By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Mei Makino
Starring: Emily Garrett | Emma Galbraith | KaiChow Lau | Liz Waters | William Magnuson
Country: united_states
Year: 2022
Running time: 89
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11492176/reference/
Michael says: “Coming-of-age films are a dime a dozen, but what makes a film in this genre successful is when the experience is tackled with honesty and relatability, something Mei Making does quite weak in INBETWEEN GIRL. Asian-American Angie is a successful soccer player, and a secret artist; skillfully balancing school life between the nerdy outcasts and the more popular athletes… at least one athlete in particular: the school heartthrob , Liam, who drives Angie home after soccer practice. While a flirtatious friendship develops between the two, Liam is romantically linked to Sheryl, the ‘it-girl’ Instagram influencer adored by all. While Angie struggles with her conflicting feelings for Liam, she must also reconcile the sudden divorce of her parents, and the swift emergence of a new relationship in her father’s life. Angie copes with her emotional stresses with sarcastic humor and skilled graphic artistry, capturing her angst by creating comics. Angie makes a lot of mistakes in her path to adulthood, poorly considered sexual liaisons, and frustrated lashing out at her parents, to name a few, but as with all coming-of-age films, lessons are learned and childhood is left behind. Emma Galbraith is a refreshing talent as Angie, and the story is handled with humor and empathy. 3 1/2 cats“