Star rating - 6/10
The post war
build up of nuclear weapons is the back drop to this teenage coming of age
film, set in a London amidst a growing CND movement. It deals as much with the political
and social issues of the day, as with the friendship of two schoolgirl best
friends Ginger and Rosa (played by young actresses American Elle Fanning and
Australian Alice Englert).
Both girls
are trying to escape domestic unhappiness, Rosa who lives with her single
parent mother and feels little love at home, and Ginger who finds herself in
the middle of her parents' unhappy marriage. Her father Roland is a pretty selfish,
despicable character who cares more about his principles than those around
him. He was sent to prison during the war as a conscientious objector, and
he feels morally superior to all around him, and certainly does not play by
society's rules.
But the impending
relationship between Roland and seventeen year old Rosa is a bit too
telegraphed early on - with knowing glances between them in the rear view
mirror of his car. So that when it unfolds, the impact has been diluted. The two young
leads give good performances, and there are also some strong supporting roles
from Timothy Spall and Annette Bening in particular as family friends.
But the story
line is a bit too weak to be either especially interesting, or particularly
moving, and it has an unsatisfactory ending with loose ends not tied up in a
manner which feels careless rather than intriguing.
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