Review of Midlands Based Indie Comedy A Dozen Summers

Maisie and Daisy McCormack are just two normal twelve year old girls struggling with the ups and downs of growing up. And what better way to contemplate adulthood and growing up than hijack a filmmaker and make a movie about it?

A Dozen Summers is an ingenious independent film that explores coming of age from the perspective of two twelve year old girls and the results are hilariously accurate. The emphasis on self-awareness throughout; constantly reminding the audience that it is just a film and playing with our expectations by interrupting the narrative are strokes of genius that really draw you in and bring the characters to life whilst celebrating filmmaking as an art.

We open with a brilliant narration from Colin Baker that really brings this magical Hollywood movie feel to it, and when this gets interrupted by our two protagonists (played by young actresses Hero and Scarlet Hall) with laugh-out-loud consequences you just know it’s going to be a unique and very funny film. Even the opening credits are cleverly crafted to give it that professional feel that sets it apart from other small-budget independent films and its this attention to detail and obvious passion for the project that really shines through.

Of course A Dozen Summers’ limitations are obvious throughout, as with any small budget film. There are moments where the camerawork could be better, and times where the acting is slightly hammy, but because the film has such a strong sense of character and such a unique and charming story none of this matters, nor does it hinder the viewing experience in the slightest. That is what makes the film so enchanting and so enjoyable to watch. The soundtrack, composed by Andrew Stamp almost steals the show, featuring original music by Leicester based band ist which really adds an extra level of brilliance and gives it that teen-drama feel that’s so enjoyable to watch,

A Dozen Summers is a brilliant coming-of-age comedy drama that really resonates with anyone who once was a twelve year old girl on a very real level. It has a wonderful feel to it and has a very clever concept that’s sure to have you tittering just a little bit out loud. Similar to hit BBC3 drama My Mad Fat Diary, and slightly akin to classic kids TV show Tracy Beaker as well as countless other teen comedies no doubt, A Dozen Summers takes a classic genre and makes something totally new and exciting. It taps in to the minds and imaginations of 12 year old kids in such a clever way it’ll have you laughing just remembering what those times were like. A real joy to watch.