The Trailer:
Director: Stuart Murdoch
Main Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, & Hannah Murray
Synopsis: Eve (Emily Browning), a girl with emotional problems, begins writing songs in order to help her cope and meets two other musicians in the process with problems of their own.
Let me first explain that the director and writer of this film is Stuart Murdoch, the singer and songwriter of the indie-pop band Belle and Sebastian. The songs used in this film is from his side project God Help the Girl. This is his first attempt at writing and directing a film and it is very apparent. That doesn't mean it's not good, it's just not as polished and well put together as it could have been. There is a very flimsy plot in which the story flows, it's almost non-existent. I mean, it's there but isn't necessarily what drives the story along, because it almost seems lost in the middle of the movie or muddled rather. I thought, and what seems apparent at the beginning, is that Eve is trying to start a band while also dealing with some deep-rooted emotional problems. But then, towards the middle that's not really what the movie becomes about. I don't know, it's just kind of disjointed in the way that it's written, but still I applaud the effort. Another things that bothers me a bit is the weird timeline, like I'm not sure whether the timeline of the story is over the course of a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. It's just never stated and that bothers me because I can't tell if the drama between the characters is justified because they've spent so much time together and have become s involved in each other's lives, or if they all rushed into a strange relationship with each other and are now suffering the consequences of becoming so emotionally involved over such a short period of time. It's disarming. And because of such a flimsy plot, the musical numbers seem out of place and disjointed. The reason musical movies work is because the music expands upon an already strong story, but here, in God Help the Girl, it's obvious that the songs weren't written in the context for a musical but rather as just a concept album. While, yes, the songs tell the story of a girl and her band of misfits, the actual movie relays no cohesiveness due to lack of fully fleshed out ideas and concepts. Really, this movie is like a bunch of music videos being strung together by quirky dialogue and random characters that never play a real part of the story. But none of this excludes the greatness that this film has to offer.
What I love about this movie is the very real chemistry between the characters. Eve, James (Olly Alexander), and Cassie (Hannah Murray) are all indie hipster type kids who find comfort in each other as they navigate this new terrain known as adulthood. They fit well together. James is an over-thinker, Eve is a realist, and Cassie is a dreamer: they all balance each other out. And all of their weird adventures and discussions about musicianship and creating great pop songs are spot on while also slightly distorted. Their whole relationship is genuine and authentic. And as far as the acting, it's wonderful. Olly Alexander fits James' character so well. James' dialogue and ideas are so interesting and yet seem like they could just as easily be the way Olly feels about music, his portrayal is just that effortless. Hannah Murray as Cassie is quirky and silly and slightly aloof, which is supposedly similar to her character in Skins (I wouldn't know as I've never watched the series), but, as with Olly, she pulls it off so effortlessly that it seems she is not even acting. And then Emily Browning... ♥ I have such a huge crush on Emily Browning and I think she's an amazing actress. And in this movie, she is just extraordinary. She's very subdued but driven to make a great pop album, but also to cure herself of her emotional distress. But what I love most about the characters and story is Eve's total rejection of being James' manic pixie dream girl: she has all the qualities and that's what James wants from her but she wants nothing of it and I love that. The cinematography of the whole thing has the quality of a Beatles film. It's got that vintage vibe with that soft, fuzziness of older movies that I really appreciate. Last but not least, the songs. While the songs are disjointed with the overall story of the movie, they truly are great contemporary pop songs and I love them. I couldn't tell you how many times I listened to the soundtrack after viewing the film (I watched this way back in August). I mean it was on repeat for days and days and days. I love it that much.
God Help the Girl is a fun movie filled with wonderful songs. Is it something you should watch if you want a great musical with a great story? No, definitely not. The story isn't really there, but it's shot wonderfully and has wonderful acting within. I've watched it multiple times since the first viewing and I've gotten over the flimsy plot line, though I know that is something that most people can't get over. Do I recommend it? Yes, but take that recommendation with a grain of salt. Don't expect brilliance. Would I watch it again? Uhh, yeah I just told you I've watched it again since the first viewing. Go ahead, give it a watch, see what you think of it.
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