WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
“OH, GROW UP!!” Yep. We’ve ALL most likely been told this at one point or another in our lifetime. While generally “thrown” at an ADULT who’s acting LIKE a child, this phrase might still apply to any number of behavioral-centric situations, at ANY age, we encounter. Regardless, it IS a notion that we don’t WANT to embrace specifically when YOUNGER, the mere REALITY of BECOMING an adult NOT so appealing–at ALL!
Mike (Funmi Adetola) feels this way, quite emphatically to say the least. With the “glory days” of high school now suddenly behind him and the next stage that is university looming, Mike embarks on a playfully yet poignantly revealing journey to assess what truly lies ahead. Through interactions with his sister Ayo (Dipo Adetola), mother (Ejibunmi Adetola), father (Motunrayo Adetola), plus some “out there” moments to boot, will Mike be able to find his peace with the future?
Next, my Mind:
Let me first say that, in my opinion and in the time (11 years now) that I’ve been immersed within the indie film community, that grass roots filmmaking has come a long way. One doesn’t necessarily NEED that much of a budget, but rather a degree of filmmaking knowhow (as granted, that still helps a lot!) plus an iPhone and “Voila!!”. I LOVE IT!! This prefaces my upcoming thoughts about the 73-minute beautifully paced, candidly comedic, slice-of-life indie gem arriving from writer/director/producer Funmi Adetola. Shot exclusively via an iPhone7, much less effectively (and admittedly quite hilariously!) utilizing one’s own FAMILY as a primary part of the cast, this engagingly charming exploration of youth’s “end” and what’s next’s “ominous” emergence is authentically and smartly presented for precisely what it’s meant for–our complete entertainment!
As indicated above, the narrative following one young man’s endeavors to hold off (actually all out RESIST!) the relentless inevitability that is moving forward towards adulthood while attempting to construct a speech for the occasion, the first thing this critic lauds about the film, honestly, is the very intentional brevity of it. I felt like some filmmakers might have tried to REALLY delve into the given scenario here with more traditional feature film length of ninety or more minutes. While I won’t say this could have been a BAD thing, I found myself appreciating the shorter seventy-three minute runtime. It simply allows for us as the audience to be more proactively absorbed in the brisk delivery, with the foundational comedic elements of the narrative sticking out to maximum effect. Plus, it just keeps things MOVING so as to ideally avoid any “dead spots” that can distract and/or LOSE the attention of viewers. Basically, it’s all NICELY uncomplicated.
Yet, there are a plethora of approaches being employed here as well from aural, visual, and structural standpoints, with flashbacks, a wonderfully clever use of very familiar classical music pieces, and an equally intelligent, well-executed anime sequence all playing into what I felt was an observational comedic wrapping that makes so much of the film not ONLY funny, but RELATABLE. The thematic forays, as one might guess (this IS indie film!), are legion. Covering everything from sibling bantering, laziness vs. intentionality, parental pressures, perceived “guidance”, and expectations, feeling almost forced to grow up when we DO need to, and self-deprecation to writer’s block, societal and racial struggles, living in the “now” vs. ONLY an as of yet undetermined future, the “helpful” advice of friends for relieving stress, realizing our need for healthier choices, acknowledging that we often hold ourselves back, and just choosing to FINALLY forge ahead and just some of the subjects breached. Again, so much of this is delivered for and through humor, but it doesn’t remove the underlying validity of a message MANY of us NEED to hear, even AS adults.
The finale, with a rather interesting conversation with “Eddie” (watch the film!) adds to the frivolity tempered with basic but compelling truths. Even with all of this in play, folks, the film in my opinion is just plain FUN! So, go into it to sit back and lighten up. This world has far too many current boiling points as it is, so just to LAUGH is a GIFT we desperately NEED to let wash over us when at all possible. Funmi Adetola steps out from behind the iPhone7 and with absolutely excellent purpose steps in FRONT of the lens to play Mike, a recent high school grad whose notion of what’s coming next is NOT being seen as a positive. Hanging on to every ounce of what he’s enjoyed in his youth while heavily procrastinating over the Summer leading up to his attending university, the exodus of insanity Mike explores is undeniably witty, sometimes scathingly so, other times almost contemplatively, yet more times magnificently silly in just HOW much he is trying to outrun what cannot BE avoided.
Adetola comes across so genuinely and credibly as the character from start to finish, exuding a mix of mirthful teenage snarkiness and straightforward stubborn, self-centered complacency that so deftly encapsulates exactly what and who Mike’s character is supposed to be. It captures you and keeps you watching and wondering what he’s going to do or say next. Highly entertaining performance for this critic. Primary supporting roles quite literally come courtesy of Adetola’s own real-life family members, first with his sister Dipo playing his on-screen sister Ayo, who is someone MORE than capable of BEING that annoying, “know-it-all” sibling that torments her brother for his Summer laziness, though who also has her own little inward battles to fight. The combination of her own defiant yet also understanding demeanor adds both jocularity and dramatic air to the proceedings. Can’t be hard to play what you already, and ACTUALLY, are to your brother, right? The actual bond they have I felt comes through perfectly here.
Ejibunmi and Motunrayo Adetloa appear as Mike’s parents, who also so adeptly portray themselves as Mike’s parents with what I can imagine might be the same manner in which they are IN real life, showcasing both the evident love for their children yet also that sense of being overbearing when it comes to Mike in particular and their trying to impose THEIR will on him more than allowing him to TOTALLY make decisions about what his future may or may not hold when he moves out to go to university. I really enjoyed the comedic atmosphere the elder Adetola’s bring with their individual and shared moments on screen. Additional supporting appearances are made by Tanwa Asanlawo as Elizabeth, a friend of Ayo’s, and then, through voice only roles, Harry Baker, Lauren Moore, Kevin Nguyen, and Chandler Branson.
So, in total, with its pop culture references and youthful exuberance and whimsical angst, “Hi, I’m Growing Up” provides an amusingly resolute escape back to our younger days (or, for some, NOW) with a call to embrace the actuality of BOTH the present AND the future, confronting our own faults and hesitations along the way, and ideally discovering our worth, who we have been, who we are, who we might become, and that is it ALL manifesting into this journey not just called adulthood, but LIFE. It’s a journey well worth embarking on.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
