Calgary International Film Festival Review: God Help the Girl

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Summary: A young girl named Eve starts writing songs as a way to help her get past some emotional problems. Along the way, she meets two other musicians, James and Cassie, and they start a band. 

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I first heard about this film while reading one of my favorite magazines and was immediately intrigued. The story is very simple but it’s told in an interesting way; through music. I wouldn’t exactly go as far as calling it a musical but there are various songs and dances throughout the film that bring its indie charm. I was very impressed by all of the songs in the movie; they were all written specifically for the film and the choreography was cute. I also really enjoyed the costumes, they were very retro and mod which helped add to the indie vibe of the film and everything straight down to the accessories in Jame’s flat were well thought out. The characters were charming and the actors fit their roles perfectly. My only issue with the film was with the singing. I didn’t particularly enjoy Hannah Murray’s (Cassie’s) singing voice and unfortunately I had to hear it quite a bit during the 111 minute film. The story is set and filmed in Scotland which I thought was great, it’s always been a place of interest to me and I go to see some of the things you would never discover as a tourist. The cinematography was stunning, all of the colors were vibrant and the locations were just wonderful. One specific scene that stood out to me was where the trio decides to take a day trip canoeing down this gorgeous river. God Help the Girl was equal parts funny, quirky and serious. They touched on subjects like eating disorders and depression without making the movie feel heavy all while getting the point across. I don’t have anything that critical to say about the film other than the fact that it was slightly confusing at times, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if the musical numbers were fantasy or reality until Eve started singing and playing “doctor” with James a little while into the film. Overall this movie is great for music and film enthusiasts alike, the acting was great, the story was simple and quirky and it was a very memorable film. With a little more clarity through dialogue and maybe some singing lessons, this movie would have been flawless.