Days later, I’m still laughing about that Adrian Tomine The Strand tote bag.
(I was more of a R. Sikoryak The Strand tote bag girl but … you know.)
I would say that 2011 was the last year I was even trying to be a “professional” writer. I had a few gigs that were paying me something and I had a “job” at an online website that I did part time. This was so little money, but given I had a full-time job that barely paid anything, well, it felt like a good hustle.
I was, also, in my younger years, someone who wanted to be a music journalist. I didn’t pursue it for a lot of reasons (some of that was on me, some of that was on … reality, but look, I’m still quoted in the “Reception” section of the Wikipedia page for Poe’s Haunted, which I still make sure is still there is every so often).
Am I making this movie all about me? Yes, that’s the point and I love it.
It’s 2011 and Grace (Barbie Ferreira) is a young twentysomething music journalist. She’s a good writer but she’s in a boys’ club. She gives up her job at an alt weekly to spend a summer in Montreal (where all the cool music is happening – which, yeah, this was when Grimes was amazing) to write a 33 ⅓ volume about Alanis Morrisette’s <em>Jagged Little Pill</em>.
But Grace is less interested in actually writing her book and more interested in hanging out and making moves on the lead of the band Bone Patrol, Chevy (Stanley Simons) while flirting with his bandmate, Archie (Devon Bostick).
Grace is a bit of a mess and oblivious to how the world works. Her roommate for the summer, Madeleine (Juliette Gariépy), is far too patient with her as Grace doesn’t pay rent, eats her food, and tends to ditch Madeleine for terrible boys.
Given that this movie is based on writer/director Chandler Levack’s own experiences, Grace is treated with a lot of empathy without romanticizing her mistakes and experiences. Grace is just figuring out who she is, after all, and she should be allowed to mess up. It’s a refreshing and kind-hearted portrait of a young woman navigating her first full taste of adulthood.
While there is a great deal of humor and some awkward sexual situations, it’s not meant to be a cringe comedy, thankfully. The moments aren’t played up for comedy’s sake but are funny because sometimes life is funny (especially when we look back).
And while we know (and Grace also knows) that Archie is the better choice, she pursues Chevy because she wants to prove she can.
Still, Grace has fleeting moments of insight – like when she says it’s probably more interesting to be Dave Grohl (used as a stand-in for all rock stars) than to date Dave Grohl – and a late-movie realization that she deserves to have her own story instead of being a part of someone else’s. But we’re left knowing this is still going to be a journey for Grace. That feels right, though.
Mile End Kicks is such a good portrayal of a time and a place, but in Levack’s hands, this feels like a universal glimpse into young adulthood. I’ll be revisiting this movie often.
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