Written and directed by lead actor, Mark Elias and co-directed by Mark David, a young computer programmer makes a robot companion to help fill a void in his life. Also starring: Paul Dooley, Meeghan Holaway, John Billingsley, Megan West, Stefanie Estes, Saundra McClain and Michael Patrick McGill.
The idea of, after struggling to find love or unable to cope with isolation, deciding to create your own companion, is basically its own sub-genre at this point. Whether it’s AI, magic, a story come to life or a little bit of Weird Science, there has been many a character who has learnt the lesson about trying to create the perfect woman. Aaron (Mark Elias) joins that band of not-so-merry men, in the tale of wanting a person to feel natural while only wanting them to make choices you approve of, and not realising until much later why that’s a bad idea.
Boy Makes Girl takes that concept then mixes it with a few other familiar themes, firstly the cantankerous old character who can be softened by friendship. It’s always a good touch and injects some nice insults and conflict into the story. Then there’s the experience of someone on the Autism spectrum, giving you Aaron’s perspective, showing you what makes him uncomfortable and how he deals with that, or doesn’t. As well as the burgeoning romance between Aaron and his robot companion Emma, it adds a little bit of sweetness and their rocky road is interesting to watch develop.
However, the story does make a few choices that feel out of place because there’s an inherent amount of awkwardness you’re going to find with a story like this and occasionally the film leans into it too much. Especially in its latter moments, it wanders towards being creepy and the use of teddy bears feels uncomfortable, adding a strangeness that’s misplaced. It also points to a few larger mental health issues outside of Autism which aren’t really dealt with. Similarly, it can be heavy handed with the ‘not normal’ response to Aaron from supporting characters, which feels outdated.
The performances however do a great job of drawing you in to Boy Makes Girl. Mark Elias shows a lot of different sides to Aaron, his capacity for change, compassion and while he may be flawed and have control issues, there’s a good person beneath. Meeghan Holaway nicely plays with that robotic edge, making Emma feel natural but not too much, especially the physicality she brings to the role. She does an excellent job of making her responses offbeat and communicating her deep confusion about her situation and creation.
Paul Dooley is a lot of fun as the sharp-edged older gentleman, sometimes a bad influence but pushing Aaron in the right direction to come out of his shell. He creates a big personality and the relationship that the two of them build is enjoyable to watch. Saundra McClain also adds a big dose of sympathy and kindness which helps to keep the film more grounded.
Boy Makes Girl is an enjoyably awkward and bumbling romance with a robotic edge. It can occasionally go a bit too far or lose its friendly tone for something odder, but it finds its footing for the most part. A lot of the story is familiar but it doesn’t feel repetitive, the performances are strong and it brings through the sci-fi feel without having to rely on it.
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