ReelBob: ‘How to Build a Girl’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
“How to Build a Girl” is a coming-of-age story that, propelled by a heartwarming performance by Beanie Feldstein, follows a familiar path of self-discovery.
Feldstein portrays Johanna Morrigan, a smart and quirky 16-year-old with a rich imagination who uses her gift to escape her dull life in Wolverhampton, where she lives with her parents and four brothers.
Her mom is suffering from a prolonged bout of postpartum depression after giving birth to twins at age 38, and her dad continues to dream of a career as a jazz drummer.
Set in the 1990s, Johanna sees herself as a great writer, but lacks self-confidence, which director Coky Giedroyc deftly demonstrates in a sequence in which Johanna, who has entered a poetry-writing contest, gets stage fright when it is time to read her work on a local daytime TV show.
The screenplay, written by Caitlin Moran and adapted from her book, is a tender production, despite some raunchy moments.
Desperate to gain recognition, Johanna submits a music review to a group of indie-rock critics at a weekly magazine. At first rebuffed, she shows some spunk by refusing to accept her rejection by the all-male staff.
To stand out, Johanna reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde, who begins to gain a following as a hard-to-please critic and who demolishes band after band.
The adulation goes to her head. Dolly gains a ravenous thirst for fame, money and men, bragging to her brother about her newly discovered sexual awakening.
It goes to Feldstein’s talents that she carries off this sequence with comic panache that keeps it from being distasteful.
And, as goes most movies of this ilk, Dolly lets the celebrity turn her, as she says, “to the dark side.” She alienates her family and her newfound friend, singer John Kite (Alfie Allen, Theon Greyjoy in “Game of Thrones”).
A feature Johanna originally wrote about him was rejected by her coworkers and, after Kite gently rebuffs her romantic advances, she writes a scathing article about him.
Dolly hits bottom after overhearing her coworkers ridiculing her.
She comes to realize that Dolly was a façade to obscure the real, sweet-natured and loving Johanna.
“How to Build a Girl” is dominated by Feinstein; she is in mostly every scene.
Even when Feinstein transforms from the nerdy Johanna to the strutting Dolly, she strategically offers glimpses of the real teenager hidden beneath the costume she has adopted for her poisoned-pen persona.
Feldstein elicits a vulnerability and awareness that makes you root for and embrace her. You hope she finally discovers and accepts her true self. The film’s journey is one you will enjoy sharing with this talented young actor.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
HOW TO BUILD A GIRL
3 stars out of 4
(R), language, sexual situations