Led by an excellent performance by Golden Horse winner, 12-year-old Audrey Lin, who had already proven her talent in “American Girl” but really lifts off here, “Trouble Girl” focuses on a girl with ADHD, in a style that will remind many of “Amiko”, but is also a rather different animal.
Trouble Girl is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2024
The girl in focus is Xiaoxiao and her energy and high sensitivity has been causing problems for her, her parents, and her classmates since childhood. And while the school environment offers some consolation, as the teachers of her classroom have explained her situation to other students and asked for understanding and help, the same does not apply in her home, as her father is constantly abroad working and her mother, Wei-fang, is really struggling. One of the most supportive teachers at school is Paul, who does retain, however, an affair with Wei-fang, something that Xiaoxiao eventually realizes, which brings a number of new issues in her mental state. Furthermore, their classmates soon start showing their cruel side, while a pet owl the school keeps, Kitty, also plays a significant role in the story.
Chin Chia-Hua directs a sensitive, dramatic, but also quite realistic movie that takes a thorough look at the consequences of ADHD, equally to the person who has it, their parents, and their school environment. Regarding the last, Chin starts by showing that the teachers understand the issue and try to help, with the same applying to the students. However, as time passes, the cruelty kids and teenagers frequently show comes to the fore, as Xiaoxiao is not only ostracized but also bullied, not to mention cunningly provoked, with one of the students who was supposed to help being the main medium of these despicable but also somewhat unsurprising attitudes. Expectedly, Xiaoxiao cannot handle their behavior and reacts with violence, something that eventually has the parents of her classmates also acting against her, in one of the most impactful scenes in the movie.
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Her mother’s affair, although justified due to the fact that her husband has alienated her and the issues she faces with her daughter, also creates problems for the girl, who eventually, however, does adapt to the new reality, particularly because Paul was already rather kind to her and she has gotten used to him. The fact that the two adults must keep their relationship a secret, on the other hand, puts even more pressure on them, with the whole thing, expectedly, erupting at some point, particularly after Xiaoxiao has to stay at home for some days. At the same time, this relationship also poses a rather intriguing question, of whether Paul was so good to his student due to his relationship with her mother, or whether Wei-fang got close to him due to his attitude towards her daughter. Of course, both or neither could be true, but the question definitely adds depth to the narrative.
Also quite interesting is the way Chin uses the owl in the narrative, with the parallel between her and Xiaoxiao being quite evident, particularly as soon as the intense bullying starts, while another rather impactful scene, close to the end, highlights this aspect quite thoroughly.
Lastly, the impossible situation all three protagonists face is also well-communicated, in another of the central themes of the narrative, with both their mentality and the pressure of their environment (faculty, parents, other students, the husband) adding to the problem, in another quite realistic element here, which is, though, a central source of the drama in the movie too.
The acting emerges as one of the movie’s biggest traits. Audrey Lin is astonishing and rather convincing as Xiaoxiao, to the point that one will wonder during the movie if she actually has ADHD. DP Che Wen Chen’s camera follows her quite closely, frequently with intense close-ups, in an approach that definitely benefits the movie due to her acting. And talking about cinematography, Chi highlights the suffocating environment the protagonists inhabit in a rather impactful fashion, while the parallel with the owl and the violent scenes are impressively captured. Ivy Chen as Wei-fang is also extraordinary in the way she presents a woman in an impossible situation, with the moments she erupts or succumbs being among the most memorable in the movie. Terrance Lau as Paul depicts his contradicting feelings, of trying to help a girl with ADHD that might become something more in the future, and keeping a balance between her and the rest of the students, rather convincingly. The way his mentality deteriorates is also among the best aspects of the movie.
Chin Chia-hua’s own editing results in a mid-tempo that works well for the nature of the story, allowing for the plethora of episodes to be presented without rush in the 103 minutes of the film, although some issues with the pacing, particularly in the beginning of the movie, and some cliches here and there (the scene with the rain for example) do exist.
“Trouble Girl” is an excellent movie that manages to highlight a very timely issue with realism, while retaining interest throughout its duration through a dramatic, but also measured approach to the main topic.
