Well, I suppose that this 2001 movie titled "An Adolescent" (aka "Shôjo") sort of could be said to be a Japanese version of the classic Kubrick movie "Lolita", except that "An Adolescent" is a bit more visual - in a semi-sleazy way. Well, of course that depends on your preference in movies of course, but all the sex scenes in this 2001 movie from director Eiji Okuda just made the movie feel tacky and sleazy to me.
And the storyline told in "An Adolescent" wasn't just overly interesting or well-paced and I must admit that I lost interest in the movie several times throughout the course of its playing time and ended up perusing social media on my phone as the movie trotted on.
The acting performances in the movie were stale, rigid and wooden, and that ultimately lead to a less than mediocre movie experience. It felt like people weren't even really putting any effort into bringing their designated characters and roles to life on the screen. So you could just as well have been watching a puppet theater show.
And if the actors and actresses had put more effort, spirit and heart into their performances, the story might have turned out to be more watchable and enjoyable.
While I managed to endure the movie and sit through it, this is not a movie that brought me any enjoyment or entertainment. And it most certainly is not a movie that I will be returning to watch for a second time.
My rating of "An Adolescent" lands on a mere three out of ten stars. This movie was a snoozefest.
