Image: © Vertigo Releasing
Based on the short story of the same name by Rose Tremain, Extra Geography follows the story of two best friends, Flic (Marni Duggan) and Minna (Galaxie Clear), who attend a British boarding school and are navigating their future goals in life, but there is one thing missing – they haven’t fallen in love before. As they always do everything together, they decide to both pick the first person they both lay eyes on, which turns out to be their geography teacher, Miss Delavigne (Alice Englert).
Director Molly Manners manages to perfectly capture that first-ever true friendship you experience at school; a friendship that almost stands the test of time, where at that moment there is no one else who could ever replace them. This is also shown by the fantastic newcomers Duggan and Clear, who give outstanding performances as the film’s leads and manage to transport the viewer back to the early 2000s when the film is set. They show off the many layers of a young female friendship: the need to impress the other, to always follow each other and never let each other down, even if you are doing something you don’t really want to. They also show the other side of the coin: when friendships end, and you grow apart, the feeling of being so lost and alone is captured perfectly. Thanks to an excellent script, they also expertly show off their fantastic comedic skills and portray classic British dry humour in a way that is commendable for two such young newcomers. Most notably, these moments are when they are attempting to flirt with their teacher or do all the things they feel they should do to prove they ‘love’ her, moments that are taken straight out of a teen magazine with silly and outlandish advice.
The film overall is stylish and beautifully shot. The colours throughout shine, which in today’s landscape of dulled filters is a rare sight but always a joy to see. It is cleverly chaptered into 5 acts, which also connects nicely to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the school play that starts the divide between the girls; it uses these break points to give us clear indications of where and when we see their friendship fall apart. During one of the final acts, the film takes an unexpected turn that is bound to shock some audiences and, in turn, builds a path for their futures which doesn’t turn out to be the one they both hoped for at the start.
Extra Geography is a cool, stylish and nostalgic teen film filled with great performances throughout, as well as an excellent soundtrack that keeps the indie film vibe going strong. It is funny, well-rounded, and never reaches a stage outside the realm of believability that two young teenage girls could experience. There are plenty of heartfelt moments and nods to early 2000s British culture that only a teenager of that era could relate to.
Extra Geography will be released only in cinemas on 2nd October
