HIGH SCHOOL LOVER

US, 2017, 86 minutes, Colour.
Paulina Singer, François Arnaud, Lana Condor, Tyler Alvarez, Julia Jones, James Franco, Vince Jollivette.
Directed by Jerrell Rosales.

This is a popular moralising television movie for the wide audience. It focuses on a young girl, her friends at high school, her encounter with a popular movie star, his infatuation with her, becoming obsessive and stalking, her reaction against her father – and, eventually disillusionment. She is played by Paulina Singer, a 17-year-old. Which raises issues of sexual relationships, adulthood, consent, non-consent, legal rape…

The film is geared towards the young target audience by showing us the exuberant lifestyle, after school hours, clubs, pop concerts, a world of drugs as well as sexual permissiveness. While they are meant to identify with the young characters (the friends are a heterosexual girl, a homosexual boy), the friends become more cautious, Kelly becomes more involved, lying to her father, leading to a sexual encounter. But, then the reality of the adult and his sexual obsession comes to the fore, a warning to the young audience.

The film is also designed for the older audience, especially parents. It is something of a surprise to find James Franco as the father, a widower, involved with a younger woman, a possible mother figure but Kelly being antagonistic. He is also a director of photography on the film where the actor, Christian, François Arnaud, his working. (James Franco’s longtime producing partner, Vince Jollivette appears as the film director). Julia Jones is his new partner and has had a harsh experience with the actor who taunts her.

There is a prom sequence where the actor intrudes, where Kelly and her friends defy him publicly, followed by a siege sequence in the house after the father has confronted the actor in front of the cast and crew of the film.

The film is melodramatic – but intended to be, wanting to be both entertaining and offering a moralistic warning.