About a Girl

I had to see this film twice to truly appreciate it. So many short films are BOOORIIING, and I guess I expected this one to be also, so maybe I was predjudiced. I paid little attention to what was being said so did not get into the film, but then suddenly I was hit by a real wake-up call at the end. SO, I went to see it again, and I have to say the performance and characterisation of the central character IS superb. The actress really makes this film a winner. The direction of her is very good, though I found the photography a little flat, but perhaps this is because it is meant to be gritty and realistic. Overall it's a wonderful short film, but it deals with a grim subject. Not a popcorn film.

I remember seeing this short film on television in 2001. The monologue was fast and in a dialect that I as a Dutchman could hardly follow. But the intensity and the atmosphere caught me right away. The twist at the and blew me away. Because I was distracted, I did not take note of the title or the origin of the movie, so I lost track of it. Now, 16 years later, I finally succeeded in finding the movie back through google, wikipedia and youtube. And again it hits me. Timeless and poignant drama, played by a gifted young actress..

As I was watching it, I kept thinking of the similarities to parts of The Fast Show (aka Brilliant! in the US): the "Brilliant!" walking monologues with Paul Whitehouse, and Caroline Aherne's teenage monologues.

But don't be fooled. There is much more to this short film than meets the eye at first, and you'll probably want to watch it again.

A film short that leaves a lasting impression. Initially about a teenage girl who narrates her story through what seems like a typically naive philosophy on life, still holding onto the dreams of childhood while experiencing the transition into the stark realisation of adulthood and the first understanding of disappointment. It manages to instill a feeling of charm and endearment while depicting the neo-realistic impressions of inner-city hardships. But gradually through the narrative we get a darker feeling that something is not as innocent as we think. The dénouement is profound and shocking, as unexpected as it is sad.

Like a good short story should be, this shows us enough of a window into a life that we come away knowing the young girl's life story, and we can hazard a guess as to her future. Hemingway's maxim that you only need show ten-percent of the whole story rings true. This film deserved to win awards; the direction and camera-work are superb, the script and acting extraordinarily good. Quite easily one of the best short films I've ever seen.

A working class girls sings Brittany with her friends and talks excitedly about her life as she walks along the canal. However her story hints at hurts that go deeper than her talk suggest.

This short won the 2001 Bafta for best short film and was director Percival's first film after many years in commercials. The film starts with a well framed shot of the girl singing and dancing to a Brittany Spears song before going straight into a montage of her talking, hanging out with her Dad, on a bus with her friends etc. As it goes this is entertaining enough and quite interesting. The only weakness of it is that it feels like mix of two Fast Show characters – the `Brilliant' guy and the teenage girl.

However this is a minor complaint as the ending reveals the meaning behind much of her talk and the scenes we see. This really needs to be seen twice or followed by some thought to appreciate the significance of what has gone before the ending.

Thewlis is excellent. Managing to hold the screen well and be totally believable in the role. To one who is annoyed by loud teenagers singing pop songs on buses she did well to win me over.

Overall this is not an easy film to think about and does have a scene that many people will find upsetting (if only temporarily). While it feels aimless for most of your first viewing, a good performance by Thewlis is more than enough to hold the attention.