To propose an accurate example of a coming-of-age film to compare to Extra Geography would be doing it an utter disservice (even the lead actors say so). Directed by Molly Manners in her debut feature, written by Miriam Battye based on a short story by Rose Tremain, this is a film engineered unequivocally for female audiences by formative and experienced perspectives using the universal theme of friendship, and proudly revelling in its British origins and humour.
Set in an England boarding school around the 2000s (the cinematography and the lack of smartphones suggest as such), the film introduces Flic and Minna, two 15-year-old girls played with absolute commitment and grace by Marni Duggan and Galaxie Clear respectively, in their debuts. The opening montage introduces them utterly attached at the hip (comparable to the Grady twins and the Heathers), and mind, sharing the hope and desire to attend Oxbridge if only “to be taken seriously”.
An opportunity to take a step further in that direction comes first with an interschool play that increases their proximity to boys, especially with the chosen text – A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The second is a personal challenge to fall in love with the first person the girls lay their eyes on (very similar to another British teen comedy Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging). The “lucky” candidate? Their quiet geography teacher Miss Delavagne, played by Alice Englert. Of course, what once made them inseparable starts becoming fragile when Minna is cast as Titania, while Flic gets a Tree/Mound, and insults as sweet as barbed wire in sugary icing become increasingly frequent to an inevitable detriment.
One of Extra Geography’s biggest strengths is its characters and their humour, emulating all too well the growing pains of hormones and worldviews. This is encapsulated perfectly by Aoife Riddell, who plays Phoebe, and ironically, isn’t the threat to Flic and Minna’s bond. The other is its indie soundtrack, from Crimson and Clover to The Book of Love (a very intriguing connection to Manners’ work on the One Day TV series), and its riveting score courtesy of Arthur Sharpe. At times, audiences might find it difficult to determine which of the two girls requires empathy as their bond runs the risk of collapsing entirely – I personally leant towards Flic, who is more neurotic and the person who seems to consistently draw the shorter straw in life. That said, Extra Geography is a film that people will return to over and over regardless of which girl they side with – with its core and no-holds-barred message that female friendships are messy, its discerning quality is that that may indeed be the case, but it need not be the end of the world.
