I saw
That Awkward Moment in cinemas on Friday 31st January.
First of all, little pat on the back to me for writing a review within a week of seeing the film! *pat on the back*
I saw this movie for a number of reasons. My best friend and I were looking to have a girls night in, but I suggested the cinema with the intention of seeing this because, basically, Zac Efron. Yes I know it's cliche, teenage girls drooling over the movie star, but can you really blame us? On another level, I have followed this film since it first got the green light for production, avidly searching (stalking) the Internet for pap shots of filming, getting on the ol' Twitter machine to follow its progress... It had become one of those films that I wasn't really aware it was finally coming out, because I had been so obsessed with
waiting for it to come out. So anyway, long story short, at 6.30 we squidged down in our seats, cracked open the Mini Eggs and watched the opening titles begin to roll...
I haven't laughed so much in the cinema for a long long time! And yes, it warrants the exclamation mark. Literally, it was such a funny film - I mean, you could consider it to have overdone the in-your-face humour a little, but it's so well-balanced by a genuinely witty script that it can be forgiven.
That's one thing about this film that makes it stand out from other rom-coms - and believe me I have watched MANY - its balance, between the gross, the funny, and the thinking moments. Do you know what I mean by that? Those moments in a film that unexpectedly take you by surprise (not that you can
expectedly be taken by surprise..) and make you think about life and all the deep
stuff that tends to usually be kind of shoved down your throat in a sickly-sweet-candyfloss way that just makes your teeth hurt and gives you a sugar headache. Not here my friends! The thinking moments are handled with tact and care, even provoking a little tear at one point.
In this film, it was refreshing to see Efron break out of his good-guy mould a little, and just be a bit of a jerk. His character seems, as the film progresses not really have his life as figured out as he would like everyone to think, going some way to contributing to his I-don't-care persona. One thing though, I know it's part of the whole unfulfilled-life idea of Jason, but I did struggle to believe that a person that attractive and with that kind of cocky personality, is a book-jacket designer..? Just a thought. And question, can Zac Efron really draw? That is the real issue here...
Eventually you do warm to Jason, especially once he starts to realise that Ellie isn't like the other girls he's got "on his roster", and he has to start being genuinely charming to try and win her over. One of my favourite moments is with the estate agent, at Gramercy Park - it's just cute enough and just daring enough to cement what these two have together. The dynamic between these two characters is brilliant, never seeming awkward or clumsy, as I found with Daniel and Chelsea at times. When it seems like it's all gone wrong you do find yourself rooting for Jason, and then in a beautiful scene that sees Efron reprise a skill last seen in
17 Again, all feels right with the world.
Imogen Poots plays Ellie, the "guys-girl" dancing on the edge of that dangerous territory that is a new relationship. She doesn't seem to need that awkward moment of the film's title, that moment where one person asks the other, 'So... Where is this relationship going?' With an air of something that's not quite innocence she bulldozes into Jason's life and to me, she reminds him what it's like to really be alive, to really love something. At the crushing moment of heartbreak where Jason makes entirely the wrong decision, the audience just wants to wrap Ellie up in a big hug and slap Jason round his pouty little face. This is the girl who will make you want to run away with that stranger you meet in a bar, make you want to pretend with childish glee that you live on Gramercy Park, make you want to create and write and persevere even if that stranger you meet in a bar is a totally charming jerk. I've not seen any of this beautiful actress' other work (I was keen to see
Fright Night but missed it) but I've now got my eye on several of her up-and-coming projects.
The buddy-movie aspect of the film is completely brilliant - I haven't seen Miles Teller in anything before but I have had both
The Spectacular Now and
21 and Over on my watchlist for a long while. He is so hilarious, coming out with some of the best lines in the film and being gifted with some of the best scenes. As I've said, the relationship between his character Daniel and Mackenzie Davis' Chelsea was perhaps a little clumsy at some points, but overall their arc was, again, funny. Michael B. Jordan is another actor that I've long been aware of (so desperate to see
Chronicle) but just never seen. I know, I know his character was kind of the whoooole catalyst for the premise of the movie - three mates staying single after one gets left by his wife (Jordan's Mikey) - but he wasn't the
most interesting character. Of the three, to put it as honestly as possible, I cared least what happened to him. I know it sounds harsh! But in my opinion he was better off without his cheating wife, so his fruitless attempts to get her back seemed a bit of a waste, when instead he could have instead been making more comedy scenes with Efron and Teller. The whole dynamic of the trio really worked - props to the casting people. (Was that just an accidental pun..?)
Overall, I really really enjoyed this film, definitely worth the price of admission and will be a worthy and well-watched addition to the growing DVD collection.
Current cinema snack of choice. In case you wondered.
Back soon! RK.
