IFC Films and first time feature director, Jordan Scott (daughter of Ridley Scott), bring Cracks, the story of the lives and relationships of a group of girls and their teacher on an island at a British boarding school in the 1930s. Sounds totally boring, but trust me, it’s got bite.
Life is good for Di (Juno Temple, Atonement), the teacher’s pet and unspoken leader of the group, until a new, exotic Spanish girl arrives at the school and distracts the attention away from her. The new girl, Fiamma (María Valverde), has no concept of the order of things and disrupts how the girls interact with their teacher, Miss G (Eva Green, Casino Royale).
In previous films such as Jawbreaker or Mean Girls, groups of girls are satirized and their adventures are given a comedic slant. Don’t get me wrong, I really like those movies and enjoy how they shine a light on the young female mind. In this film, you see a group of girls that heavily rely on each other for emotional support and it’s portrayed very seriously without being boring in the least.
I especially loved the dynamic of the girls. This close-knit bunch spends virtually every moment together, and you really get a sense of that with every scene. They may not always get along, but they’re all in it together.
I really want to comment more about the characters, but I’m afraid it will spoil all the fun for you. I will say this, as with any small, isolated community, when someone new arrives from the outside, it always stirs things up. In this film, you see how that mentality evolves in the mind of a teenage girl.
Limited release on March 18, 2011.
Rating: A wonderfully unexpected drama/thriller.
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