The First Time

 

The First Time, is a 2012 rom-com following Dylan O’Brien’s character, Dave and Britt Robertson’s character, Aubrey who are complete strangers to each other until they meet at a party in an alley. Here, Dave is trying to come up with something romantic to say to the girl he likes and Aubrey is trying to avoid the party. The pair goes from chasing after two different people to come to the realization that they like each other. Then navigate the troubles of high school relationships even when it’s with the right person.




I loved this movie, I thought it was a sweet love story. It reminded me of other early to mid-2000s rom-coms, which to me just have a different vibe to them in comparison to more recent romcoms. I’d compare this film to movies like Easy A, Crazy, Stupid, Love and The Duff. Other movies from this genre that I have found to be more unique and quirky. I thought this movie was hilarious and just fun to watch in general. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? No, but it’s a light and happy film. Good for relaxing nights and de-stressing afternoons. It’s a good comfort film, one where you kind of know what’s going to happen and who is going to end up with who, but it’s still fun to watch and it is a film I’d definitely watch more than once.




Character-wise I really liked how the characters embody that teenage awkwardness and never know what they're doing. The two main actors are incredible, I’ve seen them both in other films that are more serious sci-fi films. Dylan O’Brien I mostly know from the Maze Runner series and Britt Robertson in her role in Tomorrowland. In this film, it was cool to see them in fun and quirky roles in comparison to the post-apocalyptic world of Maze Runner and the idea of the world ending in Tomorrowland.




The main issue I have with this film is the pacing. The film is really slow and doesn’t pick up until like halfway through the film. I noticed this especially in the first scene where they are talking back and forth for a long period of time. It just drags on and is unnecessary as the dialogue doesn’t have a lot to do with the rest of the film. This was made even more apparent in my second viewing of the film because it just seemed pointless.




The film is available absolutely nowhere, so I rented it through apple tv. Then I watched it two days in a row because I wanted to get my money’s worth. I would definitely recommend this movie to others. It’s just one of those movies that leave you happy and in a good mood, and at the end of the day, I think that's what any good movie like this one should do. I find this story really fresh and different from your classic rom-com. I think the story is unique and tries to stray away from the classic tropes that have been done to death. That said, this is still a rom-com and they have their formulas.