According to Greta Movie Review

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Many movies explore the difficulties of growing up, but few are as powerful and as moving as According to Greta. In the movie directed by Nancy Bardawil, “According to Greta”, shows the characters are all evolving with the many challenges that arise within the movie, most notable is Hillary Duff who plays Greta. Who transcends her childhood stardom and portrays a vulnerable, slightly-caustic teen who is multi-layered and believable, who throughout the movie realizes that the troubles in life all have answers.

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This movie certainly stands up as a quirky comedic drama, that will shock many, make some laugh and makes some have that “aha” moment in your life. Alongside Hillary Duff, you have an award winning cast that transports you to believe in this family and its many problems, which in the end teach us all a lesson in life that family is the most important thing, and is worth fighting for. Evan Ross, Diana Ross’s son, who plays Julie, a restaurant line cook with a shady past, who is committed to living as responsible and ethical a life as possible.

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Next to Duff's practical performance, Ross' own self-confident and balanced performance proves his own talents. In the movie, Greta and Julie become co-workers and eventually start a romance, one that comes off naturally, even in scenes of interpersonal character unease. However, Greta's attitude and outtake about life, and her actions towards Julie, as well as her grandparents, threaten to drive those closest to Greta away, even as they all try to help her see life's gifts.

Another award winning cast member is veteran actress Ellen Burstyn.

The award winning Burstyn delivered a magnificent performance as Greta's "Grammy" Katherine, who is determined to give her granddaughter structure and discipline, and perhaps even an aide in finding a purpose in life itself. She also shows Greta tuff love that helps her to see you don’t always get your way. Michael Murphy plays her grandfather that is the glue to this family. He is always there to try to solve the situation or make it more manageable. He and Julie gain a friendship in the middle of the movie, that when at times they both seek to help Greta through the tuff time that she is going through within he movie.

The film was directed by Nancy Bardawil, as a debut of her work, while this film lacked some characteristics of others movie its new since brings a different outlook on the whole picture; its collage style editing and handheld camerawork prove an awkward match. Duffs frequent voiceover segments go along with journal/scrapbook which is full of animated doodles that dance across the journal pages that brings a sense of awareness to the audience that is missing from the rest of the film.

While the script occasionally falls into serious issues, Bardawil is able to get award winning performances out of all the cast. Knowing that this film was an indie film, I wasn't expecting all of the glamorous scenes you see in most movies. What I did not expect was her portrayal of a troubled young girl who eventually finds that she's got a lot to live for once she looks past her own tribulations. Duff’s performance in this film shows acting skills that she hadn't shown in the past.

Although this movie was an indie movie, its significance to portray what so many people, try to imitate and put on the screen is what actual draws you into the story line because it comes close to what is real, and intimate and makes it worth the watch. While many may say this movie is: just a bad acting, bad timing, and sad, dark movie, you have to come to realize that, this movie is for you take into your own life and interrupt what he ending is for you.

With this movie you to go into it with an open mind and really take what you see as face value. This film was unlike others because of the cast that had a great relationship and the directing that was behind the movie. It also has a quality where the main character is given her most serious role and it excludes the fluff elements and leaves you with this open and honest character that most in my opinion can’t pull off, even though they spend millions of dollars on the production.

Also each supporting cast had their own back story and you got a glimpse of them when you’re introduced to each character. This was also a movie that Hillary Duff was co-executive of and proved to help the movie as well. With the fact that this movie was an indie film, it took on a whole new obstacle because the movie was only produce in between one million to two million- dollar range.

The movie takes place in Ashbury Park, Ocean Grove and Neptune, New Jersey, which was a beautiful space to create this movie with a sensitive story line. It proved to be much better than the Hollywood produced movie because of the location and time spent on the movie. This movie overall I would give five stars because it’s to like all movies, where they make a point and that’s all, this movie is much more and didn’t cost as much as the usual movie, and had a deeper meaning to life that you understand out of the movie.