How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film)

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a 2017 science fiction romantic comedy film directed by John Cameron Mitchell and written by Philippa Goslett and Cameron Mitchell, based on the 2006 short story of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The film stars Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, and Matt Lucas. Principal photography began on November 9, 2015 in Sheffield.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Cameron Mitchell
Produced by
  • Iain Canning
  • Howard Gertler
  • John Cameron Mitchell
  • Emile Sherman
Written by
Based on"How to Talk to Girls at Parties"
by Neil Gaiman
Starring
Music by
CinematographyFrank G. DeMarco
Edited byBrian A. Kates
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • May 21, 2017 (2017-05-21) (Cannes)
  • May 11, 2018 (2018-05-11) (United Kingdom)
  • May 25, 2018 (2018-05-25) (United States)
Running time
102 minutes[1]
Country
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$382,053[2]

The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2017.[3][4] It was released in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2018, by StudioCanal UK, and in the United States on May 25, 2018, by A24.

Premise

Young Enn and his best friends stumble upon a bizarre gathering of teenagers who are from another planet, visiting Earth to complete a mysterious rite of passage. That doesn't stop Enn from falling madly in love with Zan, a beautiful and rebellious alien who becomes fascinated with him. Together, they embark on a delirious adventure through the kinetic, punk rock world of 1970s London, inadvertently setting off a series of events that leads to the ultimate showdown between punks and aliens.

Cast
  • Elle Fanning as Zan, a rebellious young alien curious about Earth
  • Alex Sharp as Enn, a punk comic book artist and Zan's love interest
  • Nicole Kidman as Queen Boadicea, an old-school punk who manages the local punk hangout
  • Ruth Wilson as PT Stella, one of the alien leaders
  • Matt Lucas as PT Wain, one of the alien leaders
  • AJ Lewis as Vic, Enn's best friend
  • Ethan Lawrence as John, Enn's other best friend
  • Edward Petherbridge as PT First, the alien supreme leader
  • Joanna Scanlan as Marion, Enn's mother
  • Tom Brooke as PT Waldo, Zan's parent, one of the alien leaders
  • Martin Tomlinson as Slap, a punk singer managed by Boadicea
  • Rory Nolan as young Enn, Zan and Enn's Son

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on November 9, 2015 in Sheffield, which would be standing in for London.[5]

Release

In September 2015, A24 acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[6] It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2017.[7][8] It was released in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2018[9] and in the United States on May 25, 2018.[10]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 47% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 5.28/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "How to Talk to Girls at Parties has energy and ambition, but is ultimately too unfocused to do much with either — or develop its themes into a cohesive whole."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 50 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[12]

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter stated that despite the charming characters of Elle Fanning (a curious alien) and Nicole Kidman (a nihilistic low priestess), its attempts to "add political substance feels less than half-cooked" and in effect sacrifices "narrative cohesion" and "overcomplicates" Neil Gaiman's 18-page story.[13] Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: "The film enunciates its raw themes — punk means individuality! the aliens are all about conformity! — but never begins to figure out how to embody those themes in a narrative that could lure in the audience."[14]

References
  1. Jagernauth, Kevin (April 13, 2017). "Sofia Coppola, Todd Haynes, Michael Haneke, Bong-Joon Ho & 'Twin Peaks' Lead 2017 Cannes Film Festival Line Up". The Playlist. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  2. "How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2018)". The Numbers. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  3. "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. Winfrey, Graham (13 April 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. SSN Insider Staff (November 13, 2015). "On the Set for 11/13/15: Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez Start on 'Tomboy', Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger Wrap 'Midnight Sun'". SSN Insider. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  6. Jaafar, Ali (September 15, 2015). "John Cameron Mitchell's 'How To Talk To Girls At Parties' Acquired By A24 – Toronto". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  7. Alvarez, Joe; Orlova-Alvarez, Tamara (22 May 2017). "How to Chat to Girls at Parties Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival". Ikon London Magazine. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  8. Tartaglione, Nancy; Evans, Greg (April 13, 2017). "Cannes Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Noah Baumbach, 'Twin Peaks'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  9. "How to Talk to Girls At Parties". Launching Films. Film Distributors' Association. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  10. "How to Talk to Girls at Parties". BoxOfficeMojo. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  11. "How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  12. "How to Talk to Girls at Parties Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  13. Rooney, David (21 May 2017). "'How to Talk to Girls at Parties': Film Review | Cannes 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  14. Gleiberman, Owen (21 May 2017). "Film Review: 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties'". Variety.
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