This is a typical example of a film suffering for not daring to take a risk. The mature ending of this will they/won't they teen-drama would clearly have been George's realization that he could actually influence the world without getting exactly what he wants.Sally should have gone off to Europe, George should have painted something abstract and they both could have led very happy lives.The writers, however, decide to take the well-tread road of dull mediocrity and end the film with a very corny hand-holding scene, forever cementing its place as yet another forgettable run-of-the- mill teenage romance flick.Which wouldn't be too bad, if the rest of the film didn't actually have potential. If the ending would have been dealt with more thought and realism, it would actually be a good film. I really enjoyed 90% of the film, too bad about the aftertaste.

George, a well-mannered teenage nihilist disinterested in high school, starts to think life might have some meaning after all when he meets beautiful, vivacious Sally. He's not quite her "speed", as Sally's Mum succinctly points out, but Sally is also on the lookout for something new and there is just enough mystery to George to intrigue her. This is a teenage romance, a coming-of-age that still manages to entertain those of us not in the 16-25 demographic. The bittersweet, acutely painful pangs of first love are authentically drawn, and the film manages to be subtle and complex, best displayed by the older artist mentor who becomes, reluctantly but inevitably, George's love rival. They sweeten the pot a bit too much in the last 10 minutes, but perhaps given the target audience that can't be helped. Freddie Highmore plays George with the correct dosages of bravado and vulnerability. Emma Roberts as Sally has has both the charm to make us hope George gets her, and the siren-call seduction to make us hope every good man stays away. Given the somewhat twee premise and the massive potential for a white plight tale, this film is a pleasant surprise, on the whole genuine and moving in its observations. Worth checking out.

I watched this, thinking I would be fairly satisfied with what I saw, and maybe even end up loving the movie more than I expected. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Overall, the movie was completely sloppy and character development was just unrealistic and off. And the "love" story was not the saving grace either. Don't get me wrong, teenage love stories are my weakness. But this just didn't make sense. Characters were just too all over the place. Suddenly the misanthropic male has actually been in love with the girl the whole time? Really? And then, no wait, the girl loves him too? Oh wait, the girl loves him so much she decides to cheat on her boyfriend only to go and meet him at the airport anyway? No wait, she doesn't end up going on a plane! What a surprise! And don't even get me started on that painting at the end. Of all the things the kid could have painted (I'm sure the kid has had a lot of struggles) he decides to paint the girl???? Really???? Their relationship did not even seem that significant or had any impact (everything just came suddenly) and that's really who/what he paints? Disappointed. Only gave it a 4 cause I really like Freddie and the concept of the movie.

Oh you are actually trying to be something you're not.Don't see this.Seriously, throughout the whole film there was a "#deep" feeling, which *could* have been good if it was properly devised. Which it clearly wasn't. The pointlessness aspect of the movie lasted for the first 5 minutes and the main character's (and the movie's) ideals kind of shift here and there, without any depth at all. The music was just terrible and felt anticlimactic most of the time. Oh and the basis of the whole story - you know, the way the main character met this girl (whose name I can't remember) was very unlikely, who actually notices if someone's smoking on the roof? Her interest in him doesn't really make any sense either, (of course, love or interest doesn't always make sense, but I had a hard time sympathizing with both of them) he's completely unsociable and responds with a single damn word all the time. Never cracks a good joke or anything. Just an extraordinarily awkward teenager teenager. The script was awful too. /rant over.