>>REVIEW
AQUAMARINE
Directed by Elizabeth Allen
20th Century Fox, 2006
Each generation of misguided adolescents deserves a rousing fantasy film to grab them by the shoulders with the full weight of Hollywood, stare them deep in the eye and say, "relax!" My generation grew together with the learnings of Tom Hanks in Big. Unfortunately, the "I" generation of today appears stunted by profiteering and a complete lack of balls (and brains) found in the messages of today's Hollywood teen flicks.
Enter Aquamarine, a coming-of-age mermaid fantasy directed by first-timer Elizabeth Allen, whose previous credit was a dark, comedic short film addressing the volatile relationship between an insecure boy and his glass eye. Sold.
I had enough optimism to ask myself, "Is it possible that Aquamarine could be to Allen what Big was to Penny Marshall?" If so, today’s youth were in for a treat. They, too, could come of age to the modest charm of a whimsical tale of adolescent obsessions. They, too, would laugh, love and learn from intelligently understated insights on experience.
Yeah, well, it isn’t and they won’t, but I’m not bitter.
Allen’s film follows two best friends, Claire and Hailey, trying to make the most of the last days of their summer vacation and, in many respects, their innocence. You see, Hailey’s moving to Australia and the two must now confront life without each other’s mutual support. But this is a mermaid film, so cue Sarah Paxton sporting strategically placed long blond hair to offer a solution to all their problems – hook her up with the toothy lifeguard and she’ll grant you one wish. Bold.
While there are a couple of genuine laughs, both tone and humour are inconsistent throughout as Allen struggles to find an identity for her film. It also doesn’t help that the script appears to be torn from the pages of teen magazines, with forced ideals lacking any sense of grace or charm. The result is a heavy-handed film that tries hard but stumbles all the way.
And though they may tell you different, today’s youth deserve better than that. |
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