The Half of It
Year: 2020
Director: Alice Wu
Starring: Daniel Deimer, Alexis Lemire & Leah Lewis
Runtime: 104 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 08/05/20 (Legacy Review)
Director: Alice Wu
Starring: Daniel Deimer, Alexis Lemire & Leah Lewis
Runtime: 104 mins
BBFC: 12
Published: 08/05/20 (Legacy Review)
So I’m going to start off by saying that Netflix’s new coming of age rom-com ‘The Half Of It’ is a brilliant idea for a film. A jock who has difficulties verbalising his feelings towards the popular girl in school enlists the help of a quiet nerdy girl who writes love letters to the popular girl on behalf of the jock. Unknown to the jock however, the quiet nerdy girl is also in love with the popular girl and as such the love letters she writes are more personal than he realises. It’s a brilliant premise that has a lot of opportunities for coming of age romance to blossom, alongside some hilariously awkward situations.
BUT, ‘The Half Of It’ is a really messy film that juggles far too many plot lines that it either abandons completely or only halfheartedly sees them through to the end. The characters, other than main the main character (quiet nerdy girl Ellie), are all extremely shallow and one dimensional that barely resemble anything other than an archetype; and almost all the major events in the film are so haphazardly strung together and play out in such an awkward manner that it’s honestly a miracle this thing made it out of the writers room.
Is ‘The Half Of It’ a bad film? No, in fact there is some enjoyment to be had and some very funny sequences. But if you’re after a coming of age film that handles sexuality, leaving high school, friendship, and falling in love, then watch 2019’s Booksmart instead.
BUT, ‘The Half Of It’ is a really messy film that juggles far too many plot lines that it either abandons completely or only halfheartedly sees them through to the end. The characters, other than main the main character (quiet nerdy girl Ellie), are all extremely shallow and one dimensional that barely resemble anything other than an archetype; and almost all the major events in the film are so haphazardly strung together and play out in such an awkward manner that it’s honestly a miracle this thing made it out of the writers room.
Is ‘The Half Of It’ a bad film? No, in fact there is some enjoyment to be had and some very funny sequences. But if you’re after a coming of age film that handles sexuality, leaving high school, friendship, and falling in love, then watch 2019’s Booksmart instead.