Girlfriend

Girlfriend follows Evan (Evan Sneider), a man with Down syndrome, as he attempts to survive on his own after the death of his mother (Amanda Plummer’s Celeste), with the character’s most pressing concern his friendship with a former high school colleague (Shannon Woodward’s Candy). Girlfriend marks the directorial debut of Justin Lerner and it’s clear right from the get-go that the filmmaker does possess an admittedly strong eye for striking visuals (eg that first shot is killer). The unabashedly low-key nature of Lerner’s thin storyline ensures that, on the one hand, the movie does possess a very evocative feel, yet, on the other hand, there’s no denying that the whole thing is often just a little too deliberately paced for its own good. The impressive performances certainly complement Lerner’s subdued approach, with Sneider’s spellbinding turn as the central character certainly playing a strong role in the film’s mild success. (Likewise, Woodward and Jackson Rathbone, cast as Candy’s sleazy ex-boyfriend, are quite impressive.) The stellar efforts of everyone in front of and behind the camera are unfortunately diminished by the exceedingly deliberate pace, with the end result a sporadically strong yet lamentably uneven first effort from a promising filmmaker. (And wouldn’t it be nice if Sneider got some more work as a result of his commanding performance here?)

**1/2 out of ****