Cinequest’s opening night was exciting and full of great talent.
The premiere of kick-off movie Ginger & Rosa, was at the California Theater, and met among the crowds at Cinequest with mixed reviews.
The film, directed by Sally Potter, is a coming of age story set in 1960s London.
It follows two best friends, Ginger and Rosa, played by upcoming actresses Elle Fanning and Alice Englert, as they deal with trials and tribulations of growing into young women.
Ginger is the picture of youth and innocence, trying very hard to be like her friend Rosa, who is hard-edged and loves to get in trouble.
Set during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film includes a backstory of fear of wartime as the once inseparable best friends learn that growing up can also mean growing apart.
The two friends who did everything together, from ditching school to hanging with boys, and even dressing alike, begin to drift apart and turn into different women.
Ginger begins to turn into a political activist, very concerned about the potential dangers around her.
Rosa begins to become less interested in politics and more interest in Ginger’s father Roland, played by actor Alessandro Nivola.
Rosa’s attraction and Roland’s inappropriate reaction leads to a huge shift in Ginger and Rosa’s friendship, perhaps one that may leave their relationship unfixable.
The girls fear that the world will end as badly as their friendship begins to.
Ginger struggles to try and save the world around her while dealing with her own personal emotional devastation.
The movie is relatable because it tells one story out of many who dealt with a global calamity.
The events at the end of the movie (no spoiler alert here) seemed too overly dramatic to be true.
The ending of the movie definitely has more drama than the combination of the rest of the film.
Many parts of the film seemed to drag more than prove a point. A lot of the beginning scenes that inform us of the background of their friendship take more time than they need too, and it all leads to this hugely climactic moment at the end that leaves mouths open.
This movie is more for the young crowd. Teenage girls and young adult women will probably appreciate this more than anyone, but the intelligence and depth in the dialogue and subject matter makes the movie seem more attractive to other kinds of people.
Fanning’s performance as Ginger was stunning. As an American girl, holding on to a British accent while trying to act in a movie may seem difficult to other actors.
Fanning was able to pull off the accent without a hitch, leading some to believe her accent was very real.
The performances from the supporting characters were helpful to the overall development of the film.
Nivola’s performance as Ginger’s father was very good, mostly because his portrayal was believable enough for the audience to hate him.
Performances from the more known actresses Annette Bening and Christina Hendricks were more disappointing, but it made the newcomers stand out in the best way.
The film had a good coming-of-age story, and teaches us that friendship goes through the worst things and it’s up to you to choose how to handle it.
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