How to Build a Girl (2019)
By
Jesse E. Mullen
How To Build A Girl was an enjoyable, but uneven experience. The story focuses on Johanna, a teenage nerd coming from a Wolverhampton council estate, and gaining a spot at a top music magazine. As the film progresses, Johanna learns the lesson that all critics, editorial columnists, and feature writers must face - her opinions and words on the page have real life consequences.
On paper, the film should be to my tastes to a tee – It’s kind of a female-centered update of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous but set in early-90s Madchester-crazed England, instead of the quaalude-dazed mid-70s of Crowe’s film.
The execution, however, was a bit of a mixed bag right down to the character development. While I personally related to the character of Johanna and her discovery of an interest in writing, I found her attempt at moral grandstanding in the middle of the film unsympathetic and off-putting.
I also found the ending to be a bit of a cliché – you can spot what’s going to happen roughly halfway through the film if you pay close enough attention. This is ironic, considering Johanna’s opening speech about avoiding the clichés of life in her own story. A good film for what it is, but it could've been better. 6/10.
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