Ask Me Anything (2014)

I just saw this now, on Netflix streaming movies. Based on the book by writer-director.Britt Robertson, in a very good role, was about 22 or 23 during digital capture, she plays 17 just turning 18 Katie Kampenfelt. She is attractive and bright but has a secret. She is seeing an older man, a 32-yr-old professor (Justin Long). So she makes up the excuse that she wants to spend a year "finding herself" so that she can stay closer to him.On the advice of a school counselor she initiates a blog, "Ask Me Anything" under a pseudonym. Meanwhile she also gets a job, first at a bookstore but being only 17 her mom makes her quit upon finding out the bookstore owner (Martin Sheen) was once convicted of a sexual offense. So she finds a job as a nanny and soon starts an attraction with the man of the house, 40-something businessman (Christian Slater).So we see Katie struggling with life's issues, her boozing dad hospitalized, her boyfriend getting too familiar with her best friend, and a number of other things. Certain people in her life try to convince her that she can slough off her bad habits and make a fresh start but she doesn't know if that is what she wants.It is a very smart script and Ms Robertson is very effective in the role. The ending does not tie up all loose ends, the filmmaker wants viewers to interpret the whole movie in a way that is satisfying to them.SPOILERS: In the last few minutes Katie disappears after a "blocked" call is received, her family are looking for her. Then we see her mom, her employers, her friends all played by different actors from the movie, as if we had been seeing a real story, But the better interpretation is all those we see through 90% of the movie are "characters" that her blog represents, in most cases some exaggerations inserted. Now she is gone, maybe she took the advice, maybe she disappeared to make a completely fresh start.

I went into this film knowing nothing and i was pleasantly surprised. I have not seen this film mentioned anywhere and I'm quite shocked as it is a great teen drama.This film explores human behaviour and morals but does so in a way i did not find preachy which allowed me to think about characters' behaviour and assess for myself what I believed to be right and wrong. This film is not for everyone and the ending, which i will not spoil, may leave a bitter taste in some peoples' mouths but in my opinion it tied the film off in a way that matches the tone of the rest of the film. There are strong performances throughout, especially for Britt Robertson (Katie), and all the characters came across as mostly believable. Cinematography is also fairly strong yet isn't extravagant enough to distract from the unfolding story. My only issues are the editing can be somewhat distracting or disjointing in parts but that may be a personal grievance, I also felt the run time could have been 15 minutes or so shorter as some scenes felt irrelevant and mundane although that may be the intention and the ending could leave some people disappointed. Overall it is a solid coming of age tale with strong characters and acting with only a few issues to be found.7.9/10JH

This is one of those films where one would expect more recognition. The story and direction are really good, additionally, you will see a good cast and a very pleasant surprise regarding Britt Robertson (Katie). Britt is an incredible actress, and her performance is so strong and superb that she really magnifies this good story. The film is fascinating and deep, and is hard not to be touched emotionally. In short, this is a piece of art, such a smart and strong story, and with a powerful and multilayer message, which leaves you a mixture of deep feelings.Here you have a strong message about how easily men, and some women too, can harm other woman; the struggle of women who have been hurt and without any support of relatives, friends and society; and the incapacity of some people to read the signals of help. But I see a more wide message because, even when the trigger is the abuse in Katie's childhood, the problem is not recognized, underrated or even increased by the attitude of society and mostly by men (sad to say, but the behavior of the men in the movie is very common in real life).Katie's attitude regarding how she handles their sexuality, and her behavior in general, is very understandable when you see how she has been hurt in the past, the lack of communication and support which this young girl has had, as many others in real life, during the most vulnerable moments of her life: the childhood and adolescence. It is not a good behavior of course, but she really asks and needs love, support and comprehension. "Ask Me Anything", paradoxically sounds like a door that Katie left open in her blog, unwittingly and in a search for help. People some times are just waiting for the right question, and it is very easy for all criticize and judge others.In the movie, is really disappointing the attitude of all the men around this fragile and vulnerable girl (except Sheen's character, which sadly, has a despicable story in his past); the exploitation, egotism, indifference, or stupidity which all of them show to the young and beautiful Katie. By the way, the two elements which make her so desirable, irresistible and fragile at the same time. The beauty and the youth of women, in this society, sometimes is a double-pointed knife with very sharp edges. But for the movie, I must admit that I really appreciated the way in which Robertson's beauty is captured in all the approaches and long shots (don't get mad about this, is just an aesthetic appreciation of the beauty of this woman and is a clever way to make a huge empathy with her character).My hassle is related with men's attitude, and therefore with the reality in our society. Stepfather's attitude is unacceptable: Would you let your daughter be back with someone who assaulted her? How relaxed are they (mother too), with the sexual activity of Katie? I am not a puritan, sex is natural and wonderful, but there are ways, places and persons. In her room and with that guy? The room in your house is the safest place for her. Even when that affirmation is true and she has 18 years, this is not best way; where is the respect that should be shown to others for her? Society is bigot and hypocrite, so you must prepare, protect and teach your love ones for that. Is impossible to avoid sex relations of the youths, because they will find a way to do it, but then is when education, communication and concern are important. For people is quite complicated, but without promoting or prohibiting sex relations, there are so many ways to help the youths with their sexuality (maybe is more easy to say and execute if you have a democratic education).About the characters of Slater and Long, they should have acted with more maturity, they are men and she is a really young girl, not so innocent as the slogan says, but disturbed and in need for love. OK, she is so beautiful and provocative, and is easy to fall in their enchantments, but then your moral and intelligence will solve the situation. About the other guy, the depressed one, no one must pay for the sickness of the others. For the perverted Solagee, there are no words, and the father of Katie, no matter how much he really loved his daughter, he proves that he was an idiot in some aspects: you cannot talk in that way with your daughter (or any other woman).And about the end, I have the other part of the message: the last smile of Katie in the tub, even when she is so young and has been constantly hurt, shows a strong woman in the process of leave behind her past and maybe in the path of a new and better future. She is looking forward, for the love and support that will come with her child, and with the hope to avoid the same mistakes which so much damage did her. Hard for her mother and a selfish decision the Katie's vanishing? Yes, but people get hurt many times by the actions of their own past, even when seems to be not deserved, and many times is really hard for people give or receive the forgiveness and sometimes is required a healing time in order to move forward and take the next step.So, the message is not just related with victims like Katie and her situation, but for all of us, and with multiple connotations.

This film will definitely give people mixed feelings. You'd be confused on whether to describe it as something that's easy to relate to or something so stupid, that it shouldn't have been written. The film/director tries so hard to convey us to be on the protagonist's side, but she gives us so many reasons not to. She plays around with older and committed guys, how can you feel sympathy for her?However, there's that sense of sweetness and innocence in her that makes you (or maybe it's just me) feel like she's worth your time and love. It was so easy to relate to her story. She sort of inspire me, in a way. So story-wise, it's okay but the twists and ending ruined everything.They tried to put so many characters, so many sub stories that it made the film very confusing. Maybe too confusing. Then, they wrap it all up with and ending that supposedly was to connect everything and make it look interesting and reasonable. However, it failed to do just that. It made them look CONFUSED. The whole production! Did they want to make a romantic-drama film? Or a thriller film? I feel like they wanted to do so many things in one film.ALTHOUGH, BRITT ROBERTSON definitely did great with her character.