"All Over Me"
Reviewed by Heather Picker
Directed by Alex Sichel. Written by Sylvia Sichel. Starring Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff, with Cole Hauser and Wilson Cruz. 1997, 95 min., Rated R.
The teen coming-of-age film came to popularity in the 1950s and over the years has gone through many changes. From the angst-filled rebellion melodramas of the 50s to the beach fluff of the early 60s, wistful looks back at the brink of adulthood in the 70s, and John Hughes in the 80s...Along come the 90s, somewhat hard to define. Raging hormones, insecurity, and the internal conflict between wanting to be independent but also fearing adulthood can be seen more on television, which has become a wasteland for teen-oriented programming, than in the movies that the same actors and actresses from the over-hyped television shows are starring in. Where is a viewer looking for an intelligent look at normal teens supposed to turn? "All Over Me," the feature film debut of the writing and directing Sichel sisters duo, is high on the list of alternatives.
Claude (Alison Folland) and Ellen (Tara Subkoff) are inseparable. They spend almost every waking hour together at the Hell's Kitchen apartment Claude lives in with her mom. Their bond is closer than close, it is the type of intense friendship that has a way of alienating others around them, and to an extent, alienates themselves. Claude loves Ellen on more levels than just friendship, and Ellen seems to reciprocate these feelings but can't deal with them and instead turns to a homophobic, drug-pushing boyfriend, Mark (Cole Hauser, "Higher Learning") and begins a downward spiral into drug addiction.
As she begins to fully realize and accept her sexuality, Claude becomes friends with Luke (Pat Briggs of the alternative rock band Psychotica), her neighbor, and Jesse, who works with her at a pizza place (Wilson Cruz, playing a role similar to his character on the late TV show "My So-Called Life"). Both of them are gay, and her frustration over the Ellen situation is both eased and complicated when she meets Lucy (Leisha Hailey of The Murmurs, who contribute a song to the soundtrack), who performs in a rock band, which has long been a dream of Claude's, one that she used to half-heartedly pursue with Ellen. Claude and Lucy begin a stop and go relationship that nicely progresses as Claude grapples with Ellen drifting out of the picture.
As the fates of these two high school students with the expanding rift between them become clearer, so does the depth of the performances. Folland ("To Die For") brings all of the elements of Claude, curiosity, fear, awkwardness, uncertainty, beautifully to the screen. Though portraits of teen druggie characters usually lose credibility due to over-exaggerated acting, Subkoff is rather subdued at times, and never overdoes it. The supporting cast, including Hauser, Cruz, musicians Briggs and Hailey, and Ann Dowd as Claude' mom, Anne, are all good. Alex Sichel directs, based on one of the few recent scripts to treat various teenage topics honestly, written by her sister, Sylvia. "All Over Me" has a terrific soundtrack featuring music from Ani DiFranco, the Geraldine Fibbers, and Sleater-Kinney, among others. Useless trivia: One of the producers, Dolly Hall, has produced several films including "High Art" (1998) and "The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love" (1995). Noteworthy cinematography by Joe DeSalvo. © Heather Picker 1999 http://www.thatmoviesite.8m.com
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