| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
B |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
B+ |
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THIRTEEN and good
by Louis (movies profile)
Mar 8, 2008
152
of
180 people found this review helpful
I've known many girls like this in middle school, girls who latched on to a persona for exceptance but I had never been given a clearer reason for this behavior until now. The depiction of youthful rebellion in "Thirteen" is jarring and a bit disturbing. Unlike Larry Clarkes 1995 film "Kids", director Catherine Hardwicke aims for realism over sensationialism making the film that much more effective. The performances are all terrific. Holly Hunter turns in yet another amazing performance as a mother who doesn't really know how to deal with her daughters overnight transition. The real find here is in our lead Evan Rachel Wood as Tracy. You never, not for a second believe Wood is turning in a performance; you are naturally convinced that this girl is real. She moves you and frustrates you, often at the same time. This is one of the best performances I have seen this year. If Wood makes the right decisions in her career, I see big things for this young actress. "Thirteen" unfortunitely hits a speed bump right at the top of the picture by jumping to quickly into Tracy's transition from nice girl to bad girl. We should have been given more time to connect with the girl she was so we could better understand the girl she becomes. That problem works itself out in time when Tracy begins to spiral but it leaves a big gap in the opening moments when the film should be drawing us in. "Thirteen" is a film that I feel many can learn from, especially parents. The life of a thirteen year old is not always peaches n' cream and there problems can be far worse than you could ever imagine. |
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