Saturday, June 5, 2021

Fan Girl - 2021 AAAFF Movie Review



The Movie: Fan Girl

The Director: Antoinette Jadaone

The Cast: Charlie Dizon, Paulo Avelino, Bea Alonzo

The Story: Fan Girl is about a fanatical Paulo Avelino fan who meets her onscreen idol  in less than ideal circumstances after stowing away in the back of his pickup truck.

The Interview:



The Review:
This is one of those movies that's going to run you through just about every emotion forwards and backwards and then it twists you up at the end leaving you with a heck of a lot to think about. I love these types of movies when they are done well and director Antoinette Jadaone, she also wrote the story, is apparently more than capable of pulling it off. These movies can also be difficult to write about because I don't want to give away anything that might lessen the experience for anyone before they watch it.

I have learned from this movie that Paulo Avelino is a very well known and well liked actor in the Philippines which makes playing a not so likable version of himself that much more interesting. The story deals with the perils of extreme fandom and also the dangers of meeting those you idolize and discovering they are not who you have built them up to be. Avelino's performance is powerful in how he is able to run through such a wide range of emotions while also manipulating both the audience and the other characters on screen. The primary character in the movie is 16 year old Jane, played by Charlie Dizon, who is beyond obsessed with Avelini and will apparently do anything to meet him.

Dizon's performance as Jane is absolutely stunning and really makes this movie the special experience that it turns out to be. The way she presents Jane as an over the top, nearly crazed fan in a way that I was totally able to understand was very impressive and I will say is one of the best work I have seen so far this year. There must have been a lot of discussion between Dizon and Jadaone as far as just how far and where to take the character as the story plays out and the third act is like a gut punch combo that is not very easy to recover from as a viewer. I don't want that statement to scare you away from the movie, but just know that you will not find the standard too easy, too happy ending you might find in other movies


The Verdict:
Fan Girl is an intensely emotional drama that will make you take a hard look at both sides of pop culture fandom. Antoinette Jadaone's heartbreaking story is brought to life brilliantly by Charlie Dizon and Paulo Avelino in the lead roles. Buckle up and prepare yourself for an emotional journey that does not let you off the hook as easily as you might want it to.


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