“Lick The Star”
Short films are an art form that create story out of the simplest details. Short filmmakers must create a world and conflict in just a small amount of time. It has to relate, build up, and ultimately resolve in under a half hour. This week I watched “Lick the Star. ”This awkwardly crafted and exceptionally executed short film by Sofia Coppala gives a clear story telling of the ever-occuring junior high girl drama. This film related well, had good conflict, and resolved appropriately.
I really enjoyed this film. I love black and white and even though there didn’t seem to be a good reason for it in this film, I think it worked well. Punk rock music sets the tone giving off a rebellious feel throughout. The title appears across the face of one of the story’s main characters, Chloe. She is referred to as “Queen Chloe” and starts off the movie wearing a tiara and thick dark lipstick. I also really enjoyed the narrator. She appeared to be a plain down to earth, go with the flow character. She wanted to fit in with Chloe’s posse and soon learns about the girls’ vicious plan. The camera work was great. Everything seemed to flow flawlessly and there never was a boring shot. There is a beautiful shot of one of the girls swimming in the pool at night that turned out very well in black and white.
The story was a little far fetched, but I think it served as a good metaphor for how girls act in Junior High. There is always a group of popular girls who control what is cool. Chloe the Queen comes off as a major bully, when she rudely squirts ketchup all over an innocent student and takes another’s taco at lunch for no reason other than she wanted it. The main character starts as the outsider as she comes back from missing school. She comments on how not much had changed except for the fact that someone else was now the outsider, the person who was ostracized and exiled from popularity. The story dissolves well with the bully getting what she deserves and ultimately being expelled from popularity like others before her, and as she mourns the fall she then becomes the narrator and ultimately the outsider.
The acting over all was quite good. The director must have gotten the best she probably could have out of each girl. At times there were some very faked emotions, but overall everything worked out.
Favorite Quote:
“When sam was out with the flu everyone decided she was a big lesbian and she spent the rest of the month eating lunch in the library”
Literary Allusion: Flowers In the Attic by V.C. Andrews
