Teenage Dirtbag

I extremely enjoyed this indie gem from the first minute to the last, even though the concept and the various topics, which have been touched in the movie (hatred turning to love, broken home, fitting in, far-from-perfect high school environment), cannot be called authentic. The idea, however, that a certain conflict originating in one's deviation from the average on whatever grounds can be overcome by the power of words is refreshing. Here poetry is the key to annihilate the barriers between the main characters. Through the creative writing class the characters embark on letting each other peek under the surface to discover who they really are. Probably that's why the male leader is so obnoxious when we first encounter him, whereas later it is unavoidable not to like him or at least not to sympathise with him.

Poignant film with elaborate characters, nice soundtrack and brilliant poems.