Flipped

Two 13-year-olds feel the first stirrings of love for each other in Flipped, directed by Rob Reiner. Bryce (Callan McAuliffe) and Becky (Madeline Carroll) narrate the film Rashomon-style, but the he-said/she-said kills the tempo, with scenes doubling back to replay from the other's perspective. It feels like one step forward, two steps back with this thing. And voice-over narration: when it is used, do you think of Goodfellas, The Shawshank Redemption or Apocalypse Now? You know, the filmmakers that resurrected the device for their own purposes and then singularly killed it for others that dare attempt to use it again? –Hillary Titley