Good movie but grossly overrated

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

You are definitely watching 102 minutes of child abuse. In many scenes it's portrayed graphically, but from beginning to end child abuse makes up the content of the story. To Bel Powley: Why no teenage girls need to see a movie where there's underage sex and sexual assault? Where they see you small ugly good for nothing breasts and bum and almost shots of your vulva? What will that to to the British female teenage group? Do you know? It will encourage them to do what you and your character did on screen. And then the government will have to try to stop it as well as society.We do not need film to educate us on how to love yourself, especially not after having sexual activity which is punishable by crime. We do not need a film to see your small, not sexy body or you to proclaim it is a taboo subject (there's so many ways to understand puberty and sex nowadays). We we do not need to say hey! See this film by bluffing your way or saying the film agencies rate it too high. It is just another "Fifty Shades of rape" film.

I came into this film with little to no indication about its source material or the tones it would present me with. I can now say I am eagerly going in search of the graphic novel that this film is based off. Firstly I want to talk about the cinematography for this feature, it is truly breathtaking in some scenes. I myself hope to become a cinematographer and looking at the care and clear passion put in by all crew, the shots all looked beautiful and breathed soul. The warm colours that reminds us of the 70's era were subtle enough to bring us into the films setting whilst not feeling too jarring or distracting.The animation was well used and superb, they were utilized to their fullest, almost as characters themselves, driving the story on- wards. Minnie was also very likable despite her very quirky and almost unrelatable behavior, however it was so refreshing to see a coming of age film really explore female sexuality and what love means to young women. Whether all of us can relate to the severity of her emotions and desires is irrelevant, we all have a bit of Minnie in us when it comes to growing up and that's what keeps you watching throughout the more graphic sex scenes. The rest of the cast including the important Monroe were also stellar, fantastic seeing Kristen Wiig in a more serious and layered roll as Minnie's mother. Monroe was also more complicated than your standard forbidden lover, he seemed to have a deep loneliness throughout the film that could be seen between his sexual aggression that really made you wonder how bad the whole situation was. I am sorry I can't go more in depth however this is best experienced than explained. Everyone will take something from this film, whether it be the messages about love and dependence or about appreciating the struggles we all go through as teenagers that seem so small now. I loved this movie, may not be to everyone's tastes but I thought it was a loving, engaging and overall beautiful film.

There are numerous wonderful performances in this brilliant little film. But two of them are great, and another is just amazing (star-making.. few outside of England had heard her name before, but that has all ended with this career making role). From start to finish this film grabs you, and doesn't let go for a minute. It well deserves all the accolades it's receiving, and is so timeless, it will keep on being discovered by viewers for a very long time to come. It's impressive on all levels.. writing, casting, acting, filming, directing, production values.. there are no noticeable weak points. It's video library category.. to be enjoyed again as time passes. Don't think of missing it.

Given the global angst over institutional paedophilia it is not surprising that The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) is generating controversy. Views are divided about whether this coming-of-age teen pic glamorises statutory rape or portrays a lonely teenager's exploration of self-identity and womanhood. Based on an autobiographical novel, the film defies easy labelling because sex between a 15-year old girl and a 30-something male in hedonistic 1976 San Francisco did not mean what it means today. Film is about storytelling, and showing does not equal condoning. We know it happens and no amount of legal and moral argument can change that. So only one question matters here: does the film work?This is a beautifully self-narrated story of a butterfly emerging from a lonely, self-loathing teenage- hood. The plot is deceptively simple. Aspiring cartoonist Minnie is 15, thinks she is fat and ugly, lives with a self-obsessed and neglectful mother, and loses her virginity to her mother's boyfriend. The mother finds out (of course) and their worlds do not collapse. Played with wide-eyed innocence and disarming authenticity, British actress Bel Powley empowers the film with humour, pathos, and a degree of unrestrained youthful libido that speaks volumes for Minnie's rite-of- passage story. This is not about titillation and the intent is not salacious. Those offended by nudity can fast-forward, but scenes such as Minnie standing alone and naked watching herself in front of a mirror scream out self-doubt, fear and longing for love as she strides towards womanhood ahead of her years. The voice-over narration is expressive, well-written, funny and offers an intimate view into the very heart and soul of an ordinary teenager dealing with what life throws her way. The cinematography is evocative of the styles, colours and psychedelic attitudes of the 1970s, yet in some ways also shows how little has changed over four decades.Not everyone will agree, but part of the bigger story is about sexual equality. In real life, 15 year olds of all sexuality grapple with similar challenges and the big screen favours some over others. The search for love and identity are two of the constants of life, and this film shows something that most of us have experienced in some way. Unfashionable though it may be to admit it, I found this film quite touching.