As a sex worker (Liberty) desperately searches for housing after recently discovering she is pregnant, her ex-boyfriend/pimp (King) battles with supporting his family. Meanwhile, an undocumented teen (Augustin) struggles to survive while he sleeps on the streets of East Oakland and is pursued by a bully who he encounters in a homeless shelter. Lastly, we follow the story of Wei-Ling whose son Jimmy must now find the money to support his Father who dies of a heart attack while collecting cans.
This film manages to be simultaneously topical and timeless. Without being preachy, it highlights society’s flawed relationship with tech; insights into the complex ideas of family struggle are expertly dispersed among a perfectly paced and balanced story.
Despite its glaring flaws, First Girl I Loved is not entirely undeserving of a watch. For people who can handle the more difficult aspects of the story and graphic scenes, it is worth looking into. It’s not a film worthy of rewatch, but it may still resonate somewhat with those who need a story like this. It is a genuine, if flimsy attempt at a coming-of-age tale. Were the film to be directed by someone with experiences more similar to Anne, it would likely be more powerful--as it is, it feels like a man’s perspective of what it means to come to terms with your identity as a lesbian.
Despite this genre not being a new one, The Novice offers a fresh perspective with its study of performance anxiety
The movie opens with an empty house, cameras pan around from the perspective of what viewers are confused about at first, but turns out to be a spirit living in the home.
We got a movie that takes the old school approach of trying to creep you out with chilling atmosphere more than anything else.
