After a handful of scene-stealing supporting roles, Beanie Feldstein has finally earned herself a fully-fledged lead role in How To Build A Girl. Based upon the best-selling novel by Caitlin Moran, director Coky Giedroyc heads to the West Midlands for a semi-autobiographical film about reinvention and aspiration.
As Wolverhampton teen Johanna Morrigan (Feldstein) sets out on a career in journalism, she uses the opportunity to adopt a new style, undergoing a major self-reinvention that earns her both respect and displeasure from her family and peers. When she discovers that to really make a name for herself she must remove the rosier coloured glasses, Johanna's revamped confidence may just ostracise her from those that she was closest to. Also starring Alfie Allen, Paddy Considine, Chris O'Dowd, Joanna Scanlan and a host of celebrity cameos, does How To Build A Girl construct a new genre classic?
An earnest and big-hearted coming-of-age film, How To Build A Girl's quirky personality goes a long way in hiding the blemishes and imperfections of a formulaic comedy that ultimately loses its way as the minutes pass by. Adapting her own novel into a screenplay, Moran presents a dynamic character in Johanna but never quite conveys the themes of class, gender and self-image to their highest potential, making the film's narrative stumble towards its inevitable conclusion all the more underwhelming. It's disappointing to watch such a sincere endeavour burnout after such a promising start but, thankfully, it's built up enough goodwill to keep us engaged until the end.
Coky Giedroyc imbues a whimsical quality into her first feature-length in almost two decades, one you wouldn't quite associate with Wolverhampton but rather works wonders in affirming the infectious, eclectic spirit the film strives to achieve. Packing so much charm into the first act lays the foundations for an inspired genre flick and while it fails to maintain the energy into the second half, Giedroyc helps guarantee that we are invested enough in Johanna's journey to see it through to its completion - no matter how rocky the road. With some creative scenes, particularly as she communicates with her idols, Giedroyc's displays some real talent throughout.
But it is Feldstein's performance that dominates and she truly carries How To Build A Girl. Uneven accent work aside - although it is an admirable attempt at a difficult dialect, particularly for an outsider - Feldstein proves to be an endlessly compelling presence, showing that her scene-stealing supporting work is no fluke; she really has the charm and talent to lead from the front. Delivering the humour as capably as the more emotional dramatic beats, and tempering her loveable goofiness with a sharper, sometimes spiteful side as her career escalates, it's a wonderfully-balanced and generous performance that strengthens her hold on the coming-of-age genre, within which she has thrived to date.
How To Build A Girl is far from a perfect film; it runs too long and could've completely derailed without such a promising first act, but Beanie Feldstein's spirited performance is enough to make this a worthwhile experience. And, on a personal note, it's lovely to see the West Midlands portrayed on screen, even if I dread to think what Miss Feldstein's thought as she stepped off the plane from sunny Los Angeles into Wolverhampton!
Summary: How To Build A Girl constructs an admirable but imperfect coming-of-age with enough personality, and a wonderful central performance from Beanie Feldstein, to compensate for its weaker second half.