GIRL IN PROGRESS

title: GIRL IN PROGRESS
year: 2012
cast: Eve Mendes, Cierra Ramirez
rating: **1/2

CABIN IN THE WOODS has a group of kids unknowingly forced into a slasher film setting, becoming victims of other people’s whim. Ansiedad, our Latino teenage protagonist, uses the same concept with a different genre and is in complete control of the situation, almost.

In an attempt to mirror the plot-points of Coming-Of-Age novels, she intentionally lives the life of a good girl who progressively turns bad and, like in the books, sets up a character-arc by first becoming a geek in the Chess Club and then befriending the mean-spirited popular girls; going to parties; and losing her virginity to the rebellious womanizer.

Not all of these plans are carried through and along the way she burns bridges unintended: like hurting her overweight best friend and distancing herself even more from her single mother Grace, played by Eva Mendes, a sexy working-class freespirit having an affair with a married man.

Not sure whether it’s a quirky JUNO type indie holding back or a mainstream flick with a progressive edge, GIRL IN PROGRESS lacks focus while the over-opinionated teen gets annoying; she knows too much for her (and our) own good.

Thankfully there’s Grace… waitressing at a Crab restaurant and trying to keep her affair going… to even things out, but her tale gets clichéd and, eventually, predictable.