Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging
Cast: Georgia Groome, Alan Davies, Karen Taylor, Aaron Johnson
Dir: Gurinder Chadha
Rating: 3/5
2008 has well and truly been the year of the book adaptation and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging joins the long list of book to screen movies as Louise Rennison's popular novels come to DVD.
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging centres on eccentric but loveable 14 year-old Georgia Nicolson (Georgia Groome) as she overcomes the trials and tribulations of growing up. Georgia has to endure the ‘traumas’ of nosey parents who don't understand her, an annoying three-year old sister and the everyday ups and downs of being a teenage girl in a world that’s as mental as she is.
Comforted by her barmy cat Angus and supported by her team of best friends ‘The Ace Gang’ Georgia embarks on a quest to achieve her two main desires: 1. To get a gorgeous sex-god boyfriend, proving that she’s the mature, sophisticated girlfriend that school heart-throb Robbie (Aaron Johnson) deserves, and 2. Throw the greatest 15th birthday party ever!
With awkward kissing lessons to move up the ‘snogging scale’, fake tan disasters and occasional stalking, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is full of laugh-out loud moments in Georgia’s wince-inducing quest to achieve the ‘perfect’ snog.
Teenage girls are going to love this movie as many of them will strongly relate to Georgia is 'plight' as she battles the pressures of school, teen angst, and wanting to impress the hottest boy around, let's face we have all been there.
Despite it being a fairly low key and unknown cast this is actually the film's strong point as it is far more engaging and seems a little more real than their airbrushed American counterparts.
Georgia Groome, in her first major movie role, carries the film well as Georgia who can't seem to get anything right when trying to impress high school hottie Robbie until she realises that being herself is more than enough.
You don't have to be a teenager to enjoy this you just have to remember being one still reminiscing when all you desired to be was a grown up throw in a few laugh out loud moments then this is a solid Brit flick that just oozes charm.
Gurinder Chadha gets great performances out of her young cast as they struggle through the minefield that is their teenage years but it's also great to see good roles of both Alan Davies and Karen Taylor, who end up with unexpectedly important parts in the film as they help Georgia discover who she is.
In all this is an upbeat comedy about out teen years that we dread and are desperate to get rid of when we are going through them but miss them when they are gone.
Angus, Thongs and perfect Snogging is released 8th December
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw