BREAKING THE GIRLS (2013)

Directed By: Jamie Babbit 
Written By: Mark DiStefano & Guinevere Turner 
Cinematography By: Jeffrey Waldron 
Editor: Michael Darrow 

Cast: Madeline Zima, Agnes Bruckner, Shawn Ashmore, John Stockwell, Shanna Collins, Melaine Mayron

Sara, a college student who was slandered by a classmate, finds herself framed for murder by Alex, who initially proposed the perfect, untraceable crime.

The film has all the right momentum going for it. It just feels like this missing something. While the story is thrilling it just comes off as unexciting though it should.

The film has all the right ingredients as it plays like an updated homage to Alfred Hithcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN only this time the homoeroticism is actually shown. His time though it is mostly between two young ladies. Instead of men. The film offers some true surprises but this isn't enough to totally save this endeavor.

I mean even the sex scenes that are supposed to be erotic reach a certain point, then seem to back off making them feel tame. When after all, this film has been hinting at these moments and when they arrive he film retreats. I can Understand a certain restraint and maybe I am just thinking back to the made for video films I remember growing up, but at least with more graphic sex scenes it would have felt like more of an effort I please the audience and my to mention fulfill on it's promise. Making the film more entertaining and having a better chance of word of mouth longevity. It feels like a project that is trying to be something without fully inhabiting it.

Coming from director Jamie Babbitt whose previous film jawbreaker was spilled with over the top energy and outrageousness. Here making the film subdued hurts it. I Understand wanting to make a more reserved adult mystery, making it a bit more classy and hopefully classic, but when you advertise a certain kind film and don't exactly deliver you can't fault the audience for their anger

Early in the film there is a scene that hints at a threesome that seems to go forward until one person retreats which didn't feel real and would have made for a dynamic making the characters share a liaison and the messy fallout of who had feelings for who. Instead while it deepens the characters relationship really a in for the circumstances and titillates he audience. It at least furthers the story but not with that extra subconscious layer of character relationships.

The film even gives us a great character and great performance from Davenia McFadden, but the film doesn't offer her much to do. The film comes alive when she's on screen and unfortunately it's not often enough

I really wanted to like this film. I love he cast. Though while I always love her performances and glad she is getting work, or seems like Madeline Zima is getting typecast as the sexually ambiguous girl or the girl to hire tiger nude in your film. By that there is anything wrong with that as she would join a great tradition. I just think as an actress he is better than that and those roles. At least it allows her to take her place as a burgeoning Femme Fatale.

It's nice to see Agnes Bruckner on screen as it seems to has been awhile since I have seen we in a movie. Which is a shame as she is also a good actress.

Cory Monteith, Amanda Crew and Adrianne Palicki all had roles in the film when it was still on pre-production in late 2009, but changes were made and they were all recast instead. Other then the main character none of the rest of the cast get to be as Interesting not much to do other then serve the plot, Making their characters seem only a minor necessary.

I told you I really liked the cast. I even like the filmmakers behind it Jamie Babbitt who no matter what they make is always inventive and Guinevere Turner who I have been a fan of since GO FISH.

This is just a film I felt has great potential. I really wished it had been Better.

GRADE: D