First Girl I Loved (2016) Reviews

• A Fresh and Real Coming-Of-Age Film

  Munty132016-01-29

  I went into this film completely blind. I saw it was part of the NEXT stream and considering the great films that came from last year's (James White), I didn't hesitate. Also, I love high school coming of age films, so I knew when I was at Sundance I was going to see at least one, because there is always one, and it's generally good. And lucky for me, FIRST GIRL I LOVED was fantastic. We follow Anne, a high schooler who starts to form a relationship with a softball player, Sasha, at the dismay of Anne's best friend Clifton, who has had a crush on her since forever. The development of Anne's new feelings for this girl is one of the most real and least exploitative I've seen in film. There's no bullshit tropes that have become so derivative in 'lesbian' films, but even calling this a lesbian film is a disservice to what this film is about. Its a love story that doesn't try to push an agenda. Its sweet, heartbreaking and super cool all at once. Dylan Gelula is fantastic as Anne. She shows awesome range, from the great highs she shares with Sasha to the haunting lows she endures with Clifton. Brianna Hildebrand was convincing as the popular, yet reserved Sasha. I'm glad this is the first thing I saw her in, before her appearance in Deadpool next month. It's a great film to start her breakout year. The chemistry the two girls share is so real. Their banter is effortless, developing their relationship at an organic pace. One thing that I love about their relationship is that its Anne who is trying to court Sasha. Anne is much more confident and cool than Sasha, and usually these narratives tell the story from the more self-conscious POV. FIRST GIRL I LOVED switched it up and it worked for the better, creating a unique and relatable romance. The film features scenes that aren't entirely revealed until later in the story, creating a unique pace for the film. This allows mystery to form around the characters' motivations and reactions. When we are given the full scenes as the film plays out, its a satisfying surprise rather than a cheap trick. We see what the characters' want to remember about the events, but when they have to confront the reality of it, we see the true depths of what really entailed. Louie's Pamela Aldon plays Anne's mother, and amazes which is no surprise to any fans of CK's show. And to my surprise, Tim Heidecker shows up as a counsellor in a role that is subtly hilarious and against type. Workaholics' Erik Griffin was equally hilarious. I'm finishing this review two days after seeing the movie, and its still sinking in. I could keep talking about it, but all I need to say is that I loved it and I'm so eager to see it again. Out of the 11 films I saw at Sundance, this one is definitely among my favourites. Having ended the festival with this film, I could not be more satisfied.

  More

• Not a Completely Unbiased Review

  Mighty_Arrow2017-02-15

  Part of the reason I love this movie is because I relate to it so much. But if I am trying to look at it in a more unbiased state of mind I still feel that as far as lesbian moves go this one is one of the good ones. The acting is great, the writing is real, and the directing is moving. There are few lines that are somewhat cringy but as far as the writing goes, these lines fit into the general awkwardness and inexperience that comes along with teenage-hood. These actors are great in their roles. I really believe that they have a connection and really care about them. The screenplay, I believe, is very well done. And the directing helps create this emotional energy that I cannot explain. I, in my own experience as a lesbian, relate to this movie so much. There are some scenes in the movie that I can just feel the emotion that the actors are trying to get across. It is so eloquently portrayed that I cannot help but feel a connection to it. In short, this movie is good, maybe great. I liked it quite a bit and encourage you to watch it.

