The First Time

So they'd see all shades of relationships. The sweet, the precious, the importance of a first, the possibility of better in the future, the not giving up.

While also seeing the bad, the unwanted, the struggle and what you DON'T wanna do.

This movie is great.

"The First Time" is not just about having sex for the first time, but falling in love for the first time, and also just being yourself in front of the object of your affection for the first time. Aubrey (Britt Robertson) has a boyfriend (we'll get to him later) and Dave (Dylan O'Brien) is infatuated with a girl who will probably never like him for who he really is – she's just too into herself for that to ever happen.

At the beginning of the film, Aubrey and Dave meet, they're teenagers who go to different high schools, and their first night together reveals a natural attraction and an easy chemistry that allows them to just open up and talk about whatever they feel like saying. It's a fairly simple film, dialogue-heavy and follows their relationship as all teen romance films do, but there's something about it which suggests it's a genre we haven't really seen before.

"The First Time" isn't a comedy – it's a romantic drama. But it's not heavy and involved like a drama, it's light and funny like a comedy – but in a sweet, charming and real way. The only obvious attempt at comedy is with Aubrey's boyfriend Ronny (James Frecheville). Ronny is one or two years older, this, obviously, makes him wiser, more attuned to the ways of the world, and anybody who isn't him, or who hasn't gone to college, will just never understand the devastations that corporations cause. He likes Aubrey because she's different, she doesn't act all corporation-y.

We like Aubrey because she really isn't all that different. When she's with Dave, she's honest in a way that Dave needs. We like Dave because he convinces himself not to do something stupid, and then proceeds to do something stupid. Just like we all do. And that is why "The First Time" isn't as cheesy as it easily could be. It's a mature film in its depiction of teenagers; it works for adults just as well it does for its teen audience.

Writer and director Jon Kasdan (son of famous filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan) does a good job writing the main characters. The dialogue is a little unnatural at times, and some parts of the story are more drawn out than they need to be, but it's fairly easy to forgive that. The acting is surprisingly good, providing the film with the sweetness and charm that it needs. "The First Time" is a light romantic drama; easy to watch and enjoy, especially for fans of teen romantic comedies of any age.

The First Time seems like a film that would be as redundant and as vacuous as the title it boasts, when in retrospect, it's a rather complete film. A very surprising one at that. It's talky, moving at a slowburn pace, which is a blessing, especially in this genre, open to showing human characters function in a strange world, and deep in its focus on two characters that do more than meet-cute - they stay cute. They also make it easy to like them since they're sincere and just as confused as we were as they quickly wander out of adolescence before they even felt like they were in.

The film opens with Dave (Dylan O'Brien), a senior in high school, rehearsing lines in a back alley during a party that he plans to recite to Jane (Nickelodeon's Victoria Justice), a close friend he has big feelings for. He is overheard by Aubrey (Britt Robertson), a Junior in high school, who's friends are the party in the house next door. They have a nice, intimate discussion about relationships and crushes, and Aubrey even gives him some rather harsh constructive criticism on his letter, which she says is rambling and petty and isn't likely to sway her feelings at all. Despite this, Dave continues talking with her and they dance preciously in the alley until the party is raided by police.

They then decide to go to Aubrey's home, where they listen to vinyl, drink wine, and sleep together on the bed innocently enough, despite Aubrey making clear that she has a boyfriend. The next morning, Aubrey, in a freaked-out state-of-mind, forces Dave out the window, reminding herself not only that she has a boyfriend but pretty strict parents as well. This sets up a tone for the weekend.

What follows is Dave's attempts to connect with Aubrey, avoid her preachy and overly-clingy boyfriend Ronny (James Frecheville), and receive advice from his pals Simon (Craig Roberts) and "Big Corporation" (LaMarcus Tinker), all in the span of one weekend. It isn't hard to figure out where this will lead, as the title pretty much blatantly gives it away. This will be the first time both Dave and Aubrey have sex, which they discover isn't as exciting or as easy as they thought; one of the most charming additions to The First Time. The film never leaves the ground of reality, and even during the scenes of the party, never do we feel that director Jon Kasdan is attempting to perpetuate raunchiness between characters or force situations onto them. The dialog (also by Kasdan) remains controlled, yet so alert that you would think it's done in a form of improvisation.

The leads are especially likable, as well, giving the film an elevation in the character-department, which is what many teen comedy-dramas struggle to create. While these characters may be a bit too eclectic and distinctly-drawn for some audience members to connect with, they are nonetheless interesting and made likable by their innocent, judgments, and their chemistry. Dylan O'Brien and Britt Robertson do wonderful work as teens caught up in the mixed-signals and adolescent nature of relationships, crushes, and insecurities. Victoria Justice is a pleasant addition to the cast, but those looking for her as a character worth putting on the poster will be disappointed; she is allotted, maybe, ten minutes of the whole project. But in those ten minutes, she says a few things that give you the indication why this project wasn't backed by Nickelodeon. Regardless, I laud her for trying new territory; sign her up for a Harmony Korine project next.

There are different levels of teen films in 2013. They can excel to nearly unobtainable levels of masterworks like The Breakfast Club or The Perks of Being a Wallflower, steady their sights on competence and energy and be something like Drumline or Little Birds, or could go in the dumpster along with Girl in Progress and the wretched Project X. The First Time may be, at times, predictable, fluffy, and too eclectic for its own good, but it gets by on charm, character-charisma, and slick writing. Unfortunately, it's something that will unfortunately go predominately unseen by teenagers.

