Thursday, January 24 2013, 12:36 PM MST
Sundance Review: The Spectacular Now
4 out of 5 Stars
Director: James Ponsoldt
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley and Brie Larson
Category: U.S. Dramatic
Recommended to: Those looking for a smart coming-of-age drama with solid performances from its young cast.
Sutter (Miles Teller) is popular high school senior who isnt convinced that theres life after graduation. After being dumped by his long-time girlfriend Stutter embarks on a drunken journey that leads him to Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a wallflower with a taste for manga comics and very little experience when it comes to boys. Instantly smitten Aimee begins to envision a future together while Sutter searches for a way to keep himself rooted in the now rather than considering what might come next.
Going into The Spectacular Now my expectations were extremely high. The screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, wrote the excellent (500) Days of Summer and director James Ponsoldt was behind last years acclaimed drama Smashed. I wont call the film a disappointment; I just didnt connect with it nearly as much as I had hoped I would. Its still an excellent film with solid performances from the cast and a well-written script, but the ever-elusive magic wasnt there.
-Ryan Michael Painter
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
Director: James Ponsoldt
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley and Brie Larson
Category: U.S. Dramatic
Recommended to: Those looking for a smart coming-of-age drama with solid performances from its young cast.
Sutter (Miles Teller) is popular high school senior who isnt convinced that theres life after graduation. After being dumped by his long-time girlfriend Stutter embarks on a drunken journey that leads him to Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a wallflower with a taste for manga comics and very little experience when it comes to boys. Instantly smitten Aimee begins to envision a future together while Sutter searches for a way to keep himself rooted in the now rather than considering what might come next.
Going into The Spectacular Now my expectations were extremely high. The screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, wrote the excellent (500) Days of Summer and director James Ponsoldt was behind last years acclaimed drama Smashed. I wont call the film a disappointment; I just didnt connect with it nearly as much as I had hoped I would. Its still an excellent film with solid performances from the cast and a well-written script, but the ever-elusive magic wasnt there.
-Ryan Michael Painter
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group.)
