d know there would be some tongue in cheek humour awaiting you), and at the end of the day, whether you are a female or male viewer, this light hearted and enjoyable comedy will help you kill time pleasantly on a boring weekend afternoon.
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
This Code 3 DVD contains a bit of special features. The Commentary with Gurinder and the Ace Gang Girls is a jolly accompaniment which has the director and three girls talking entertainingly about the making of the movie. Their English accent is kind of strong though, you can choose to switch on the subtitles. They take a while to warm up, but once the four girls are into the mood of things, you can only imagine how giggly they got.
Double Cool with Knobs On is a 27 minute making of featurette which makes the production look really fun and enjoyable. The cast and crew talk about how difficult it was to adapt a diary into movie form. The four minute Looking After Angus is about the cat who stars in the movie – inconsequential but cute. First Kisses is a three minute clip which brings you to the scene where the two young kids snog – really cute. In the three minute Working with Gurinder, the young actors talk about how easy and relaxed it is to work with the director. Angus Video Diaries is an eight minute on the fly video which asks cute questions like who the cast and crew would kiss or marry.
Thongs, Bras, Lippie and Other Life Saving Essentials is a three minute clip which shows you the costumes used in the movie. The two minute Getting the Angus Look has the cinematographer talking about how the look of the movie is created. Step Inside the Nicholson Household is a three minute clip which has the production designer talking about how the different sets are built for the movie. First Night Nerves is a two minute clip where the stars go for the premiere of the movie, showing different kinds of excitement. There are also nine Deleted Scenes totaling 10 minutes (check out the one where a boy says “You can take any horse to water, but you can’t make it snog properly), Bloopers totaling six minutes (check out the one where a cork is removed from a bottle with much difficulties), a Gallery of production stills and a Stiff Dylans Music Video “Ultraviolet” included on this DVD.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc’s visual transfer is pristine, and you can choose to watch the movie in English or Thai Dolby Digital 5.1.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING:
Review by John Li |
