The first thing I'd say about the movie is it's funnier than I thought it would be from the poster. Netflix has it listed as a romantic drama, which it isn't at all. If anything I guess I'd say it's a dark romantic comedy. The story is like taking a musical boat ride through "It's A Small World" in Disneyworld - except all the stops along the way are twisted highlights of the four-year relationship between these three high school kids who are trying to stay friends through a hairy relationship. Have you ever dumped someone for their best friend, who was also your best friend, and your first friend was too cool to ditch you altogether, so you all still hung out, hoping it would eventually stop being weird? That's what's happening here. And the events that come up, the influence of their eccentric (or weirdly normal) families, and other summer characters at the cottages, are sort of hilarious and dark and sad and awkward and funny ha ha.
This whole thing rolls along to this awesomely inventive soundtrack - Who puts Patti Page together with Suicidal Tendencies? And the Dead Milkmen and Matthew Sweet and Jesus and Mary Chain and some French singer doing These Boots Were made for Walkin' IN FRENCH! And this is the first time I've heard anyone use Nouvelle Vague in a movie - covering the Dead Kennedys! The music absolutely kicked butt and took the movie to the next level.
I also liked that they tried to make a movie that looks like a MOVIE, not like most no budget movies lately that look like they weren't even trying to make anything more than a home movie, and we're supposed to like it anyway because we're that cool. Sometimes it's nice to just see a MOVIE. So: cool for that.
Over all, I'd give this movie an Independent Spirit Award just for "Best Use of 'Institutionalized' in a Soundtrack. I hope they release the soundtrack!
