Welcome to non-spoiler reviews: reviews that discuss a film but give away as little plot as possible.
Inevitably, people refer to Booksmart as “the female Superbad.” And I get the comparison. Unlike when Bridesmaids was billed as “the female Hangover” these films actually share a lot in common. Both are raunchy comedies that center around two unpopular best friends trying to party at the end of senior year, but even beyond its premise they cover the same thematic territory of what it means to be someone’s best friend. One of the leads is even played by Jonah Hill’s sister. But there’s really only one commonality between them that matters: they’re both really fucking good movies.
I mean Jesus Christ. I was expecting to like the movie, but not this much. It’s a comedy that’s both heartfelt and hilarious, and it thankfully doesn’t feel the need to undercut every dramatic moment with a joke (this is a trend that needs to stop but has only gotten worse since Deadpool). But this is not a dramedy (*blech*). This is a capital C Comedy aiming for big laughs. And it hits its target nearly every time.
The past few years there’s been so much talk about how political correctness is “killing comedy,” but Booksmart uses PC culture to its advantage the same way Neighbors 2 did. (It’s also worth noting that without PC culture this film probably wouldn’t exist at all. Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins have shopped this script around since 2008). It’s also willing to critique PC culture with some of the most insightful takes on slut-shaming and assumed sexuality I’ve seen in a film. It jokes about certain aspects of Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy’s (Kaitlyn Dever) über-feminism but never disrespects them to go “lol look at these libtards.” This extends to the rest of the students too, many of whom should come off as stereotypes but are given more depth than expected. There’s a great deal of love for all its characters. So many teen movies pit likable nerds against evil jocks but here there’s a genuine sense of community more akin to what high school is actually like.
The students themselves are all a joy to watch. Beanie Feldstein has the flashier role here and much of the film’s praise is about her performance, but don’t discount Kaitlyn Dever, who has somehow only gotten better since Short Term 12. She gives a very funny, very real performance that grounds the whole movie. Sure, some of their classmates may look a little old to be in high school, but they’re so much fun to watch you’re able to forgive it (Noah Galvin as one of the theater kids may be the funniest thing here). None of this should be shocking considering it was cast by Allison Jones, who has a better eye for young talent than anyone in her profession (for reference she also cast Freaks and Geeks, Lady Bird, Superbad, and Eighth Grade. She knows what the fuck she’s doing).
And I haven’t even started on Olivia Wilde. The normal criticism when actors become directors is they’re great at directing other actors but bad at actually directing the movie. Well it turns out Olivia Wilde is one hell of a director. She knows exactly when to employ certain visual tricks and exactly how long to hold certain shots. There are long takes here but they never call attention to themselves – a fatal mistake many first-time directors make. She even pulls off an underwater sequence that would make Jean Vigo proud. Plus, with the help of music supervisor Bryan Ling, she understands the key to a great soundtrack isn’t just getting good songs; it’s knowing how to use them.
Given that Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman have separately rewritten the script, the film at times feels uneven. There are moments that are too broad or untrue that scrape against the rest of what’s happening. But overall this film is a blast. Get on the bandwagon early because we’ll be rewatching this for decades to come.
Restless And Lazy 