MOVIE MONDAYS: THE DUFF
Now, it had been quite sometime since a film made a home for itself in the forefront of my mind causing me to watch it not once...or twice but three times in the space of a week. That is until I saw The DUFF. I am not going to sit here and let my fingers dance across my keyboard in an attempt to expertly convince you that this is the average viewer's best film ever made. No...no, I am going to sit here and allow my fingers to sway across this keyboard so that I can share why I flippin' love this film.
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Source: CBS Films
The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is all kinds of comical and in a good way. There were moments where I had my mouth open in disbelief, had tears swimming in my eyes due to both joy and sadness, had my abs worked hard due to laughing too much, had my eyes opened wide in shock at what just happened and had my head nodding like a bobble head in agreement or shaking like a polaroid picture in disapproval. The rest of the time I was most likely smiling. I am trying my hardest not to give this film too much hype so I will just say this - I have no doubt this film will be whipped out time and time again once I snag myself a DVD - which comes out next week I believe - and need a bit of cheering up as I really, really liked this film. Can you tell?
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Source: Granville Pictures Inc.
Mae Whitman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Arrested Development; The Perks of Being A Wallflower) is just... well, she is Mae freaking Whitman is what she is. Gone are the days of Parenthood... sadly - I really need to catch up with that show! She stars as the lead in this new favourite movie of mine as Bianca Piper, a high school senior who is struggling to come to terms with how her peers seem to define her social status and we get the privilege to see how she goes about rectifying their perception. Based on the novel of the same name by Kody Keplinger, 'The DUFF' was directed wonderfully by Ari Sandel (Aim High; Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights) and its witty, hilarious and touching script was penned by Josh A. Cagan (Bandslam; Undergrads).
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Source: Granville Pictures Inc.
I honestly feel that the outfits of the characters in this story also deserve to be in the credits alongside everyone else. My favourite one might just well be the magic number Bianca is sporting in the picture above. Its either that or anyone with hint of plaid. Me love me some plaid. But enough about that. Some of you may be under the impression that this is yet another predictable coming of age story set in your typical high school and starring your typical American high school cliques. And you will be quarter right but there are quite a few subtle changes in the kind of people represented in this film that make it unique in its own right and all the more enjoyable to watch.
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Source: Granville Pictures Inc.
Another important but rather obvious aspect of this film that makes it such a joy to watch is the actors. The chemistry between them in this film is undeniable; I found it very easy to be swept up in the story being told. Robbie Amell (The Flash; The Tomorrow People; Tru Jackson, VP) stars in this film as a jock with a sense of humour and honour called Wesley Rush and the role of the high school queen bee, Madison Morgan, was played by Bella Thorne (Blended; Shake it Up; Frenemies). The tech savvy and kind Casey Cordero was played by Bianca Santos (Happyland; Ouija; The Fosters) whilst the fashionable and loyal Jessica Harris was played by Skylar Samuels (American Horror Stories; The Nine Lives of Chloe King; The Gates). And although these characters have pivotal roles in the story of The DUFF, there is still so much more I want to know about each of them. I am hoping the book contains the information I need to fill in some of the blanks so I look forward to reading that when I am fortunate to add it to my ever growing collection.
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Source: Granville Pictures Inc.
There are still a bunch of actors whose appearance in this movie only made the grin on my face that much wider. Like Ken Jeong(Community; Hangover; Transformers: Dark of the Moon) for example. Or how about Allison Janney (Mom; Juno; The West Wing)? Or a personal favourite - Romany Malco (Think Like a Man; Weeds; The Love Guru)? As far as teen movies go, this is taking its rightful place next to Easy A in my collection of favourite films.
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So when next you have the urge to watch a romantic comedy set in high school that highlights the important things in life and gives a nod to the power, danger and relevance of social media today then look no further than The DUFF.
Mo x