Ginger & Rosa

Like or loathe them, Sally Potter's films (including Orlando) typically feature an extravagant visual style, and her latest is no exception, although the narrative itself is comparatively conventional. A tale of two girls whose friendship is threatened when one seduces the other's father, Ginger & Rosa is set against the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, as the teens test the hedonistic waters of trendy London amidst fears that the world is about to explode. Unfortunately, the juxtaposition of the deterioration of their relationship and the unraveling of international relations comes across as schematic, and in the last act the film takes an abrupt turn into old-fashioned melodrama. Still, Ginger & Rosa benefits from excellent performances by Elle Fanning as Ginger, the more serious and intense of the pair, and Alice Englert as the carnal Rosa, and there are solid supporting turns from Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, and Annette Bening as adults who offer advice to the girls about confronting the possibility of imminent annihilation. Although likely to appeal mostly to Potter's base of dedicated fans, this is more accessible than much of her earlier work, making it a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director Sally Potter, an “Anatomy of a Film” production featurette (52 min.), a “making-of” featurette (29 min.), cast interviews with stars including Elle Fanning, Christian Hendricks, and Alessandro Nivola (36 min. total), and deleted scenes with an intro by Potter (5 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for a decent coming-of-age film.] (F. Swietek)