Mile End Kicks review: Some bad decisions are unforgivable
‘Mile End Kicks’ follows a young woman who moves to a new city, and is overcome by cute musicians and her newfound freedom.
Everyone goes through periods in their life when they figure out who they are and what they want. As we are evolving beings, it’s possible to experience this personal epiphany multiple times in a lifetime. It’s not always an earth-shattering realization requiring a 180 transformation that leaves trails of collateral damage in its wake. It can be a subtle shift in focus or change in attitude. Some relationships may be altered, but the goal is to feel better about yourself. In Mile End Kicks, a young woman seeks a fresh start in a new city only to find she can’t leave her problems behind.
Grace (Barbie Ferreira) is a music critic, but she wants to write a 33 1/3 book about the album that changed her life: Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill. So, in 2011, she leaves her toxic job at a music publication to focus. She moves from Toronto to Montreal, rents a room in Madeleine’s (Juliette Gariépy) apartment and begins squandering her savings. Her roommate happens to be dating a musician (Robert Naylor) and Grace tags along to their show. There, she meets Archie (Devon Bostick), the guitarist, and Chevy (Stanley Simons), the lead singer. What follows is a bizarre love triangle that persists even though no one is getting what they want.
Writer-director Chandler Levack also brought the awkward but loveable characters to the screen in 2022’s I Love Movies. That film engaged audiences in a coming-of-age story that embraced weirdness and being true to oneself. This movie wants to follow the same path, but fails in some significant areas. The main weakness is most of the characters are unlikeable. They each have some peculiar qualities, but their quirks are not endearing or, in some cases, even forgivable. As Chevy is the biggest offender, it makes Grace’s interest appear even more foolish.
The film tries to incorporate a lot of different stereotypes and tropes in a single narrative. For instance, there’s the exploitive boss, enigmatic lead singer, sensitive guitar player, woman who stays in a bad relationship and girl who shirks her responsibilities to sow some oats. Levack tweaks each so they fit her depiction of a ragtag group of music-loving eccentrics, but it still feels contrived. It also adopts the cliché end to a love triangle with a bit of an icky twist.
Grace wants to write about Morrisette’s album because she claims it “changed her life.” Jagged Little Pill is an iconic record that had a lasting effect on a lot of young women. She expresses her anger in a way that resonates, reclaiming her voice after years of suppression. Yet Grace doesn’t reflect any of these qualities. She doesn’t know what she wants, allows people to mistreat and use her, and, in turn, hurts the people trying to be genuinely supportive. The disconnection creates an odd contradiction in her character.
It’s a messy and frustrating journey as Grace figures out her life. Her low self-esteem perpetuates the same bad behaviour throughout most of the picture. But by the end, she finally uses her writing skills to dissect the film’s narrative. Grace reads an insightful monologue about the difficulties in succeeding in a male-dominant industry. It’s a pertinent piece that reveals the movie’s greatest flaw: not respecting its protagonist through the entire picture.
Nonetheless, a movie about a music critic needs a great soundtrack and the film delivers. There’s a solid mix of chart toppers, catchy indie tunes by the fictional band and, of course, some Alanis Morrisette hits. In the same way Levack scripted passionate discussions about film in her freshman debut, she curates a musical conversation through the picture’s songs and debates.
On the surface, one may make a comparison to Almost Famous as a young music critic becomes immersed in a band, only to emerge surer about their life’s direction. But this is a far cry from that film’s brilliance. The acting by everyone is on point, but it’s because they play their roles so well that it’s hard to ignore how disagreeable the characters are.
Director: Chandler Levack
Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Jay Baruchel and Devon Bostick
