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Set in the early 1990s, How to Build a Girl's clever dialog is reminiscent of 1995's Clueless, except that the privileged Beverly Hills, California kids have transmogrified into working-class Wolverhampton, England ones. It might seem fictional but it's nearly biographical. The cast is terrific and the family scenes are outstanding. The God Wall is a bit of a Who's Who of both sets of the real-life characters and of the actors who play them. It's a fun romp through the '90s via the lens of a bright, teen-aged girl who is building the foundation of who she will be as an adult. Most of all, the film succeeds in making that romp equally enjoyable even if you've now got teenagers of your own. Alfie Allen's character declares, "Say one true thing." This film about a teen-aged girl was written by Caitlin Moran and directed by Coky Giedroyc, both of whom were once teen-aged girls themselves. So if the character of Johanna rings truer than, say, 99.99% of the female characters we see on film, then it's because she is a "one true thing".
By : Arnold P. | Date : 3 years ago
