Miles Teller plays Sutter, a confident, self-assured high school student who cares more about partying than he does about studying – never to be seen without his trusty hip flask. However his nonchalant philosophy towards life takes a dramatic change when he takes a liking to Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a far more innocent, and less popular classmate. Though initially he is trying to make his ex-girlfriend (Brie Larson) jealous, he soon develops feelings for his new crush, though his influence over her may just be more damaging that he’d like to believe.
Though going back a few years from his protagonists in Smashed, by placing his tale in high school, Ponsoldt has had the opportunity capture that naïve, indestructible feeling that teenagers have, focusing on issues that might seem trivial to the outside world, but to our characters it’s a matter of life or death, such as if somebody fancies them or not. The Spectacular Now is a multilayered film with much depth to it, as the emphasis shifts from the key relationship at hand, to Sutter’s fulfilling attempts to track down his estranged father. The alcoholism is brilliantly subtle too, as Sutter is consistently drinking, and yet it’s rarely at the forefront of the scene at hand. In fact, it takes the audience a while to latch on that he has issues, it’s not obtrusively implemented at all.
Sutter is a brilliantly devised character, and one that we see in a very personal light. To his classmates he puts on a front; he’s the charming class-clown who has everything he needs, yet we see him for the vulnerable, lonely boy that he truly is. We all knew someone like Sutter – that kid at school who would make you laugh with their carefree attitude, but you always wondered – will they ever actually amount to anything? It’s cool to be rebellious, but it catches up on you and this plays on such a notion. There is something rather tragic beneath the facade.
Teller is fantastic as our lead, carrying a lot of natural charisma, and in this title his cheeky grin in somewhat endearing, and his opportunist ways are now presented with some heart, rather than the arrogance that accompanied it in his last film, 21 and Over. Woodley is also wonderful, playing normality so well. Despite her own charisma and natural good looks, we fully adhere to the fact that she’s a lonesome geek. There is a danger she’d almost be too pretty for the role, and thus unbelievable as an unnoticeable girl at school – a bit like Emma Stone in Easy A, for example – yet fortunately this isn’t the case at all. There is a confliction of senses amongst the viewer, however, as although we naturally root for their relationship, we do have our own apprehensions as well, because Sutter is bad for Aimee on many levels. We want them to work, but have to come to terms it may not the best idea, even if we do see her come out of her shell, and see him crawl back into his at times.
It’s this very character development and thought-provoking nature that makes this a memorable and riveting piece of cinema. Given the progression in terms of quality from Off the Black, to Smashed to The Spectacular Now – if Ponsoldt decides to delve into such themes for a fourth consecutive time, it’s safe to say that we’re on board.
[Rating:4/5]
