Review of The Spectacular Now (2013) by Brett B — 29 Dec 2013

A solid character study bolstered by a certifiably incredible leading performance. As our protagonist, Miles Teller firmly establishes himself as an actor from whom we can expect great things; he's so charming and funny in this, especially in the early going, and yet when he's called upon to convey the character's more nuanced facets, he pulls it off in highly affecting fashion.

He's well-served by a script that displays a keen understanding of human - particularly teenage - behavior, and despite the fact that it mines territory that has been well-covered in the past, the writing and characterizations are consistently strong.

Teller is backed-up by a host of other great performances, none more key than Shailene Woodley's, who's as naturalistic and likable as you could hope for; Kyle Chandler also shows up for an extended cameo and almost steals the entire movie with some quietly devastating work.

The film's portrayal of teenage alcoholism is interesting, too, in the way it presents the liquor as being so incredibly free-flowing without really commenting on it directly, which makes much more of a damning impact.

Overall, THE SPECTACULAR NOW is a fine example of the well-worn "coming of age" genre, and while I don't yet think it's some modern classic, time will be the ultimate deciding factor, and in years to come, perhaps I may look back and find that this film is one of that genre's crowning achievements It has the potential.