What if you told a lie and that lie became bigger than you had expected? First you are getting what you want from that lie, but then it takes shape all by itself and suddenly the lie is not turning out how you wanted it to to begin with. Confused? Don't be. That is the premise for Easy A. Emma Stone plays Olive and does with so much enthusiasm and comedic genius that it feels that she was born to play the part, (and as my friend said later on, if she hadn't of been in it, the movie could have really f&^ked up). Olive is in high school and feels that she does not really exist. One day as she is talking to her best friend Rihanna (Alyson Michalka from Hellcats) in the toilet she comes up with a lie that she is seeing an older guy in college who she has had sex with. But this is completely untrue. When overheard by the religious teenage christian leader who wants to save everyone in high school Marianne (Amanda Bynes who is up there with Stone as a scene stealer) the rumour sets its course. Suddenly everyone is hearing about Olives exploits. One thing leads to another and Olive is starting to become the talk of the school and gaining popularity. When other unpopular guys find out about the lie, Oliver is their savour and pretends to grant them their wish of scoring with her in exchange for gift vouchers. This is where the movie hits its stride but also where the movie turns around the usual teenage fair. I am not going to spoil anymore but we feel both that Olive may not be getting what she wants and realise that lies do have consequences.
Where does the A come into it you may be asking? Well the whole concept of the movie is taken from the book The Scarlett Letter. In the book when the main woman is seen sleeping with the minister in the old days she was branded with a A, in other words people thought she was a hussy. This is interweaved into the movie as the book Olive is studying is The Scarlett Letter. So as Olive decides that this is her new outlook on life. She starts dressing provocatively and always has her A strapped to her outfit.
Okay I think I may have said too much but let me tell you this movie worked extremely well. I'm going to point out the supporting characters are fantastic. The movie drawed its biggest laughs from Olive's parents played by Stanley (who stole the show in Devil Wears Prada and came close in this) Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. This two combined were great and played off each other well. They are not like your usual parents and you love their support for Olive. Penn Badgley adds a nice touch as Olive's former friend who might end up as something else later on. Thomas Hayden Church (Spider-Man 3, Sideways) is classic as the teacher who actually seems to care about his students while making his class enjoyable and Lisa Kudrow plays his wife who may also have a secret of her own.
What worked so well in this movie was that all the actors took it upon themselves to make the characters their own and just had fun with such a sharp and witty screenplay by Bert V. Royal. He knew exactly what he was doing writing this movie, and stayed away from cheap jokes which would have brought the whole movie down. He is dealing with sex and teenagers and instead of going the gross out, foul jokes he has made it sharp and entertaining without bowing down to this crude level. Director Will Gluck's second film has all the right ingredients and he allows his actors to fully have fun with their characters but does not allow them to go off ad libbing lines which have become popular (plus also very annoying) in many movies (I'm looking at you Ben Stiller and Will Ferral, it used to be funny now its getting very boring, just cause you spit out a million words doesn't mean you don't edit them out of your movies later).
So to sum up Easy A passed all its grades in my book. It showcased the talent that I knew had been lurking in Emma Stone since I first saw her as the scene stealer in Superbad. This girl has talent as a comedian and as an actress. I think she is going to prove a real winner in this and I urge you to not fall in love with her by the end of the movie. This movie screams Emma Stone all over it. No other young actor could have made Olive so engaging and her comedic brilliance came through. Emma has handled her first big screen outing as a lead extremely well. I for one want to see more of this actress again. I just hope she will not be type cast. But at 22 I think she will be fine. Just please Emma, don't stick to these roles like Michael Cera has. We all know how annoying he has become. Easy A easily deserves the high marks I give it, and Emma you sure go to the head of the class in my books with this film. 9/10
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