Mile End Kicks | TIFF50

Okay, first and foremost, I need to address the elephant in the room.

These stunningly intelligent babes need to stop putting on those rose-tinted heart glasses (you know which ones I'm talking about) for a mediocre man just because he's in the arts, better known as a "creative".

I'm guilty of it, just as almost any girl has been. But I'm also sick of it, so here's a step toward a solution.

Questions to ask yourself with any potential prospect (bonus points if he's a musician): Have you ever had a conversation of substance? Has it ever left the topic of the arts? Does he ask questions about you? Does he remember the answer to these questions? Has he had a positive effect on your life? Do your friends like him? Do YOU even like him as a person, or is it the idea and mystique of him you've grown attached to?

If the answer is no to more than one (and I'm being generous here) shake off those affection glasses and RUN!

Now that that's said and done, let's address the matter at hand.

"Mile End Kicks" will call you out just as I may have above, but it holds your hand a bit better while it does. Specifically, if you are a woman who's been involved with someone in the music industry or worked in it yourself.

Beyond the audacity of male musicians, the music industry as a whole has an immensely outdated flaw of not taking women as seriously, especially during when the film takes place, the early 2010s. The film explores and critiques this through a comedic yet self-aware lens.

Following Barbie Ferreira as Grace Pine, learning to fight for a respected place in the industry whilst dealing with the insecurity and confusion associated with moving to a new city in your early twenties. All while simultaneously (as you've gathered from above), dealing with the intense emotions and poor decisions that can only be caused by a musician's involvement.

"Mile End Kicks" is one of the realest films I've seen this year, unshamedly showing the awkwardness of day-to-day living as a young adult, which we like to pretend doesn't happen. Reminding viewers that the poor decisions we make in exchange for short-term happiness are nothing but part of our journey, and it's okay to backtrack and try again sometimes. Prompting us not to accept the scraps given to us by others and to instead scream and demand what we deserve and desire.

If you are also a lover of music-filled films like "Almost Famous" and enjoy the campiness that can only be encapsulated by the 2010s, then this movie simply needs to be added to your watchlist.