Review of First Girl I Loved (2016) by Amy M — 25 May 2016

With a story similar to Blue Is the Warmest Color and a tone reminiscent of Palo Alto or The Perks of Being a Wallflower, First Girl I Loved is a film that aims to normalize lesbian relationships. While I entered the theater only knowing of its basic setup, I left happy having seen a sympathetic and honest portrayal of the murky waters of teenage infatuation.

And on top of its honesty and accuracy of depicting teen life, it's a coming-of-age story that doesn't overcrowd itself with subplots or characters, even if it could have deepened some of its plot points.

The movie follows Anne (Dylan Gelula), who falls for popular softball player Sasha (Brianna Hildebrand, who you may know as Negasonic Teenage Warhead in Deadpool). As Anne attempts to court Sasha, Anne is forced to discover her lesbianism and endure scolding from her best--and flirty--friend Cliff (Mateo Arias).

I'm fully aware that this is sounds like a conventional plot, but it's the candidness of the script and writer/director Kerem Sanga's handling of the material. The film's structure isn't entirely chronological, placing the doubt and conflicting emotions of its protagonist front-and-center.

The editing is strong as is required to pull off this type of storytelling, and it comes off as organic. As gravity of situations become stronger, a seemingly simplistic scene is shown for longer and has more pivotal beats.

It's also rather impressive that a film about two teenage girls could come off as authentic as this one does given that it's written and directed by a man, but part of that has to do with the choices that Gelula and Hildebrand make.

These are smart, flawed, awkward characters who sometimes think rational, but sometimes act immediately because it's all that they think they can do. The two have chemistry that raises the film above the positives that it already has, and their sadness and need for a concrete identity underlines their decisions in a manner that doesn't feel concocted solely for drama.

There are some small issues, though. There's a theme in the film about consent that's effective and doesn't feel shoehorned in, but I don't feel like it was really given the attention that it deserved given the nature of the situation and its consequences.

And while Sanga shows his talent for working with actors and emotions, the movie doesn't have a strong look for a lot of the movie. There are flashes of aesthetic choices that struck me, but overall, there isn't as much to look at as I would have hoped for in a movie that revolves around a teenage perception of the world.

Overall, First Girl I Loved proves to be a worth addition to the growing LGBT canon; one that treats its material with respect and doesn't simplify its characters by their sexualities. I laughed at the beginning and welled up towards the end, and the note on which it ends is nothing short of strong.

It could have been improved a bit on Sanga's part, but it wears its heart on its sleeve without shoving anything down your throat. They set to honor these girls, and they did. 8/10, really good, one thumb up, above average, etc.