Alexis Smith Marielle Heller's debut film is not for the faint hearted. An unusually honest and brutal tale of love and coming of age - a story unlike most others in Hollywood. A gritty yet touching portrayal of 1970s San Fransisco with a shocking story like to fit the times. It's a good watch.

swingline824-1 To begin, I don't much like movies that show someone under the age of legal consent having sex with a much older partner, HOWEVER...I acknowledge that it happens, and that many times, the age of legal consent is just a number, as there are 12 year olds that have the maturity of a 20 year old, and vice versa.The first misconception that I would like to clear up is that somehow Monroe acted in a predatory way, forcing himself on Minnie. His behavior, albeit somewhat creepy, was not predatory. Au contraire, Minnie was a willing and complicit partner and certainly seemed to have the mental capacity to make the decision. In fact, while Minnie's 15- year old hormones raged wildly out of control, Monroe often seemed the reluctant lover who felt overwhelmed by her overwhelming "need". Of course, as Minnie discovers, her "need" is not for sex; it is for intimacy. And Monroe cannot provide her with that--perhaps because he is at a different age and level, but more likely because he himself is emotionally immature.The poor girl! She is surrounded by emotionally immature adults. Her relationship with her mother is colored by her mother's relationships with many different men. Minnie is constantly adjusting her life to her mother's needs, as opposed to the mother meeting the needs of the child. One of the most touching scenes is when Minnie and her mother are in the kitchen eating lunch--and her mother tells her how in love she was with Minnie's father. The audience sees Minnie glow as her mother tells her this-- finally! Minnie realizes that there was a real emotional connection between her mother and father--and it is comforting to her. Maybe her father wasn't like all the other men (and people) that float ephemerally through her mother's bohemian life.This movie takes us through Minnie's journey of self-realization that sex and intimacy are two very different things--perhaps a journey that all teenagers take at some point.The movie fails when the mother discovers the affair between Monroe and Minnie. Yes, she would be angry--at her daughter, and at Monroe. But would she get drunk with Monroe, and then summon her daughter to the bar to tell her that Monroe must marry Minnie? Even making the excuse that she and Monroe are drunk, it seems a bit more hare-brained than she is typically depicted in the movie. Also, why wouldn't she immediately tell Monroe that it is statutory rape, and at least threaten him with going to the authorities? It's doubtful that she would follow through, but at least threaten him. After all, she is not such a terrible mom that her children have been taken away from her. Also, the ending where Minnie bumps into Monroe at the beach while she is selling her artwork with her sister...it is a bit contrived. It is an ending that lets us know that Minnie has moved forward emotionally, while Monroe is stagnating. And miraculously, the acceptance back into the family by her mother and sister after her runaway attempt has given her the confidence to sell her artwork at the beach. News flash--she was accepted by her mother and sister prior to the runaway attempt, and she has always been a talented artist! But the writer and/or director wanted to put a neat little bow on it for the end. I give it a 6/10 for being thought provoking, for great acting, for an authentic evocation of the '70s, and an awesome soundtrack (yeah, Iggy Pop and the Stooges!). Downgraded for the pat ending, and the unevenly written character of the mother, who mainly comes off as a stereotype of a single, '70s mom who has a man addiction.

Reno Rangan Well, the first thing is this film is not for everyone. Because the contents were too strong for being a teen theme. That means it is good for the grown ups to watch. The story of a 15 year old girl in the 70s living with her mother and small sister. It begins when her sexual urges takes off, her first with a middle aged man. So she documents everything and besides, with her close friend's support, they together explore even more options. Being a minor and yet her real life to commence, what she plans for the future determines the remaining developments.The performance by Bel Powley was amazing. She was the perfect choice to play that role despite she's older than the role. There were many nudes and sex scenes, but was not that strong, especially when compared with the similar themes of the present era films. The pace had lots of ups and downs, but the progression was on the right path which actually saved the film.The story was just fine, no complication to understand and also not easy to explain, but in a short, it was a teenage girl's sexual exploration. Everybody gets into that stage of life, but only few courageously opts a path to accomplish. And for some, it is an open opportunity that makes them to get there than intentionally make that move. I felt the film was well adapted from its book and directed by a newcomer, Surely worth a watch, but again I'm saying that it is not for everyone.7/10

Antonius Block It's San Francisco in the 1970's, and a single mom's bohemian lifestyle leads to one of her boyfriend's having a sexual relationship with her teenage daughter, who opens the film proudly proclaiming "I had sex today … Holy s**t."Despite the statutory rape, drug use, and free use of profanity which may put some people off, this coming-of-age movie is empowering, with several positive messages – embrace your creativity, maintain your self-worth, remember that enjoying sex as a woman doesn't make you a slut, experimentation is OK and you can run away from bad situations, and through it all, you don't need someone else to love you, but you have to love yourself.The animation that is woven into the movie is beautiful, such as when the girl is on an LSD drip and imagines herself to have wings and to be hovering above the room. Her diary is also sometimes quite poetic, for example, "It would've been better to have slept and dreamed than to watch the night pass and the slow moon sink."Bel Powley turns in a great performance, beautifully balancing the girl and emerging woman within, expressing herself with her eyes, and delivering truth in a wide range of emotional moments, some of which are fairly new ground for mainstream cinema. There is quite a bit of nudity, which can be uncomfortable as the character is 15 years old (though Powley herself was 23), but it doesn't at all feel like exploitation in director Marielle Heller's hands, and seeing a body type that is different from the prescribed Hollywood and fashion-industry definition of 'beauty' is refreshing – for Powley truly is beautiful. Alexander Skarsgård, who fans of 'True Blood' will recognize, is suitably "confused", conflicted, childish, manipulative, and licentious all at once, and his nuanced performance was very important to making the movie successful. Kristen Wiig is solid as the mom who dispenses inappropriate advice, and who's partying ways don't exactly serve as a great role model.I like how the girl explores her sexuality as a boy might ("Do other people think about f**king as much as I do?"), and doesn't end up pregnant or crushed, even though the object of her affections for much of the movie is 20 years older, which, while cringe-inducing, feels brutally honest. And, in the end, despite how the adults in her life have let her down, and despite all of the difficulties in growing up, we know that she's not only going to be all right, but that she's going to fly.