Jucy is a challenging film.
On one hand the characters are engaging and charming, the subject matter worthy, and the spirit of the film is good.
On the other hand the script is rushed, there are narrative jumps that feel forced, and it is stuck between not knowing if it is a comedy or a drama, and is unsatisfying as both. Part of the problem is mixing relatively serious/believable characters (Jacky, Lucy) with out an out charactertures (Alex, Dimity) – you just can't flow convincingly between characters and scenes that come from such a different take on life and the issues covered in the film. I say relatively serious and believable characters because Jackie was hardly an accurate depiction of someone with a mental illness requiring medication – she seemed to slip in and out of these states way too conveniently without it having as big an effect on her as it would have in reality.
I think the script needed to be longer, and the subject matter looked at more realistically for it to be a seamless film – it could have enjoyed a lot of highs and lows and had a lot of natural comedy in it as well. Or they could have gone the other way and made it a straight out comedy with little depth but still a lesson learnt – as the Americans would have made it! It felt like it was compressed into a 90 minute "indie youth comedy" and was restricted by all of the limits and clichés of that form that it took on. Just as the characters within the film needed a more mature take on everything, so to did the film makers about the subject matter of this film and film making in general.
That's the constructive criticism! It's still an enjoyable film with a good purpose, just un-necessarily dragged down by things that shouldn't have dragged it down. It was well made for such a small budget and whatever this crowd do next will be worth watching.
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