God Help the Girl

Director Stuart Murdoch, of Belle & Sebastian, wrote all of the film's songs and worked on this labor of love for years, culminating in a successful Kickstarter campaign that helped him finance the movie. He cast it beautifully: Browning has a sweet but surprisingly crisp voice that pairs perfectly with her expressive eyes and her brooding character's moods. She just has to sing, write, and get the music out of her, whereas James (the adorably nerdy Alexander) is more ambitious about creating a sublime pop song that will withstand the test of time. Then there's Cassie (audiences will recognize her as Gilly from Game of Thrones), who just wants to have fun and is enthusiastically game for anything that Eve cooks up for the three of them.

The music is conversational and catchy and adorable, as are the actors. Viewers who can't stand sentimental pop ballads may feel more like Eve's boyfriend, Anton (Pierre Boulanger), the hunky Swiss German frontman of a band making the local rounds. He's into Eve but thinks her music is childish, depressing, and amateurish. But if you're a Belle & Sebastian fan or enjoy musicals, God Help the Girl will be a refreshing alternative to mega-budgeted Broadway adaptations. Mature, artistic teens who themselves are questioning who they are, what they'll do after graduation, and what it means to be an artist will particularly enjoy Murdoch's lovely (and timeless) little musical.