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Britt Robertson, Craig Roberts, Joshua Malina, James Frecheville, Christine Taylor, and Victoria Justice. Directed by: Jon Kasdan.

I've seen a lot of rom-coms over the years, but 'The First Time' is unlike any other rom-com I've seen before. In fact, I'm not sure if I'd even class it as a rom-com, it's more of a romantic drama. The central component of the story is the romance between the two main characters, but there isn't much comedy and certainly no laugh out loud moments. There are quite a lot of emotional scenes and towards the end of the movie, I was shocked at how dark things got for what I initially thought to be a rom-com.

Don't get me wrong, this movie still has a lot of the same tropes you'd expect from any romantic movie - loner boy meets sweet girl, they hit it off, she has a dumb boyfriend, he has a crush on a popular girl that only sees him as a friend and sleeps around the the jocks, the main pair deny their feelings until they finally admit it, everything's happy, then the pair inevitably come up against an obstacle before finding their way back to each other. We've seen it all before and we know it off by heart, but there is still something very unique about 'The First Time'.

What makes 'The First Time' different than others of this genre is how realistic it is and its focus on the characters Dave (Dylan O'Brien) and Aubrey (Britt Robertson) and their relationship. Although there are other characters and the two main characters interact with those other characters, it's still completely focused on their budding romance. Dylan and Britt's chemistry sells the romance and despite a majority of the movie being focused solely on them, I was engrossed. There is something about the way in which the movie is structured and the scenes between the two characters of Dave and Aubrey that feels incredibly intimate and authentic. Their conversations are fully fleshed out and time is spent to really show the process of the two of them getting to know each other. In most movies, it usually feels like there's a rush to get to the next scene or plot point, but 'The First Time' was very character driven, which I enjoyed. The dialogue feels realistic and natural (although, at times is a little melodramatic) and wasn't saturated with romantic cliches. Dave and Aubrey's conversations were exactly the kind of conversations people have when they first meet and are getting to know each other.

What I most admire about 'The First Time' is that it wasn't afraid to show the rocky road most of us go down when we meet someone new. Although Dave and Aubrey have an initial attraction and chemistry when they meet, the path to them realising that isn't easy. Towards the end, I was convinced that the two of them wouldn't find their happy ending and go their separate ways, and I admired that the movie pushed the boundaries of their romance in that way. The main obstacle that stands in their way towards the end is realistic and poignant, and not shallow or constructed. How they feel and what they go through is incredibly relatable and it was refreshing to see a romance movie that isn't based solely upon fantasy. The relationship feels real and is a reflection of a lot of relationships (particularly first-time relationships) between young people.

In addition, the exploration of love was just as refreshing. Instead of throwing the word love around or having the characters tell each other (or us) that they loved each other, we got to see the process of them falling in love without a label being put on it. One of my favourite moments is when Dave admits that he has never felt about anyone the way he feels about Aubrey, and that he doesn't know what those feelings are or what they mean. Love is a complicated emotion, particularly when you're experiencing it for the first time and I liked that the movie portrayed that sense of uncertainty and confusion that both characters go through as their feelings for one another evolve.

Finally, I love that despite being young and inexperienced, Dave and Aubrey show maturity and resilience in the way they handle the hurdles they face and the message this movie sends to its audience (particularly its younger audience). Unlike most romantic movies, 'The First Time' doesn't provide anyone with unrealistic expectations of love. Dave and Aubrey's relationship is far from perfect, and the movie could have easily ended with them going their separate ways and never speaking again, and that's what makes this movie so unique. Its message is that no two people are ever perfect for one another, there's no straight or easy route to love/relationships and it's easy to walk away the first time you hit a snag in a relationship, but if you have a unique bond with someone it's worth fighting for and working on.

Overall, I enjoyed 'The First Time' and would recommend it to anyone that's a fan of romantic movies. Dylan and Britt are great, their chemistry is on point and the love story between Dave and Aubrey isn't contrived or overly cliche, but organic and realistic. For those looking for a light-hearted or funny rom-com, this won't be for you, since it is much more emotional than one would expect from a romantic movie. But even then, I still believe this movie is worth a watch if only to put a slight dent in the over-the-top and cliched romantic fantasies present in the romance genre.

I really liked The First Time. I don't feel the need to summarize what the movie is about, as the other reviews and the summary does that job, but I really enjoyed this movie. The writing for this movie really stood out to me, as the conversations felt so real between characters because of subtle little things that happen in most conversations in real life. That's a credit to the actors as well, but when you see the movie, especially the first time the main characters meet, you will understand what I mean.

It's a shame this film didn't get a bigger release in theaters because Dylan O'Brien and Britt Robertson are both terrific. They make the two characters blend so well together it's hard not to root for them to wind up together. The supporting cast does a great job as well, but this movie is all about Dave and Aubrey so there wasn't a large chunk of material for any of them.

The only thing I can suggest for this movie is don't go into it expecting to make you laugh hysterically. Don't get me wrong, it's a very funny movie, but it's more of the type that makes you smile, grin, or giggle. Can't go without mentioning the soundtrack either, its phenomenal and every song goes with its moment.

Overall, I highly recommend this movie. The only way I could see someone disliking the film is if they are not into rom-coms or high school movies, but if you are then why are you even watching it in the first place?

9/10