Review of All the Real Girls (2003) by Justin M — 07 Feb 2009

The reason this movie works so well in my view is that it takes you along for the ride with the main character Paul. For the first half of the film the viewer is sucked into Paul's relationship and experiences his first real love along with him.

That's why when the twist occurs it works, because at that point you have so much invested in the characters that you're begin to feel what they're feeling. Powerful films like that are few and far between but All The Real Girls nails it.

Every single character has something interesting about them, a standout scene or piece of dialogue that offers a deeper understanding of the world Green is creating. And that all comes together in a beautiful closing montage and perfect last shot that really encompasses everything the director was trying to say.

I really cannot bestow enough praise on this movie, the characters, the subtly profound dialogue, the gorgeous cinematography, the music, and Green ties it all together in a way that underscores his observations about love and relationships.

I liked it so much better than Snow Angels because I felt in that one Green was too focused on the story, but in this you can see what he can do when he's writing the dialogue and in control of the characters (since Snow Angels was adapted, he was restricted in his choices).

All the Real Girls is an extremely poetic and meaningful piece of cinema and I have a feeling its quickly going to become one of my favorites. Bravo.