This film features two kids who decide to go on a road trip to get away from their boring lives. Okay, so the synopsis sounds cliche... however, Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) adds his usual charm to this one and gives the film a sort of flare that stands out among the many indie coming-of-age style films. The creativity is ingenious, making me long to visit the set and see this actual MacGyveresque invention that the two boys create. Just when the coming-of-age genre is starting to feel a bit stale, Gondry writes this endearing story which combines the perfect amount of comedy with a taste of childhood longing. Who didn't dream of inventing a spaceship to fly into space when they were younger? Gondry takes this concept and drives it to a more realistic level.
Both Ange Dargent (Microbe) and Theophile Baquet (Gasoline) give performances that strike home with teenage angst. As a short teen, Microbe struggles to fit in with the rest of the people in his grade. Gasoline on the other hand struggles to fit in because he is too cool for school. The normal scenario would be that Gasoline would beat up Microbe, but in this case they actually discover that they are in similar standings at home and at school. Neither of them fit into their age group and the dynamic of their class. Dargent creates the sort of sympathetic character that is common to this genre. He brings the audience into his world of being a wimp. But, Baquet's performance creates the real backbone for this flick. He acts as if he walked straight off of the casting call for Grease. His badassery creates a really fun dynamic between the two lead actors which kept me entertained to my fullest through the 1 hour and 45 minutes of superb filmmaking.
The Bottom Line: Michel Gondry brings out two performances and creates another addition to his filmography, which he has previously been praised for.
Score: 9.3/10
Image Credit: http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2015/06/microbe__gasoline_key_art_poster.jpg
Both Ange Dargent (Microbe) and Theophile Baquet (Gasoline) give performances that strike home with teenage angst. As a short teen, Microbe struggles to fit in with the rest of the people in his grade. Gasoline on the other hand struggles to fit in because he is too cool for school. The normal scenario would be that Gasoline would beat up Microbe, but in this case they actually discover that they are in similar standings at home and at school. Neither of them fit into their age group and the dynamic of their class. Dargent creates the sort of sympathetic character that is common to this genre. He brings the audience into his world of being a wimp. But, Baquet's performance creates the real backbone for this flick. He acts as if he walked straight off of the casting call for Grease. His badassery creates a really fun dynamic between the two lead actors which kept me entertained to my fullest through the 1 hour and 45 minutes of superb filmmaking.
The Bottom Line: Michel Gondry brings out two performances and creates another addition to his filmography, which he has previously been praised for.
Score: 9.3/10
Image Credit: http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2015/06/microbe__gasoline_key_art_poster.jpg