  More

• Great acting and very believable, but still misses the mark

  ElectronWrangler2016-11-16

  Three things drew me to shell out ten bucks for this movie: 1) Coming- of-age story line, 2) Lesbian romance, and 3) Dylan Gelula. Anne, superbly portrayed by Gelula, is a somewhat introverted high school photographer working on the yearbook. Sasha is one of the better players on the softball team, pretty but insecure. Anne interviews her and chemistry blooms. Unfortunately, this critical portion of the story was rushed and clunky, with the end effect of leaving the viewer less invested in the budding romance. Two conflicts are presented. Anne's best (and implied only) friend is another yearbook student, Clifton. When Anne finally manages to convey to him that she has romantic feelings for someone, he reacts poorly to say the least. His negative reaction worsens when Anne haltingly reveals that the object of her affection is another girl. The other conflict is Sasha. The girls sneak into a local bar. Anne is hit on by a male patron. Sasha's jealousy is immediately apparent and she acts quickly, drawing Anne to the dance floor and very soon kissing her passionately in front of everyone there. Yet later in the story Sasha enjoins Anne to secrecy, and lies to friends/family in an effort to stay in the closet when a picture taken in the bar comes to light. Anne's difficult relationship with her mother (a stellar Adlon) adds much-needed dimension to both characters and the movie as a whole, but is not enough to save it. While there is a positive revelation by Anne at the end, it's not sufficient to justify the preceding 90 minutes. The final nail in the coffin is the iterative "critical scene" replay, revealing a bit more with each loop. Nonlinear storytelling is almost impossible to do well, and wasn't done so here. Time that could have been much better spent fleshing out the plot, the high school environment, or Sasha's character was sacrificed by this approach. Sadly, this movie is a splendid example of how excellent ingredients can easily be combined into an unappetizing and unsatisfying final course. I hate to condemn any well-acted lesbian-themed movie because far too few in the genre even exist, but this one is a major disappointment. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

  More

• First Girl I Loved - A Review

  anysuggestionsblog2017-02-16

  Kerem Sanga's First Girl I Loved is a coming of age story following confused high-schoolers trying to figure themselves out in respect to who their friends are, sexual preference and how to accept who they are in the face of so much uncertainty and the constant world of judgement that is high school. Anne, our protagonist, Cliff, the best-friend, and Sasha, the love interest, are like most high- schoolers in that they are confused about almost everything. We follow their stories through a mixture of flashbacks and flash forwards in an almost cyclic view as we see Anne coming to terms with her sexuality. For those who attended school in any capacity, you will recall the confusion, the desire to fit in and the fear of judgment from peers whilst simultaneously attempting to understand ones likes and dislikes and to keep it all together with no less than a smile. Both Anne and Sasha comment on the pressure of how they are perceived by their peers with the under confidence of some of the characters and the ability to be unapologetically themselves becoming slightly frustrating for someone who wishes they too stood up for themselves when they were younger. First Girl I Loved isn't all about teen angst and the confusing ride of the ups and downs of friendships. We are given an insight into the world of Softball with subtitles coming up for the hand signals given between a coach and his players and the comic relief in the text messages between the two girls. In a technologically advanced world the mobile phone has really been a big hit providing Kerem Sanga with another medium for the characters to express emotions, one which the younger members of the audience will relate to quite readily. This heart-rendering and complex film comes away with the universal message that nothing can be that bad, even in the face of everything falling apart, with a little bit of self-acceptance life can be a whole lot easier.

  More

• A must see film with a stellar cast and crew

  astomps-pfeiffer2016-01-26

  Today I woke up at 6:30am and made my way to the Library Theatre in Park City in near-zero degree weather to see a film I had been eager to see since arriving at Sundance Film Festival. The film, First Girl I Loved, was showing at 9:00am but due to a miscalculation in the bus schedule I ended up arriving at 7:30am and being the first person in line for the screening. This turned out to be fortunate for me because I got awesome seats to the best film I have seen in quite a while and it was preceded by the short Catching Up which set the tone for the film to come. First Girl I Loved, written and directed by Karem Senga, tells the story of a Anne, a high school girl, who finds herself attracted to Sasha who is on the school's softball team. Anne uses her connections in the year book to get close to Sasha and the two become extremely close, taking their relationship beyond friendship. This upsets one of Anne's friends Clifton, who is in love with Anne and unable to cope with the fact that she is not sexually attracted to him. As Sasha and Anne's relationship progresses it becomes more complicated as Sasha pulls away fearing being stigmatized by her family and teammates for being a lesbian. I was blown away by how well the film was written and produced, especially for a writer/director who was only making his third film. The cinematography was excellent and served as an important vehicle for portraying the emotions and ideas of characters. At the same time the editing was crucial for displaying the passage of time, which was done through parallel cutting between takes of cause and effect. For the first full length film I screened at Sundance, it completely surpassed my expectations. I would give this film a 10/10, but on top of that I would suggest that everybody take the time to watch this film because it has a positive message and is a perfect mix of comedy, drama, and is one of the most accurate depictions of high school relationships I have seen.

  More