As Cool as I Am

source: As Cool as I Am

I came across this movie on Netflix streaming movies. I took a chance and it is well worth the 90 minutes. Good story and good characters. It is a discouraging movie in many ways but has a hopeful ending. Set and filmed in New Mexico, Sarah Bolger, doing a believable American teen accent, is 16-yr-old high school sophomore Lucy Diamond. Her dad, James Marsden as Chuck Diamond, has some sort of job that requires him to be away for weeks at a time. Her mom is Claire Danes as Lainee Diamond who had Sarah when she was only 17. Chuck is old-fashioned, he is the bread winner so Lainee doesn't tell him she has a telemarketing job when he is away. The story is centered on Sarah, she is smart and responsible but her dad and mom probably should have never married. They don't have a loving relationship and mom strays when she meets what seems to be a nice guy. There is an interesting scene in a supermarket when one of those "nice guys" courting her is seen shopping with his two children and his wife. So how does Sarah avoid that same trap? And how can she pursue her love of cooking, perhaps becoming a successful chef, and writing a bestselling cookbook? Her best friend since they were 6 is Thomas Mann as neighbor Kenny Crauder and after Sarah and Kenny start to realize maybe they are meant for much more together, and begin experimenting, Kenny gets sent away to live with his father. The movie never pretends there are easy answers for all these issues. In the end mom finds yet another old boyfriend, she desperately needs to be "saved". In the process Sarah has to fend for herself again. The movie ends with a sweet scene, with a Peter Fonda cameo as the owner of a popular local restaurant. After his son and Lainee run off to Mexico Sarah finds ingredients in the kitchen of the now closed for the evening restaurant and makes eggs in a red sauce. She serves herself and Fonda's character, they taste and compare notes as Sarah's voice-over indicates she will be OK, she has a plan.

Lucy is a minor girl who lives with her mother Lainee and her father has left them because of the work that must take in order to maintain the house and his loved ones. He comes once a month to visit them or every time he has the opportunity. Lucy's neighbor, Kenny is a shy boy about her age and slowly Lucy's feelings for him becomes too magnify even for a girl like her. She is clumsy, making fast decision witch in fact takes years to accomplish, but for her a few seconds are enough. The relationship with her mother is very open, the two seems that are sisters or best friends and this brings even more freedom in Lucy's behavior. Her father Chuck is on the contrary more imposing with her or the boys witch her daughter had been related. Soon some arrogant peers from the high school will approach her and invite her at some party to take advantage of her immature mind. But this will also ruin the connection with Kenny, her family and another boy that she recently meet. Will she be able to restore order in her life? I was curious about this movie particularly because of the name, I expected something more solid, more smarter. Similar like "Megan is missing" or "Trust", in "As cool as I am" we witness a silly girl making another things like an ordinary girl at the same age at her should do. The exception is that here we don't have the internet or the virtually chat between the characters and the action takes place in reality. Claire Danes looks gorgeous, James Marsden's time in the movie is too little and his talent can't be seen, and the movie becomes painful to watch at some point, doesn't bring nothing new and in the end you can put yourself the question: "Why should I care?"

7.1 of 10. As teen girl films go this year, I prefer The Truth About Emanuel (2013). By comparison, this is clearly an attempt to do another teen girl perspective film. In many ways, it succeeds in addressing important issues while still creating something amusing and sexy teens can relate to. Unfortunately, it tries to do too much and cover too much ground. One of the many good artistic things it does that is often failed in other films is having the lead character speak in the background for added context. Here, it's done the way it should be, like hearing the character's thoughts and not trying to use it to tell the story. Some other films this reminds me of and those who enjoy this (or those) will enjoy: Drool (2009), Rocket Science (2007), Snow Angels (2007), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Teeth (2007), Poker House (2008), Precious (2009), and Kids (1995).