Film - The Half of It

The 21st Century version of the age-old story of the unrequited teen crush.

Railway worker’s daughter Ellie earns money by writing essays for her classmates - not actual mates. One day she gets asked to write a love letter from Paul for his intended Astor. One letter turns to more and when dating advice gets added to the mix Ellie starts falling for Astor too.

Of course, geekish Ellie wears glasses and is the school swot and Astor is the free-spirited girl who dates team captains. The fact that she isn’t blonde at least breaks from tradition.

Will Astor know it’s Paul who writes the letters? His on-paper persona is so different from one she sees in front of him at the cafe but no, because why would anyone not write their own letters?

In any case, more interesting than Ellie falling for Astor is the relationship that she builds with Paul. I love that her single-dad Colin trusts him and they soon end of having silent dinners in front of old movies which is how he teaches himself English. Without either realising it, Ellie is opening up Paul’s middle class, comfortable, white world with every sentence she carefully puts together.

The Half of It is very much based in a tiny American town (although it looks Canadian) with Ellie helping out her dad guiding the two trains that pass through their minuscule station every day.

7/10