The Movie: In Between Girl
The Director: Mei Makino
The Cast: Emily Garrett, Emma Galbraith, Liz Waters, William Magnuson
The Story: Teen artist Angie Chen turns to secret hook-ups with the heartthrob
of her private school after her parents' sudden divorce.
The Interview:
The Review:
There have been countless teen coming of age comedies over the years, some
bad, some good, some timeless, and some so dated that even one that are
considered classics are full of stereotypes and down right racist caricatures
of minority characters. I'm not going to name names but you can probably
figure out at least a few of the ones I'm talking about. Enter first time
feature director Mei Makino with a self inspired story of her own experience
growing up as a mixed race Asian in America and we're finally starting to get
the type of representation that has been very much needed in the world of
cinema.
One of the things you will discover while watching this movie is how relatable
and universal the problems of a teenager can be regardless of gender,
ethnicity, where a person might be from, or what type of family environment
they are growing up in. That being said, Makino makes sure to show some of the
unique problems and issues an Asian American teenager will go through in a
culture that still looks at them as foreigners, or model minorities, or even
going so far as to objectify them in ways that can be cruel and insulting. As
I'm saying this, I want to make sure you don't think this movie is heavy
handed and preachy when it comes to race and gender and that type of stuff,
this is actually a really fun movie that just happens to tackle some of these
topics.
Emma Galbraith plays Angie Chen, the lead character, I am guessing her own
life experience has also played a part in bringing the role to life. Like most
of the cast and crew, this is Emma's first feature film and I think the lack
of experience or polish that someone with a long resume might have actually
works in her favor in how she is able to bring Angie to life in such an
authentic way. Even though my experience growing up as a Mexican American was
vastly different than what we see Angie going through, there are also a lot of
moments and experiences that I found very relatable so it was easy to engage
with the story.
The story, with everything going on, is authentically funny and it does have a
lot of classic teen movie DNA sprinkled throughout so it will feel comfortable
while also being something new that you haven't seen before. The production
definitely has a grass roots, indie feel to it and I completely mean that as a
compliment. It's not overly polished or edited to death, it just feels very
natural and authentic. Along with the teen angst, young love, and growing
pains that Angie goes through, this is also a movie about family that comes at
you from a few different perspectives and I would even say there is a fair
amount about mental health thrown in as well. Now that I think about it,
there's really a lot packed into a run time that is less than 90 minutes and
the whole thing is very nicely paced.
The Verdict:
Inbetween Girl is a genuinely fun coming of age comedy refreshingly
told from an Asian American perspective. Definitely a strong debut feature for
both director Mei Mikano and star Emma Galbraith.
To keep track of all my reviews and festival coverage please go to:
TwoOhSix at CAAMFest 2021.
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