Heretofore I've never come across the web series for which this is a prequel, but if 'All night long' is any indication of what to expect, I definitely want to watch it now. This is a delightful mashup of the "one crazy night" comedy with the more raucous side of romcoms, twisted together as a musical, all with a strictly lesbian angle. There's no mistaking that the amalgamation is at varying points over the top, kitschy, and/or cliched, but so it goes with any titles playing in the same spaces. It's also a little too self-restrained for its own good; this could probably be rated PG-13. Yet at the same time, there's welcome earnestness underpinning the writing such that even at its most bombastic or gauche moments the title feels strongly balanced. Much more so than not it's highly entertaining, and well made in every regard; I had a great time watching!
The songs are wonderfully catchy in terms of their melody and structure, but also where the lyrics are concerned. The whole cast are swell, demonstrating excellent range as both singers and actors; I immediately wish to find more projects that they have all been involved with. Importantly both Angela Robinson's writing and Alexandra Kondracke's direction are sharp and smart, orchestrating excellent and engaging scenes that carry a variety of moods while advancing an enjoyable, satisfying story. Then, too, the contributions of all those behind the scenes are splendid, including lovely costume design and hair and makeup work, terrific cinematography and editing, and even some especially keen employment of lighting. All in all I really think 'Girltrash' is pretty great!
As much fun as I had watching, I will say that it's not necessarily the most grabbing and essential movie you could watch; especially when tropes are deployed, there are a handful of instances where a scene lags ever so slightly. While I don't for one moment think it was intentional, there's also a question of how much antagonistic character Monique is built on an ugly stereotype. Still, while these are facets to keep in mind, they aren't so critical of weaknesses to majorly dampen the entertainment value. It's a little silly, sure, and discretely aimed toward a sapphic audience, but by all means I think 'All night long' is a feature that anyone could appreciate. The music is fantastic, the cast is capable and charming, the writing and direction match the skill level of all those in the crew - far and away, this is a blast. I can understand how the many flavors here won't necessarily appeal to everyone, but for my money 'Girltrash' is well worth watching if you have the chance!
