Easy A

Entertaining yet uneven, Easy A follows smart-alecky high schooler Olive Pendergast (Emma Stone) as she becomes the focus of gossip after word gets out that she lost her virginity to a college student – with the situation escalating as Olive agrees to perpetuate similar rumors about her exploits with several less-than-popular colleagues. Filmmaker Will Gluck has hard-wired Easy A with a fast-paced, easygoing opening hour that’s consistently elevated by Stone’s winning performance, as the actress does a superb job of transforming her character into a likeable (and surprisingly relatable) figure that one can’t help but root for and sympathize with. (It also doesn’t hurt that the supporting cast has been filled by an almost astonishing number of familiar faces, with Stanley Tucci’s tremendously appealing turn as Olive’s sarcastic yet compassionate father undoubtedly standing as a highlight.) It’s worth noting, however, that the movie does lose some steam as it takes an expectedly dramatic turn towards the end, as, despite what screenwriter Bert V. Royal clearly believes, the narrative simply isn’t deep enough to withstand the increasingly pervasive emphasis on sentimental elements (and all the John Hughes references aren’t really helping, either). Still, Easy A is an agreeable endeavor that remains worth a look if only for Stone’s star-making work as the central character (ie she’s good even when the movie isn’t).

**1/2 out of ****