A rising pop star struggles with the complex pressures of fame, fortune, and industry scrutiny as she prepares for her tour debut, revealing the transformation of underground culture into mainstream success.
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The concept is truly intriguing. Viewers initially expected the plot to unfold in the direction of overcoming numerous obstacles amidst chaos and embarking on a crazy "brat tour party." However, the director (or perhaps the screenwriter, or even the creators associated with Charli) cleverly exploited the realistic expectations of the audience (especially fans), meticulously crafting a sense of astonishment that remained unresolved until the very end.
The film, through its parallel universe setting linked to reality, profoundly illustrates how massive online traffic can destroy a person's beliefs, turning them into a generic, template-like product. Seeing this, I suddenly recalled a scene from the promotional video: Charli, dressed in her signature sexy lingerie, walks into a dark film studio filled with dolls identical to her, and finally, an even more "attractive" "Charli" emerges. After watching it, it all made sense.
Unfortunately, the director's skills were lacking, and the pacing was unsatisfactory, resulting in a poor overall viewing experience. However, the concept design was absolutely perfect. She must kill the brat summer
I haven't listened to Brat for a long time now, although I really loved it in 2024. I went to both the Sweat and the Brat Tour. Knowing the real stage design so well makes it easier to discover the design details in the film. I really liked the ending! The crayon-drawn Brat lettering, the highly ironic chair dance (you know who that is), and the Brat Tour, which resembles a Broadway musical, performed at the London O2. It started with "Girl So Confused, Young Girl From Essex" and ended with a completely manipulated puppet show, with a touch of Chicago in it.
Rolling Stone's film review even made an appearance at the end (if I remember correctly, Rolling Stone gave it four stars when Brat was released, but they always give certain pieces of music garbage an instant classic. After Brat rightfully became the number one music reviewer on Aoty at the end of the year, they followed suit and ranked it number one on the year-end chart).
The first minute initially seemed like my favorite part of the entire film, but the ending turned out to be surprisingly brilliant. The pacing in the middle was a bit slow, which is why I didn't give it five stars. Every time that mediocre, popularity-driven director appeared, I laughed loudly. Metaphor Cocaine, the family-friendly PG-13 "The Moment"—I even found it funny that Charli in the movie didn't slap him.
Even if there are genuinely supportive fans and agents who understand Charli, in this era dominated by online traffic and popularity, all artists are constantly swept along, voicing opinions that aren't their own. When credit cards default, what will those rabble who claimed responsibility and followed you during your heyday say, and how will you respond? That's the question.
A mockumentary with a raw diamond flavor. The theme of exposing the alienation of celebrities by the entertainment industry is timeless, but what exceeded my expectations was the way this film presented this theme—very Charli Xcx—and a great example of cinematic language and editing in the fragmented era of short videos. Charli's performance is outstanding. While playing a real person isn't that difficult, this ambiguous narrative style demands a high level of acting skill from her. The ending seems cliché at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it contains elements of ambiguity. As Charli's directorial debut, it's a pleasant surprise.
A very strong debut feature, much better than expected! Ironic, darkly humorous, and extremely stylized. All the voyeuristic, shaky camera work and grainy visuals at the beginning are as strange and queer as Charli's music. I especially loved the few moments where characters glanced at the camera as if breaking the fourth wall, reminiscent of Charli's small gay niche fan circle. This style persists until the end. After a series of clashes, a fleeting second echoing the opening nightclub-style montage marks the official end of this green dream. The film suddenly transforms into the most orthodox, refined visuals and a perfect happy ending; Brat and the film together declare their demise.
That's truly an unusual concept... After reading this, I cherish even more how Charlie's mini-program has maintained the queerness she's always loved, even after the phenomenal success of the entire Brat project. It's quite relatable. It reminds me of a random gathering a long time ago where a teacher who thought he was really cool said he had a flash mob license and wanted to team up with me and my friends to perform Coldplay's Yellow. I thought it was so awful, but as a kid, I could only pretend to be enthusiastic and say it was pretty good... I still remember it vividly, and it's so frustrating