FilmSnobReviews

Title: God Help the Girl
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Director: Stuart Murdoch
Starring: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

What It Is: Eve is a girl who has her demons, and it seems that they’ve consumed her. When we meet her she’s in a mental hospital for what we can only assume is anorexia or bulimia, or some other very serious eating disorder. As she toils in this facility we learn that her escape is through singing, and writing songs. Meanwhile struggling guitar player slash pseudo songwriter James has a chance meeting with Eve and the two quickly become both friends and almost lovers. Through a mutual connection she meets Cassie who forms the three of them into a band that’ll perhaps allow them to creatively output all the things that have caused despair for them. Listening to some of Eve’s subject matter this is obvious.

What We Think: First and foremost it should be said that this film was directed by a musician, the lead singer of indie pop greatness Belle & Sebastian. Here’s the thing you can tell Murdoch seems to let some scene simmer for too long, while other times have an awkward transition. This is a passion project for the singer which started as a record he wrote for a side project named of course God Help the Girl. This film has fantastic songs, and Browning owns this thing in every way she can.

Our Grade: B+, It’s overly hipster in a not so fashionable way. It could alienate larger audience but for me personally I enjoyed it. There’s a lot of flaws from it’s lost direction at points to it’s cliche riddled exposition. However the character are fairly well developed, and you actually care somewhat for them because of this. It’s drape pacing slows down the fun time you could be having if not for the extremely weighty script. Nevertheless it’s a solid film, but squanders its exorbitant potential.