Review of The Art of Getting By (2011) by Kj P — 09 Nov 2015

"The Art of Getting By" stars Freddie Highmore in the leading role as a very smart loner becomes entangled with his high school crush and begins to slack off in school when he can no longer focus.

With themes about the meaning of life, the outlook on the world itself, and how love can find it's way back no matter what, this is a very well-made picture. A very small-budget film with a great script are always my kind of film, seeing as the crew and cast all devote their time to something they believe in.

This story works on many levels and the editing style is very unique. The cinematography, mainly the filters used over the lenses for each particular scene, was genius. Although I think the film loses an insane amount of ground when the love interest, played by Emma Roberts, is an extremely unlikable character, going for his friends other than him.

The first half is a very enjoyable indie film, but everything good is swallowed up halfway through. The cast is great but the characters are not likeable enough by the end. I really enjoyed the outlooks on life, but the film is kind of a mess otherwise and the conclusion really didn't feel earned.