I’ll admit it: when I first got the invitation to this screening, I was skeptical. I went along because I thought it might be fun even if it was too cheesy, and also because of Megan Mullally and the hot one from Orange Is The New Black.
The opening credits and the first few minutes of the film weren’t too promising: lite-pop music and characters that seemed like they might be a bit one-dimensional. Pretty much exactly what I’d been expecting, though, so I didn’t feel like I could complain about it.
If the first few minutes don’t convince you, stick with it. It gets a lot better. Yes, it’s a little cheesy in places, and a couple of the characters could be better acted, and occasionally the dialogue is a bit predictable. But ultimately, this is a sweet, touching film about how confusing it is to be a teenager, especially when you’re not sure who your true friends are, or how to deal with everyone suddenly knowing your business.
Megan Mullally is predictably fantastic, providing a couple of the movie’s proper belly laughs, and I wish we’d seen more of her. Tanner and Brent, the BFFs who turn into instant ‘frenemies’ when Brent tells everyone Tanner’s secret (what? I told you it’s a bit cheesy!) are both likeable characters, and even the girls who are vying for the attention of a new ‘GBF’ (‘Gay Best Friend’, for anyone who’s still wondering) are shown as multi-dimensional characters with personalities under their make-up. I like this. The movie played on the ways in which we stereotype people, whilst showing the reasons why those stereotypes don’t really work – even for the characters who are traditionally shown as vacuous or somehow unworthy.
Ultimately, it’s a charming film with an ending that will make you realise you were more involved in the characters’ lives than you’d thought.
GBF comes out in UK cinemas on the 21st of March, and will be available on DVD & Blu-Ray from the 14th of April.
