Speak
Review by David Bjerre
Genre: Drama Queen
Keywords:
High school, peer pressure, neglected teen.
Did you know that...
According to The GirlHealth.org website, surveys show that 25% of young women are pressured to drink alcohol or do drugs, while 67% of young women feel they are pressured to dress a certain way.
THE STORY
It's the first day of high school and Melinda is not looking forward to it. Last year she attended a party with her best friends, but something went wrong, and in the middle of everything Melinda called the cops. The party was busted, people were arrested, and lives were changed. Especially Melinda's. Now everybody hates her, they make pig noises when she walks through the halls, they put signs on her back, and everywhere she goes whispering voices share the same story. "She called the cops, she's a squealer, don't go near her". Melinda, once a perfectly well-adjusted teen with a respectable "b" average, is now a hollowed out shell, who rarely speaks, has few friends and keeps a dark secret inside, that's slowly eating her up. What happened that night? Why did she call the police? Why won't she talk about it?
A new school year also means new teachers. Among the barrage of blabbering educators, one voice rises above the rest. That of the rebellious art teacher Mr. Freeman. He gives each student a little note with a word on it. He tells them that they'll spend the year illustrating that word through their art. Melinda's word is "tree". He has no way of knowing that this particular word is connected to her secret. He pushes her on and encourages her, regardless, and through his guidance Melinda starts to process the events of that infamous night. With no help from her friends, no attention from her parents - who are almost strangers to her - Melinda is forced to work out her problems all on her own. Slowly, but surely, she claws her way back to life. and builds up the courage to get her secret out in the open.
REVIEW
A good film should be like a traffic accident. Unpleasant, yet impossible to look away from. "Speak" is one such film. It's heartbreaking to watch this girl suffer one humiliation after another. Every step is a struggle, and every new encounter brings the possibility of a change, only to be shot down all too quickly. But there's hope. There's something brewing inside her. She's not over yet, she still has a fighting chance. Assuming the film gets to you, it'll be this part that does the trick.
"Speak" takes place in the world of the high school, so naturally all the high school clichés are in place, but somehow they don't feel like clichés here. They feel like the ugly brutal truth. Walking into class late has never been more uncomfortable, the cafeteria has never been more alienating, and the school bus never more uninviting. The film perfectly captures those moments that most people will recognise in one form or another. The uncertainty of the first days after summer, or the sizzle in your stomach as you come face to face with the one person you wish you could sit next to in all classes.
Kristen Stewart is a revelation in the lead role. The whole film rests on her shoulders, because she's in every single scene, and that's a lot of responsibility. Stewart certainly looks the part, with her skinny almost prepubescent body, sunken eyes and downward stare, she's the physical manifestation of Melinda's mental state. But it's more than that. The character of Melinda could easily have been a disaster. She has few lines and she rarely takes the initiative in anything. Usually she just sulks and looks depressed.
Often when this kind of character is portrayed on film, they come up short, because the actor tries to compensate for the lack of emotions, by overacting the few emotions the character does have. Stewart resists the urge to do that. Just because Melinda is not doing anything, doesn't mean she not doing anything, if you get my meaning.
Stewart uses the subtle nuances of her characters - the way she looks at people, the way she walks and talks - to tell us the things she can't say out loud. It's subtle sometimes, but this is film, and film sees everything. Watch Stewart's face closely in the scene where the extremely racist teacher Mr. Neck is suddenly challenged by one of the other students. You'll know every single thought that goes through Melinda, just from watching Stewart's expressions. She never says anything, she never "acts". All she does is react. And she does it with absolute conviction.
Stewart previously starred in "Panic Room", where she played Jodie Foster's daughter, and had no problems keeping up with the seasoned actress. She's one to look out for in the future.
Special mention has to go to Steve Zahn. He's always cast as a goofball, and he's usually fairly obnoxious to look at, but as the frustrated art teacher Mr. Freeman, he's surprisingly good. Between his struggle with the schoolboard, about the art departments budget, and his often ignored attempts to dig out some kind - any kind - of artistic talent from his students, Freeman still finds the time to look at Melinda and realise she's got something to say. Much like his fictional alter ego, Zahn gives a humble, laid back performance that never hogs the limelight, but instead makes it shine a little brighter on those around him.
FINAL RANT
"Speak" is one of those small films that might easily slip beneath the radar. It's not backed by any major marketing campaign, most people will never be able to see it in the cinemas, and TV won't show it because it's too obscure.
However, it's my personal experience that these days the truly rewarding film experiences are not found among the high profile cinema releases, or the multiple award winners. The films that really surprise me, or give me something honest and heartfelt, are the small films that never make it that far. They might show up on a filmfestival or two (like "Speak"), or they might just suddenly pop up on DVD, and after that they're gone. If you want them you've got to work for it, you've got to make an effort. Otherwise you'll never know what you missed. And once you've discovered one of those little gems, tell somebody else about them. Spread the word. Like Melinda ponders in "Speak": "Would anybody notice, if I just stopped talking?" No, probably not. Which is all the more reason to speak up.
