EASY A

Directed by: Will Gluck

I have no idea why virginity is such a big deal in American teen movies. Is it like that in real life? I have no idea. However virginity is like some inspiration for most movies, from American Pie to The 40 Year Old Virgin.

Just like most teen rom com I have no expectation on this one, in fact I was kinda hoping that this one is like some MTV skit that is a bit funny and forgettable. But I was wrong, Easy A is this year's (500) Days of Summer, a fresh, witty, smart and funny idea for a movie about virginity.

It explores themes many movies have explored,;insecurities, the power of rumor and the hidden will to fit in but in a way smarter (and avoiding stereotypes) than most teen rom com.

Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) is just an ordinary high school student from Ojai, California. I don't know why, but why does a film portraying an unpopular girl put an attractive girl acting as the unpopular girl? In my high school, Emma Stone could lead a cult of men worshiping her with me as the cult leader.

One day, Olive lied about losing her virginity and overheard by Marianne (Amanda Bynes), a self-righteous religious type. Seriously, these types existed in here too and they are freakishly hilarious.

It takes minutes until the rumor spread and Olive is no longer invisible on the radar of popularity, now even though she could be just a crack on the pavement, Google Earth can locate her.

Losing one reputation, Olive gain a new one. She helped a gay friend named Brandon (Dan Byrd), who has been bullied at school of being gay to make an impression on the public that Brandon is straight. Then it is just an opener, the 'let's not but say we did' antique attracts hordes of geeks and nerdy students who want their 'reputation' to be elevated to a new level. Actually Olive don't do sex at all, she just lied about it and it works.

So where does lie going to take Olive? To a new level and a new problem. Filled with reference to 80s movies and the letter 'A' from Scarlett Letter novel, in which Olive advise people to watch the original film version instead of the Demi Moore version with fake British accent, this one is a surprise for rom com fan and certainly will gain many fans.

Like many good comedies, Easy A manages to make you laugh out loud but also thoughtful in the execution. It proves that a film about virginity doesn't necessarily need to visualize gratuitous nudity, although the word 'twat' and 'skank' is abundant here.