The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Being a grumpy old guy, I'm not at all the target audience for this film, so please bear that in mind when I tell you that I found this a fairly tedious coming-of-age movie. I admired aspects of it - in particular the performances of Bel Powley and Alexander Skarsgård - but I wasn't able to maintain my interest in the story.

The biggest obstacle was, I think, that Minnie, the eponymous teenage girl, was not the only adolescent around. All the adults in her life were at various stages of arrested development. This is possibly the point both of the movie and of the novel it is based on: how can a child grow up when all her role-models are children themselves? It's an interesting question, but when transmitted as drama the audience finds itself stuck in high school for the duration.

San Francisco, 1976: Minnie (Bel Powley) is a 15-year old who initiates a sexual affair with the boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgard) of her mother (Kristen Wiig).

"Diary" has much in common with "Fish Tank", a 2009 British film in which Michael Fassbender played the role of the boyfriend. But "Diary" can't be accused of copying the other film as it is based on the biographical graphic novel by Phoebe Gloeckner. Each film has its own strength and uniqueness.

There is much discomfort in the early sex scenes for obvious reasons. At least, Powley was an adult when the film was being made. But while the film clearly goes into taboo territory, it does so in a way that surprisingly comes off as moving rather than cheap and exploitative.

The story is told through Minnie's (Gloeckner's) perspective so, as it turned out, there seem to be no belief in victims or predators. While there are consequences for the very unconventional liaison, there is no sense of melodramatic punishment that would be expected in other current stories.

Director Marielle Heller does a great job in recreating the carefree attitude of San Francisco in the 1970s as she does in getting fine work from Powley and Skarsgard. The constant partying and indulgences in sex, booze, and drugs was simply the way of life back then and the lightness in attitude comes through in a way that is almost nostalgic. This attitude would crash later after the onset of AIDS, the Reagan years, and real estate speculation (the single-parent family lived in a big apartment in downtown San Francisco on a librarian's salary - something that couldn't happen today). There is also the enjoyable bonus of animated images that accompany Minnie's thoughts and reflections.

This movie succeeds in taking a controversial subject and expressing it convincingly with heart. - dbamateurcritic

"The Diary of a Teenage Girl" is one film that's not worried about showing it's point even though it's supported by some artistic animation it proves that one young lady is serious about finding herself thru sexual discovery learning that life is about love and lust before you discover your true self. Set in mid 1970's San Francisco Bel Powley is Minnie a young teenage girl who starts an affair with her Mom Charlotte's(Kristen Wiig) boyfriend Monroe(Alexander Skarsgard). And the passion and intimate feel is hot and feel good as many scenes are provocative and blunt showing plenty of skin and breast of young Minnie. As this young lady is in a crazy home life world as mom Charlotte is a fired alcoholic lady who snorts drugs with Monroe on the west coast and California party scene. Thru it all this young lady Minnie learns about people, life and love yet most important she comes to peace thru herself with love and inspiration for art and people. Overall good film of fun, discovery and finding about one's self with a happy feel in the end.

Been hopelessly hooked, for the past several days now, to the captivating selection of 1970s pop that forms the music soundtrack of The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

The film itself, about a teenage girl discovering and embracing sex amidst the Bohemian surroundings of 1970s San Francisco, impressed me for its rare honesty, its vibrancy, and the wonderful music soundtrack that accompanies the film's moods. Phoebe Gloeckner's searing and much acclaimed 2002 graphic novel comes to screen with a careful selection of eclectic tracks from the 1960s-70s that make the film soar at times. The film is not for the prudish and easily shocked though. And that includes the nannies at the Academy who have completely shut out this indie from this years Oscar nominations!

In many ways a period piece, this indie film captures a very special time period in San Francisco, a time when counterculture flourished and withered, people experimented and abused all kinds of substances, and teen artist Minnie experiences a lot of firsts, in the eternal search for acceptance, love, and a sense of purpose.

In spite of a brave, earnest, and raw performance by a deliberately exposed Bel Powley, very believable as a teenager in the aforementioned period, and of a subtle, nuanced and understatedly magnetic one by the great Alexander Skarsgård, this movie falls short because its characters are sadly just a bit too immature, selfish, and unlikable.

While that sounds very much like the typical description of the stereotypical youth, it remains nonetheless a major fault in the script how unsympathetic Minnie is throughout, with no real point of self-reflection or regrets over some of her actions, refusing to deal with the consequences of even her more heinous ones.

Surrounded by egotistical, likewise emotionally stunted, at times manipulative adults, it may be no wonder that the main character is unable to learn or grow much, but the level of navel-gazing is still a bit too grating, with the protagonist of this clearly autobiographical story experiencing life events without any sort of moral compass whatsoever.

The film drags towards the end, perhaps because of the fragmented, increasingly hazy way the story is told as the movie progresses, but also because by then we care very little about the fate of the different characters. Though this intimate film does hit some high notes in terms of mood, acting, and cinematography, the end result is unsatisfying.

(+) The reconstruction of 70's San Francisco is very well done. Some of the scenes really hit the point. Mood and color palette also well done.

(-) Unsympathetic characters, starting with the amoral, self- centered protagonist, doom the movie.