She's The Man

It's hard enough being the nerdy new guy on campus without also being the new girl on campus, who has fallen for the coolest guy on campus, who is totally obsessed with the most beautiful girl on campus, who has a crush on the nerdy new guy on campus.

Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes) had her own good reasons for disguising herself as her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) and enrolling in his place at his new boarding school, Illyria Prep.  She was counting on Sebastian being AWOL from school as he tried to break into the music scene in London.  What she didn't  count on was falling in love with her hot roommate, Duke (Channing Tatum), who, in turn, only has eyes for the beautiful Olivia )Laura Ramsey).  Making matters worse, Olivia is starting to fall for Sebastian, who, for reasons Olivia could not begin to guess, appears to be the sensitive type of guy she'd always dreamed of meeting.  If things aren't complicated enough, the real Sebastian comes back from London two days earlier than expected and arrives on campus having no clue that he's been replaced...by his own twin sister.

Inspired by William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night," the contemporary comedy is directed by Andy Fickman, who has delivered a charming film from top to bottom.  It is a shame that the marketing for this film is being directed towards the younger crowd because this comedy would find a crossover audience if they would open up the marketing.  Playing Viola, Amanda Bynes is showing that she has a fantastic command of the genre and that their is a film star out their with her name on it.  Her timing clicks and her charisma is nothing short of magic. 

It is safe to say that Shakespeare never imagined his comedy "Twelfth Night" set against a high school soccer rivalry, but it works.  The Bard's comedic play about mistaken identities romantic triangles, and even a bit of gender-bending is a wonderful film.

One of the main themes of the movie is to simply be yourself.  By pretending to be somebody else, Viola finds out who she really is and learns a lot about the opposite sex.  Viola had some preconceived notions about boys, the same way others did about her because she is a girl.  In the end, she has the best of both worlds.  The best of herself as a boy and the best of herself as a girl.  Viola becomes a better person as a result.  This is a story that a lot of people can relate to and this is its overall strength.

The ensemble cast adds even more strength to this winner.  Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Jonathan Sadowski, Robert Hoffman, James Snyder, Alewx Breckenridge, Amanda Crew, Jessica Lucas, James Kirk, and Emily Perkins are perfectly cast and give each scene something special.  Vinnie Jones connects as the soccer coach.

This film is well worth a visit and you'll leave with a smile, realizing how you can never judge a book by its cover because this film appeals to everyone.