Directed by Lawrence Lau and written by Shiu Lin Au, Laoshu and Sin Ling Yeung, 13-year-old Cookie suspects she’s pregnant. Lately things have not been going her way: her mother left, her father ignores her, her best friend is in reform school and her boyfriend is off selling bootleg VCDs. Flanked by her ride-or-dies Banana, Sissy, and Bean Curd, she journeys into town to find an abortionist. Starring: Debbie Tam Kit-Man, Christy Cheung Wing-Yin, Angela Au Man-Sze, Maggie Poon, Vanesia Chu, Lam Hoi-Man and Michell Wong Yuk-Ting.
It’s not often that you find a film following teenage girls, directed by a man, before today’s era, that actually feels authentic but Spacked Out truly does. Lawrence Lau does a terrific job at tapping into that feel of adolescent anxiety, hormones and unpredictable emotions. Particularly in the variety to his direction, the style has such a fantastic fluid nature, adapting to the tone of each scene.
As well as consistently holding a strong youthfulness, curiosity and naivety throughout. It’s exploring the lives of children who are so easily abandoned and ignored by their parents and Lau portrays that skilfully. Creating a blend of brash confidence and intense vulnerability, and the isolation yet independence that their surroundings provide.
Looking at the story as a whole it’s quite simple but the way that it moves, progresses and how it’s paced makes it feel like it’s constantly adding to itself. Splitting the story so well between the characters to show their individuality, on top of their relationships with each other. Building those great friendships, along with the typical banter and bickering.
Similar to the direction, there’s a wonderful flexibility to it, it can move around with ease, it doesn’t need to follow a simple path, it can become messy and still make perfect sense. Interestingly, it would probably make for a fascinating double bill with Kore-eda’s I Wish, comparing the harsh with the sweet. One of the great things about it is that it says so much underneath about neglect and abuse, while letting the issues slowly simmer under the surface for the most part, creating a layered feel early on.
All of which is then brought to life by the dazzlingly confident performances from this ensemble of young women. They have plenty in common but they also each feel unique, and they’re absolutely bursting with energy. Part of how the film keeps such a great pacing is how these performances add a hurried or frenzied note, without becoming overwhelming. With these portrayals, the cast capture a sweet friendship and the underlying, poignant issues. They certainly have more complexity than you’d expect from the typical film about thirteen year-olds.
Spacked Out is a terrific exploration of the experiences of young women, neglected by their parents and figuring it out on their own. It’s compelling, captivating and surprisingly intense, it really comes into its own in the last act when it lets the deeper issues take over. It’s led by a superb cast of young women who fill the film with a vibrant, messy energy. It’s undoubtedly a hugely underappreciated coming-of-age film.
FilmCarnage.com 