Noel Clarke's 4.3.2.1 tells the interlinked stories of an event filled weekend in the lives of 4 London-based girls, friends as students. It tells each girl's story separately, then rewinds to tell the next one.
Council flat girl Shannon is weepy and depressive: we think this is because her parents are splitting up, but it turns out to be because her mother forced her to have an abortion.
Posh bird Cassandra is off to New York for a piano audition, but her intention is to lose her virginity to someone she met over the internet.
Black Kerrys (pronounced Kerris) is a lesbian with attitude who hates her Brazilian half-brother but wants her father's approval.
And American Joanne doesn't get on with her English step-sister but they share a job working the night shift at a 24-hour chemist / supermarket.
Wrapped around these four intertwining stories is some nonsense about diamonds stolen from Antwerp (and you're never in danger of forgetting this, because it is on TV constantly).
Frankly, the intertwined stories (and the ways they interlinked, with everyone seemingly knowing everyone else) were pretty preposterous, and I had a hard trouble believing any of them. Also, some of the dialogue was a bit naff. But, despite being unbelievable, they were still entertaining, and the leads were all engaging (except for poor snivelling Shannon, whose company rapidly became unwelcome). There were a couple of unexpected cameos, and several of the girls displayed their femininity pleasingly (although I thought the lesbian encounter went on rather too long. I can't believe I just said that).
I think this film thinks it is better than it is. It isn't that good, but I enjoyed it more than it's worth, I suspect.
Oh, and if anyone can tell me how Cassandra managed to get the diamond in her handbag in New York, before she had ever encountered anyone who had had access to the diamonds, I will be very pleased to hear from them (see Gemma Gemma's review for the explanation - I completely missed it, I confess).
Council flat girl Shannon is weepy and depressive: we think this is because her parents are splitting up, but it turns out to be because her mother forced her to have an abortion.
Posh bird Cassandra is off to New York for a piano audition, but her intention is to lose her virginity to someone she met over the internet.
Black Kerrys (pronounced Kerris) is a lesbian with attitude who hates her Brazilian half-brother but wants her father's approval.
And American Joanne doesn't get on with her English step-sister but they share a job working the night shift at a 24-hour chemist / supermarket.
Wrapped around these four intertwining stories is some nonsense about diamonds stolen from Antwerp (and you're never in danger of forgetting this, because it is on TV constantly).
Frankly, the intertwined stories (and the ways they interlinked, with everyone seemingly knowing everyone else) were pretty preposterous, and I had a hard trouble believing any of them. Also, some of the dialogue was a bit naff. But, despite being unbelievable, they were still entertaining, and the leads were all engaging (except for poor snivelling Shannon, whose company rapidly became unwelcome). There were a couple of unexpected cameos, and several of the girls displayed their femininity pleasingly (although I thought the lesbian encounter went on rather too long. I can't believe I just said that).
I think this film thinks it is better than it is. It isn't that good, but I enjoyed it more than it's worth, I suspect.
Oh, and if anyone can tell me how Cassandra managed to get the diamond in her handbag in New York, before she had ever encountered anyone who had had access to the diamonds, I will be very pleased to hear from them (see Gemma Gemma's review for the explanation - I completely missed it, I confess).