All the Real Girls

Having taken a cue from Terrence Malick rather than Quentin Tarantino, David Gordon Green has distinguished himself among the masses of young directors who peddle their products at Sundance. His sophomore feature, All the Real Girls (2003), won a Special Jury Prize there for "Emotional Truth," which, along with phrases like "woozy romanticism" and "ambient sensuality" (both of which appeared in reviews of the film) are rarely applied to efforts by relative newcomers. Although such descriptions certainly apply, the film unfortunately vacillates between these achingly heartfelt moments and wince-inducing, vaguely amateurish displays of earnestness.

Although the movie is set in the present, the small North Carolina mill town it takes place in is virtually unrecognizable in the context of modern-day America. Absent are the Wal-Marts and McDonalds that populate much of the country, as are any references to pop culture, thereby lending the film the same degree of timelessness as the work of Malick, Jim Jarmusch, or across the pond, Eric Rohmer. Of equal note is Green and his co-writer Paul Schneider's (who also plays the film's main character, Paul) depiction of the American South, which marks a departure from the region's frequent portrayal in mainstream films as backwoods, racist, and occasionally inbred.

The plot of All the Real Girls is simple: Having slept with most of the girls in the town, 22-year-old Paul finds himself falling in love with the virginal 18-year-old sister (Noel, as played by Zooey Deschanel) of his best friend, Tip (Shea Whigham). Wise to his pal's womanizing ways, Tip is naturally unhappy with this romance, but Paul's emotions for once trump his libido, and he decides to wait to sleep with Noel until the he feels ready. Unlike the other girls, Noel, to him, is special. Although Noel appears to share his intense feelings, she ultimately betrays him by sleeping with a boy she meets at a party, an action that forces Paul to reconsider their relationship as well as his treatment of his of previous female conquests.

The story, however conventional, unfolds in an almost dreamlike fashion, hazily recreating the feelings of first love. The film's tagline simply reads: "Love is a puzzle. These are the pieces," an uncannily accurately description of the movie's structure and tone. Shot by cinematographer Tim Orr, most scenes retain an amber-like glow, which, again, is reminiscent of Malick (though the frequent fade-outs call some of Jarmusch's work to mind).

However, Green occasionally falls prone to the overwrought symbolism that mars the work of young and seasoned directors alike (cf. Sam Mendes and Steven Spielberg). For instance, rather than let the incident speak for itself, Noel's betrayal must also be signalled by her appropriation of a new, bad hairstyle. Other offenses include lines such as, "I had a dream that you grew a garden on a trampoline and I was so happy I invented peanut butter," and a scene where Green ventures to show us the tears of a clown.

Despite these lapses, All the Real Girls has a way of conjuring up emotion so deeply felt and sincere that one cannot help but succumb to what is ultimately a beautiful film full of, yes, emotional truth. I suspect David Gordon Green has a masterpiece in him somewhere; I look forward to waiting for it to arrive in theatres.