One of my “Must See” picks at Los Angeles Film Festival 2015 was “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” from writer/director Marielle Heller based on Phoebe Gloeckner’s novel of the same name. Finally opening in theatres, “Diary” is a unique coming of age story set circa 1976 and revolves around 16-year old Minnie who is in lust and having an affair with her mom’s boyfriend; and she’s keeping a daily cassette taped diary of her adventures – in a box – under her bed; and she has a younger sister.
Boasting a strong cast with Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard and as the “teenage girl” Minnie, Bel Powley, Powley proves to be the heart of the film and carries its weight well. A revelatory emotional powerhouse, with a gift for emotive expressiveness, Powley can turn on a dime from a childish, coquettish uncertain innocence to self-perceived maturity to scowling tantrum filled child to manipulative blackmailing vixen without missing a beat. She is emotionally evocative and embraces every note of adolescence and the awakening sexual experience.
As Monroe, the much older object of Minnie’s affections, Skarsgard is simply divine. Going beyond the perfection of the costuming and hair of the period that in many ways captures the “Tiger Beat” cover boys of the day, Skarsgard brings an emotional authenticity that allows he and Powley to play. In one moment, Minnie is the adult and Monroe the child, but Minnie is always the aggressor in the relationship which gives Skarsgard a tightrope to walk so as not to give Monroe a “skeevy” edge.
Never a huge fan of Kristen Wiig, she won me over with her recent film “Welcome to Me” and now impresses me still more with her performance here as Minnie’s mother Charlotte. Wiig gives Charlotte depth and layers that give credence to her behavior as a woman, as a mother, as a person – and then pushes the envelope with the freewheeling alcohol and drug use of the day.
Reminiscent in some respects of “Fish Tank”, which helped launch Michael Fassbender, writer/director Heller avoids the pitfalls of thematic darkness and adds a layer of lightness thanks to fantasy animations and dreamlike diary entries that enchant and entertain. Taking a cue from the novel and retaining the POV of Minnie and lacing the film with fantasy animations and dreamlike diary entries, Heller softens the free love/age inappropriate relationship between Minnie and Monroe. Where she also excels is by keeping Minnie as the pursuer with very believable performances of a doe-eyed young girl “in love” with an older man. In 1976, this was more then social norm, despite the illegality of a 16 year old and 30+ year old sexual liaison. Although shocking to have a parent bringing a 16 year old into alcohol and drug parties – and giving her the substances no less – the chemistry of the actors and the construction of the film by Heller makes that situation also palatable and believable.
I fell in love with Brandon Trost’s cinematography years ago with the little indie “Weather Girl.” He has only gotten better and more textured with his eye for lighting and lensing since then. Here, burnt orange tones infuse the film, immediately transporting you to the era while metaphorically creating the haze of Charlotte’s world in seeing her children, especially Minnie. Sexual escapades are shot intimately yet tastefully and again, with light akin to eyes wide open at both the experience and the naughtiness of it. Contrastingly, and hand in hand with production design, Minnie’s bedroom is softly yet brightly lit, as if reading an open book. Beautifully designed and adds not only a visual layer to the story, but its own chapter and subtext. Similarly, Jonah Markowitz’ production design is period perfection both for the era and the emotional bandwidth of the characters and the film. While his work on “Quinceanera” was fine, I see more attention to detail and design growth with this film and particularly the world as seen through Minnie’s eyes in her bedroom with no stone unturned for how a teen girl’s world looked in 1976.
“The Diary of a Teenage Girl” is on diary I want to read – and see – again.
Written and Directed by Marielle Heller based on the novel by Phoebe Gloeckner
Cast: Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard
