Genre: Comedy
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Cast: Georgia Groome, Eleanor Tomlinson, Aaron Johnson, Alan Davies, Karen Taylor, Tommy Bastow, Sean Bourke, Liam Hess, Manjeeven Grewal, Georgia Henshaw, Kimberley Nixon, Matt Brinkler
RunTime: 1 hr 40 mins
Released By: UIP
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Official Website: www.angusthongsmovie.com

Opening Day: 18 December 2008

Synopsis:

Based on the International best-selling series of books by Louise Rennison, the film follows the eccentric and irresistible Georgia Nicolson as she overcomes the trauma of being a teenager and moves up the 'snogging scale'. Misunderstood by her ancient parents, but buoyed up by the love of her cat Angus and her best friends mates she struggles through life seeking out her two main desires: 1. To get a gorgeous sex-god as her boyfriend. 2. To throw the greatest 15th birthday party ever. Alongside her own romance problems Georgia's parents are going through a turbulent time, with the result that the young girl feels the responsibility for holding the family together rests on her shoulders.

Movie Review:

What a mouthful for a title! It may not make much sense reading it as it is, but when you have seen the movie; you would probably get an idea why. You will get to see Angus, there will be thongs and for sure, you will get some semblance of perfect snogging from these young British girls.

Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging is about fourteen year old Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) and her quartet of friends as they live their lives, dreaming of the perfect kiss, having a sex-god boyfriend, split-ups and also the dilemma of throwing the best damned birthday party. In her quest to score one of the new boys in town and the climb up the 'snogging scale', Georgia devises several plans in hopes of creating opportunities for herself and her friends. The result can only be a disastrous one.

This movie is a pretty light-hearted and funny affair, sometimes not too bothered to take itself too seriously. Georgia and her friends is a nice lovable bunch, easily likeable and identifiable. And their antics and the situations they find themselves in will only make us remember the silly school-going days we all went through before and know all too well. But above all, Georgia represents the teenager all of us were at one point in our lives, the age when the whole world is against us and nothing we do can seem to make it right.

Thankfully, Georgia is played as a comical and jocular character by Georgia Groome, instead of one filled with teenage angst waiting to burst at the seams. She is not afraid to make faces and get herself into sticky situations. While she may not be the prettiest of the clan, she is the one who is most endearing. Everyone else is almost perfectly cast in their respective roles, which then again are simple characters to play and on the overall, easy to digest.

At the helm is none other than Gurinder Chadha, who is famed for directing the likes of Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. While Chadha has a penchant for making movies about female characters who find themselves in culturally different situations (in the case of Angus, socially different), she obviously has had fun making these movies and it also shows in this outing.

In between trying to get the boy of her dreams while having to slug it out with the school vixen and having a better fifteenth birthday party than her rival, Georgia has to content with the movie’s assembly of quirky and somewhat over-the-top characters, some of whom you have to watch for yourself to believe. Look out for a certain Mr. Peter Dyer in the movie and you will know why!

Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging is ideal for a day out with the girls or if you are looking for something that is light and fun. It is an easy film to follow and you will find it easy to identify with the characters’ problems and quirks.

Movie Rating:



(The Snogging Scale is something I wish I had thought of myself!)

Review by Mohamad Shaifulbahri