How to Build a Girl

How To Build A Girl was an enjoyable, but uneven experience. The story focuses on Johanna, a teenage nerd coming from a Wolverhampton council estate, and gaining a spot at a top music magazine. As the film progresses, Johanna learns the lesson that all critics, editorial columnists, and feature writers must face - her opinions and words on the page have real life consequences.

The execution was a bit of a mixed bag, right down to the character development. While I personally related to the character of Johanna and her discovery of an interest in writing, I found her attempt at moral grandstanding in the middle of the film unsympathetic and off-putting. A good film for what it is, but it could've been better. 6/10.

This film really charmed me. Though the main character's accent wandered a little, I forgave it very quickly because the story and the protagonist's journey was really engaging. There are plenty of laughs and heart breaking moments along the way and I left having been thoroughly entertained.

Another film creeping onto a streaming service in the UK, having had it's potential Cinematic release blighted by Covid closures was "How to Build a Girl", a loose (sometime very loose) adaptation of the first part of Journalist and Author Caitlin Moran's autobiography.

Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a precocious but unpopular girl living in Wolverhampton in the early 90's. Through little more than ability and force of will, she earns herself a job at a London based music magazine, writing reviews. Her career really takes off when she takes on a cruel persona and begins writing scathing and bitter appraisals of the bands of the time. But her success comes at the expense of her relationships with her friends, family and with singer/songwriter John Kite (Alfie Allen).

Not quite nailing the accent, but doing better than most would, Beanie Feldstein does a good job anchoring a film that has flights of extreme fantasy mixed in with its dramatic moments. The film does have its amusing moments, and there's particular joy to be found with the cameos from various people appearing on her "God wall". Alexei Sayle playing Karl Marx is a nice nod for those who know anything about his career.

My trouble was that I don't think there was quite enough story to justify the creation of the film. Admittedly, becoming a respected music critic at 16 whilst living in Wolverhampton is laudable and unusual, but the plot doesn't really have enough to it to make you feel anything other than mildly charmed. Her arrogance, created by so much success so quickly, doesn't really cost her much to overcome, as her family are always reasonably supportive.

As I say, amiable and amusing, but lacking in story beats to make it worthwhile.

It's true this is a "coming of age" film but why is that touted as being such a bad thing? This has an excellent cast and, although stretches the realms of belief at times, is very watchable with likeable characters. I nearly didn't watch it based on the reviews and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. It's not going to break any records but it's worth whiling away an afternoon to.

Caitlin Moran's novel (who also wrote the screenplay) 'How To Build a Girl' tells the story of teenager Johanna Morrigan's (Beanie Feldstein - Booksmart) journey as she reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde. Yesterday, a teenager in search of her own identity; today, a sex-positive wild child with an infamous look, and trash talking the finest artists of her era for her new job as a critic in London, to help out her financially struggling family in Wolverhampton.

Feldstein plays a somewhat similar, but this time British, character as she did in last year's Booksmart. A tad bit more insecure, but still driven and charismatic. It does distract a little when she channels Melanie C in 'Spiceworld' with her British accent. Not necessarily a bad thing, since this is mostly the case in the first half of the film, before Johanna turns into a completely different version of herself. Heavily influenced by the collection of talking portraits of important historic figures on her bedroom wall, and by connecting with her brother Krissi (Laurie Kynaston - The Trouble With Maggie Cole), she goes on to forming a young woman's personality who can stand on her own for a big future to come.

The chemistry between the members of the Morrigan-family feels genuine. Especially Paddy Considine (HBO's 'The Outsider') as Johanna's father and wannabe rock'n'roll-fanatic, has some heartwarming moments with his on screen daughter and is a lot of fun to watch. When it comes to a true scene stealing performance, we have to wait until about halfway into the film, when Johanna gets to interview rocker John Kite. Played by Alfie Allen (HBO's 'Game of Thrones'), he has one big scene in a hotel room with Feldstein, which isn't just emotionally raw, but showcases once again how good he is at playing a vulnerable, troubled man.

Coky Giedroyc has directed plenty of episodes for television (most recently 'Harlots'), but never seems to want to upstage that with something that's made for the big screen. Everything feels a bit too BBC, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it does limit the wide range of people that could show interest in watching this. Nothing makes 'How To Build a Girl' stand out. It feels like it borrows a lot from other coming-of-age films, and while there is a lot of clever stuff to be found, it doesn't particularly digs itself into your brain to be memorable. The script itself is riddled with clever nods to iconic literary figures (such as Little Women's Jo March), and you'll never listen to Annie's "Tomorrow" the same way ever again.

'How To Build a Girl' was made to connect with plenty of teenagers out there, who might be struggling with finding their own identity. As far as originality goes, it doesn't really discover any new ground, which for a film like this might be enough to entertain those who are looking for just a straightforward charming story.