Set in Glasgow, Scotland, Stuart Murdoch's God Help The Girl tells the story of Eve, a troubled young woman whose been hospitalized due to emotional problems that have taken a toll on her body. As she struggles to get better, Eve begins to write songs, which leads her into the city where she meets James and Cassie. Musicians themselves, Eve, James and Cassie decide to start a band, beginning a friendship that will effect them forever. God Help The Girl is an endearing coming of age tale that captures the power of music and self expression. For Eve, Music is her outlet, finding solace in song that initially gives her a way to express herself and feel better. The film wisely keeps the exact cause of her hospitalization vague, focusing more on this poignant tale of rebirth through self-expression. What I found most interesting about the film is Murdoch showing how expression is important, while simultaneously commenting on the need/desire to be heard. God Help The Girl is charming, creating this exaggerated realism, with moments of playful absurdity that only elevates the film's endearing qualities. Stuart Murdoch shows an impressive eye in crafting the visual aspect of the film, using an extremely warm color pallete and good use of camera movements. This is particularly noticeable during the musical numbers throughout the film that spring to life, harking back to some of classic technocolor musicals of an earlier era. Narratively the film does have a few problems, most notably a subplot involving a romantic interest with Eve that feels completely unneccesary. This is particularly frustrating given the film's bloated running time of two hours, that leads to the film dragging during stretches towards the end. Overall, God Help The Girl does feel a little slight, with some of the more dramatic moments never fully resonanting, but this is such a charming film it hardly matters.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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