Support Shadows: Buy a Poster

Matthew (Hirsch) is the star student in his senior class, but he's a bit of a nerd, hanging out with his geeky friends (Dano and Marquette) and more concerned with studying than enjoying his teen years. Then near the end of the school year a bombshell named Danielle (Cuthbert) moves in next door, and his life goes off the rails. Even more so when he finds out that Danielle used to be a porn star whose "producer" (Olyphant) wants her back. Cue a series of hijinks and capers that escalate to the point where they might jeopardise Matthew's bright and shining future.

The writers didn't really bother trying to come up with anything original. The standard elements are here--every high school stereotype, understanding parents (Bottoms and Bullock), omnipresent principal (Laskawy), ruthless porn baron (Remar). And the plot churns through the usual gyrations--sweet romance, surprise revelations, desperate need for lots of cash, sexual shenanigans, a general disregard for logic or coherence. Fortunately, the writers remember to include both sharp humour and characters we enjoy watching. Hirsch and Cuthbert are terrific at the centre, with real chemistry and enough charm to carry the film. And they're very well supported by the charmingly villainous Olyphant and nerds-cum-heroes Dano and Marquette. Director Greenwood (The Animal) also manages to walk that fine line between sex-obsessed teen comedy and prudish American filmmaking--it feels racy and daring even though we never actually see anything. There's a fine tradition of these kinds of enjoyable and forgettable films; it's just a pity that the filmmakers couldn't come up with something imaginative here, because there's no real reason to remember this one. But it's fun while it lasts.