4 Girls, 3 Days, 2 Cities, 1 Chance… Noel Clarke, the creator of “Kidulthood” and “Adulthood”, writes and directs this extraordinarily energetic film that shows us four different perspectives of one long and wild weekend. The four girls are Tamsin Egerton, Ophelia Lovibond, Emma Roberts and Shanika Warren-Markland — each reason enough to spend 2 hours in front of a screen.
After meeting for lunch, the girlfriends each go their separate ways one afternoon and the film takes turns showing us each of the paths they take until their eventual reunion at the end. We keep rewinding to that point before each girl’s journey. It has been done similarly before — most notably, I suppose, in the classic Tom Tykwer film, “Run Lola Run”. Essentially, the same film plays sequentially multiple times.
However, the process does not get repetitive. Each of their weekends is vastly different and the ways in which Clarke ties them all together is very ingenious. If there is anything this film does not induce… it’s boredom. It is a 200 mph train wreck… in a good way.
The girls are all uniformly gorgeous and talented. I have been a huge fan of Egerton’s for years now. She is going to be a megastar in Hollywood very soon. Emma Roberts delivers for the first time in a way that makes me think she has real star power. She is not just a cute tween queen anymore. She has developed into a really fine actress. The stand out is Ophelia Lovibond — who is magnificent in this movie. Watch for her to take on some great and daring roles in the future. She could be special.
All in all, “4.3.2.1″ is a fun flick — chaotic and inventive. What it lacks in dramatic heft, it more than makes up for in insanity. When the final credits roll, you may need to catch your breath.
The Girls of 4.3.2.1
