Easy A (2010)

Recently there has been a relatively successful trend in repackaging classic stories as teen comedies, from Ten Things I Hate About You and Get Over It’s repurposed Shakespeare to the Jane Austin inspired Clueless. Here it is a rough re-telling of The Scarlett Letter that forms the basis around the latest in this series of smart and enjoyable adaptations. What separates all of these films from their less distinguished brethren is the awareness they seem to have for the genre, and the way they are happy to subvert expectations.

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Here Emma Stone plays Olive, a smart and quick witted girl who struggles to gain any social footing at her high school (if I had any problem with the story of the film, it’s that the gorgeous and charming Emma Stone would have any such issues). However when an innocent white lie about her dating habits gets out of control she uses it to manipulate her image, but what starts as a bit of fun quickly descends into more than she expected. By using thjis premise as a kicking off point it allows the film to make some salient points about the value of gossip, opinion and teenage promiscuity, but in a way that remains entertaining and very tongue in cheek. Director Tim Gluck and writer Bert Royal knowingly nod to a whole host of teen-movie cliché’s throughout the film and largely the film does a good job of keeping you guessing as to where it is heading.

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This though is really Emma Stone’s show, and she is a revelation. She has impressed before with bit parts in Superbad and Zombieland but here she takes centre stage and relishes the chance to flex her comedy muscles. She is a natural comedienne with pitch perfect timing and a wonderful knack for more physical comedy as well. She makes Olive a fascinating and enjoyable character and I particularly enjoyed the oddball relationship she has with her laid back parents, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson clearly enjoying themselves immensely. Whilst the film is enjoyable its success is largely down to the knowing script and Stone's performance. Outside of that there are some other good supporting turns from Lisa Kudrow, Amanda Byrnes and Thomas Hayden-Church but some of the subplots fell a little flat for me. Similarly the knowing tone of the film sometimes works against it, removing you from the reality of the film, which in turn dampens some of the deeper emotional impact that might otherwise have existed.

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Logic problems aside, and a few dropped characters that I would have liked to see more of (Dan Byrd’s Brandon is a prime example) there is a lot to like and recommend from Easy A. It is a fresh and funny teen comedy and one that relies of genuine laughs and knowing characters rather than gross out cheap gags.