The comedy “Banana Split” hits the ground running with a montage that recaps a two-year high school relationship. While most of the movie doesn’t run on fast-forward, it never quite loses its snap. The plot centers on April (Hannah Marks), who, while still reeling from her breakup with Nick (Dylan Sprouse), discovers that he has found a new girlfriend, Clara (Liana Liberato), who has just moved to Los Angeles.
Then April and Clara meet at a booze-soaked party, and Clara is not at all the heartless, gorgeous threat April imagined when she stalked her on Instagram. In fact, she is a ton of fun. Soon she and April are as close as two friends can be, screwball-bantering in perfect synchronization and even brushing their teeth side by side, all the while agreeing never to mention Nick (whom Clara continues to see) and postponing the inevitable day when he will find out that they know each other.
That April is between her senior year of high school and first year of college makes the movie’s wide-eyed perspective — who knew that sometimes people you fear meeting can turn out to be cool? — somewhat forgivable. Marks, one of the two screenwriters, has given herself a plum role, and “Banana Split” is the sort of movie that gets a lot of individual scenes and exchanges right, even if the big picture is pretty bogus. On paper, April is confused and awkward, but not for one minute does any teenager in this movie come across as being at a loss for words or less than fully self-assured.
“Banana Split,” which will be available Friday on demand and on streaming services in lieu of theaters, is the feature directing debut of the indie-film cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke, who adds enough flash to distract from the generic milieu. The palette is candy colored and the screen is filled with text messages; the fleet cutting suits April and Clara’s breezy dialogue. Is “Banana Split” an empty indulgence or a comfortingly familiar confection? Probably both.
Banana Split
Rated R for dating shenanigans. Running time: 1 hour 28 minutes. Rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and other streaming platforms and pay-TV operators.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
