Ah young love. It’s intense. It’s complicated. It’s seemingly life-changing. It can all happen so quickly.
The First Time joins the stable of films exploring teen love and all the complications it can bring, in particular when it comes to sex… particularly sex for the first time.
High school senior, Dave (Dylan O’Brien of TV’s Teen Wolf and the Maze Runner franchise) meets high school junior, Aubrey (Britt Robertson, most recently seen with George Clooney in Disney’s Tomorrowland) in an alley at a high school party. Neither wanting to be there, they start talking and find an instant connection, which over a couple of short days quickly becomes romantic, all-consuming, young love.
While the premise is fairly recognisable, The First Time has greater depth in its dialogue and the exploration of teen life for its two young lovers. Writer/director, Jon Kasdan has developed a fresh take on the standard teen romance. This love story is not shiny and giddy, but more of an all-consuming discovery for each character to understand what it is they are looking for and who they are.
Both O’Brien and Robertson hold their own, with much of the film seeming like a two-hander. Their ‘first time’ itself is one of the most awkward and uncomfortable love scenes seen on screen for a while. Like really awkward. But it is this attempt at realism and the discussion of every feeling and thought running through each of the character’s young minds that adds a new dimension. While the angst is a little laboured, there is a sweetness at the core that makes us root for them (pun probably intended) to work it out and be happy.
The couple are supported by a cast that includes Aubrey’s meaningful parents (Christine Taylor and Joshua Malina) and Dave’s geeky sidekick pals (Craig Roberts and Lamarkus Tinker) plus an ensemble of douchebag boyfriends and vapid high school girls, all of whom are fairly two-dimensional in comparison.
Resonating primarily with a younger audience, The First Time is a unique choice for a girly sleepover or late night movie session.
Reviewed by Hayley Horton
Twitter: @hails_79
Rating out of 10: 7
The First Time will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Video on Demand (VOD) on 23 September 2015.
- Eagle Entertainment
- YouTube trailer: https://youtu.be/5bVnAw9UqbI
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