Say When Review

Director: Lynn Shelton
Cast: Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Chloe Moretz, Ellie Kemper
Duration: 99 minutes
Rating: 15


Megan (Keira Knightley) is lost...so very very lost in her life. The comfortable life of a secure job, a flat to share with her boyfriend of ten years, her supportive dad and her group of friends that have stuck by her since high school is so difficult. Her life is so hard, that when every one else around her acts like actual adults she dodges her boyfriend's marriage proposal and gets drunk with some teenagers instead. Conveniently Annika (Chloe Moretz), one of the teenage girls, is motherless and hilarity ensues as Megan has to step in to play her mother in a meeting with the school councillor (how can they now have it on record that the mother has abandoned ship?) in return Megan gets to stay with Annika and her super cool but heartbroken dad (without his knowledge) while she hides from her family, boyfriend and friends to "figure things out"

While the film starts of with a relatable topic; 20 year olds are the new teenagers with their confusion, and "What am I doing with my life?" epiphanies, Say When drifts away from finding one self and daring to be alone to walking right into the Rom-Com trap.  It quickly ceases to be about finding oneself and turns into feeling complete by finding a romantic partner. There is no quest for independence as Megan hops from her parents home, to her boyfriends home, to the hunky successful divorce lawyer single dad's home. Feminism meet Say When.

Frankly, it's disappointing to see a film that its entire premise is to explore a modern phenomena of adult dissatisfaction in life and disappointment in ones career settle for a love at first sight turnout.
However it is very  exciting seeing Keira Knightley, Chloe Moretz and Sam Rockwell in a film together. But Knightley does play the adult that never grows up role perfectly, and she does a brilliant job playing the role of confused Megan.

Say When is bearable at best. It does have its funny moments, but the 99 minutes feel like an eternity and you'll be busy throughout pondering how a film with a female writer, director AND a female duo as the leads at its forefront can get it so very wrong.

Say When is out is UK cinemas November 7th