Easy A

Saw Easy A, a fairly silly re-imagining of The Scarlet Letter in a high school setting. In this film, the protagonist tells a lie about hooking up with a College Boy to explain why she blew off her friend's camping trip. This small lie balloons into an elaborate network of lies and soon the whole school thinks she's like, such a slut. The film is snappily written and the protagonist keeps ducking her head down and letting off these quiet, clever references so you feel like you're her cool sophisticated friend, chuckling along with her, for being aware of Sylvia Plath and so on. It's winning and cute.

The film has many references to John Hughes films and it's trying hard to match the same easy, cleverness of those films but without the sincerity that John Hughes sometimes brings. However without this strong element of sincerity, the film sort of becomes a snark-fest. I find it hard to re-insert myself into the high school mindset (where hookups and who's secretly pining for who is so important) when the characters are talking and interacting like 40 year old adults. Also, after an indignant wardrobe change, dressing like adults.

I thought the film was pleasant. It's queasily awkward at parts but only during a few wildly self-affirming scenes (but those always make me uncomfortable.) It also has a fairly on-the-nose message about rumors and social ostracization which is nice but, of course, sort of un-subtle. The protagonist's actions and choices are interesting. The film tries to give her a happy ending but of course the real end of highschool rumors are when you go to college and start life over (and then again, later, when you get a job) not by one spectacular song and dance followed by a heartfelt confession. I suppose the film didn't want to stretch out to college though.

A cute little film.