First Girl I Loved
| First Girl I Loved | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kerem Sanga |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Kerem Sanga |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Swihart |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
First Girl I Loved is a 2016 American romantic drama film written and directed by Kerem Sanga. It stars Dylan Gelula, Brianna Hildebrand, Tim Heidecker and Pamela Adlon. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award for "Best of NEXT".[1]
Synopsis
The film follows two teenage girls, the nerdy yearbook editor Anne and a softball star Sasha, wrestling with their sexuality at a Los Angeles high school.[2][3]
Cast
- Dylan Gelula as Anne
- Brianna Hildebrand as Sasha
- Pamela Adlon as Sharon
- Mateo Arias as Clifton
- Tim Heidecker as Mr. Q
- Cameron Esposito as Jasmine
- Jennifer Prediger as Assistant Principal Heather Wiggins
- Erik Griffin as Mr. Maldonado
- Ana Dela Cruz as Rita Basanez
- John Redlinger as Johnny Glasses
Critical reception
The reviews from Sundance were generally positive. Consequence of Sound critic Justin Gerber wrote: "What writer and director Kerem Sanga captures so well in First Girl I Loved is high school. What he captures even better is falling in love, or the naïve idea of what it means to be in love as a teenager."[4] Bilge Ebiri of Vulture admired the way language, both spoken and unspoken, is used in the film, saying: "All around these kids swirls a matrix of communication: voice-over, multiple languages, text messages, innuendo, made-up diction, fake accents, even softball signals. Writer-director Kerem Sanga finds stylistic ways to express this diversity of speech."[3] Variety critic Dennis Harvey favored the acting performances, but stated: "The results are more well intentioned than actually purposeful, but nonetheless slick and pacey enough to hold attention."[5] SLUG's Alexander Ortega praised the film's "nontraditional narrative structure" and commented: "The sensations that First Girl I Love generates through the fugue storytelling device, however, communicates their urgency and gravity."[6] Collider.com critic Tommy Cooke described the film as "a collage of time-half-remembered," saying that "for a film that tackles such weighty subjects as consent & homophobia, First Girl I Loved never gets bogged down in melodrama. It’s a kind film – heartfelt and empathetic – a memory more than earned."[7]
References
- ↑ Patten, Dominic & Hipes, Patrick (January 30, 2016). "‘Sundance Film Festival Awards: 'Birth Of A Nation' Pulls Off Double Win, Gassy 'Swiss Army Man' Takes Directing Prize'". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Maloney, Devon (February 11, 2016). "Dylan Gelula, Ready For Her First Girl Love". Out. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Ebiri, Bilge (January 26, 2016). "First Girl I Loved Plays With the Meaning of Words — and How They’re Delivered". Vulture. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ↑ Gerber, Justin (January 30, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: First Girl I Loved". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ↑ Harvey, Dennis (January 28, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: ‘First Girl I Loved’". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ↑ Ortega, Alexander (January 24, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: First Girl I Loved". SLUG Magazine. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ↑ Cook, Tommy (January 31, 2016). "‘First Girl I Loved’ Review: A Sweet Look at a Burgeoning Teen Romance". Collider.com. Retrieved March 4, 2016.