Filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell’s collaboration with author Neil Gaiman is a period coming-of-age tale with sci-fi trappings that is less glam extravaganza than an irritatingly outrageous bomb. Mitchell has expanded Gaiman’s enigmatic award-winning 2006 short story into a clumsy parable of the battle between individuality and conformity, told with no wit and a very heavy hand. Set in 1977, the story focuses on a trio of London kids addicted to the new punk scene who crash an after-hours bash—thrown by a local known as Queen Boadicea (Nicole Kidman)—where they encounter an odd group of youngsters dressed in brightly colored, skintight latex outfits who are engaging in bizarre synchronized dances. It turns out that this is not some crazy cult but rather alien travelers, who move about the universe investigating other species. The reason has something to do with a decreasing birth rate and population—both of which might be related to their reputed habit of consuming their offspring. One of the earthlings, Enn (Alex Sharp), meets alien Zan (Elle Fanning), who fascinates him not just with her ethereal beauty but also her strangely affected conversation. Enn introduces Zan to the joys of his planet’s unregimented society, and when she returns from the experience in a pregnant state, her fellow aliens decide to go back to their world with changes in mind. This is a muddled mess that strives to become an instant cult classic but fails miserably, although it certainly will qualify as a good candidate for Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Lionsgate, 103 min., R, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $21.99, Aug. 14 Volume 33, Issue 5
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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