The First Girl I Loved is the journey of self-discovery of Anne, a nerdy teenage girl in high school who falls in love with an athletic and popular girl (Sasha) on the softball team. It captures the blossoming of young love in all its little intricacies: waiting for text messages, nervous laughter and the pain of rejection when things fall apart. The best thing about this movie though it that it is a non-sexualised (and believable) representation of young lesbian love and the social issues that still surround it to this day.
Anne is a confident teenager who confronts her new-found feelings head on, while Sasha resists the idea and eventually rejects it all together. That there is still stigma surrounding homosexuality is the overarching theme of the movie, and the pain it causes both directly and indirectly is conveyed effectively. Dylan Gelula portrays the confusion felt by Anne convincingly; she endearingly embodies the awkwardness and eagerness of being a teenager. Similarly Brianna Hildebrand as Sasha puts in a strong performance as the love interest.
The storyline of young teenage love is already one that would inevitably be steeped in drama, but director Kerem Sanga takes it to another level by involving a best friend, Clifton (Mateo Arias), who complicates matters further by being in love with Anne. Without giving too much away, Clifton and Anne’s relationship becomes strained due to an event that should have garnered more attention in the movie, or have been left out altogether. This love triangle came across as a little unnecessary for what is already an emotionally charged movie, and the seemingly endless melodramatic rollercoaster (while almost certainly an accurate depiction of being a teenager) gets draining towards the end, with very few resolutions to significant issues that Anne is confronted with.
Sanga attempts to assuage the dramatic turns of the movie with a disjointed timeline and flashbacks, giving the impression of memories that the audience is privy to. The cinematography and soundtrack of the movie is beautiful, especially the long lingering close-ups of the character's faces. Unfortunately this doesn’t compensate for the over-complicated storyline, and an ending that seems a little too easy, which is consequently unsatisfying.
The First Girl I Loved opens in Sydney exclusively at Dendy Newtown on Thursday July 13th.
