The Girl With Brains In Her Feet review

Jack (Joanna Ward) is a 13-year-old mixed-race girl growing up in '70s small-town England. She spends her time discovering her sexuality, arguing with her alcoholic mum and pursuing her passion for athletics. Sounds rather like a big-screen version of Grange Hill? You're not wrong. Admittedly, this is a quirky yarn, but it lacks the bite that'd make you care for the central character - instead you'll sit there wanting to tug hard at her bunches. This is partly down to Roberta Bangura's theatrical and uncreative BBC-style directing, but also to that nagging question: who is the film really aimed at? It's too patronising for today's adolescent and too clichéd to add humour to memories of the spotty days of youth. Steer clear.