THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

Director: Luke Greenfield

Screenplay: Stuart Blumberg

Cast: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant

Duration: 108min

PLOT: An eighteen year-old high school nerd, over-achiever and highly ambitious Matthew plans to study in Georgetown University, but suddenly falls for his new neighbor, a nineteen year-old spontaneous blonde named Danielle. One day he discovers that Danielle used to be a pornstar before she moved to town. Danielle helps him get out of his shell. But things get worse when her former director appears to take her back.

REVIEW: The Girl Next Door is a teen-comedy involving a romance between a high school senior and a teenager porn actress, amazingly directed by Luke Greenfield. The opening sequences of the film reveal the boring life of the nerd Matthew, but move on to show how love eventually changes him.

Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert had a lot of chemistry on screen and the way they convey their love soothes the heart. Elisha portrayed the character of Danielle especially well, playing as two different personalities. At one point, she's a twisted emotional sadist, and at other times, she's a sweet girl who has never been loved. The plot of this movie is very simple but a bit different than typical teenage romance movies. While it may be true that the movie does not have any significant plot twists or any deep-rooted meaning, it does show the effort a person can undertake to have the love of their life returned to them. It also shows how love can change a person in quite a realistic way. At the end of the day, Danielle is the kind of 'girl next door' that all men secretly cherish but can never get.

Reviewed by Saqiba Nawshin Junnurine