I can't think of another movie I have seen that I wanted so badly to be over. There were several moments when I was wishing the credits would roll, but the movie persisted. It's as if the film maker - by which, I mean David Gordon Green - was actively trying to make the audience hate the film.
Where to begin? How about with the ADHD editing? _All the Real Girls_ plays out like it was meant to be a short film, but someone jammed in random moments to flesh it into a feature. Too many characters who do nothing. Too many plot threads, and dialog that go nowhere. The best example of this is the clown scene in the children's ward.
What may be the worst part here is that I think there is a good story at the heart of this, but Green failed to properly direct it. We get an indie drama/romance that should tell a simple story, much like _Blue Valentine_, yet it trips over its own pretentious toes.
The plot, and the characters feel real, like this was someone's story, but it was butchered. Without giving any details away, every character here is unlikeable, with the exception of Paul - our lead.
Another problem here is the tone. This should be a serious drama, however, it keeps drifting in and out of comedy. It's as if Green didn't have faith he could make a pure drama, which is true.
In better hands, I could see this being one of my favorite movies. I'll even go as far to say that Zooey did a great job, and it may be her best role, since she is not playing the typical MPDG she is so well known for. There are moments I really liked here, but it amounts to maybe three scenes.
What a waste of film, and talent.