1. The film starts with a punk rock song being played while the company logos and film title is being shown onscreen. This sets a good feeling in the audience as we really listen to the lyrics as these lyrics relate to what the main character feels at the beginning of the film (which we are about to find out), it is also an american band - making us think that it is most likely going to be set in the USA (the song in fact is "Bastards of Young" by the US Alternative band The Replacements). The titles are pretty basic - simply the main company logos being shown up onscreen one after another. However, the film's title has been digitally created as if it is made out of 'theme park' style lights (where most of the film is set), and these come up in stages, as if sections are being turned on individually.
2. There is then a medium close up of the main character 'James' (played by Jesse Eisenburg) as he stares at something to the right of the camera. The rock song then dies down as sounds of the party they seem to be in fill our ears. In the background we notice that there are lots of teenagers drinking and talking in someone's house, which indicates it is a house party (of course). What James and all these people are wearing also backs up this idea due to them wearing more casual clothes, compared with if they were to go to a night club or other similar venue for the gathering. James is talking to his (we assume) girlfriend, and the conversation end us with her breaking up with him.
3. James' (now ex) girlfriend walks away and we see him continue to stare at her - implying that he wasn't ready for the relationship to end. However, she doesn't seem phased by it and walks with intent away from him to (I assume) join her other friends.
4. The film then cuts to a scene in the kitchen of (again, we assume) same party. This is indicated by the lack of a change of costume for the actors and lack of change to the interior decor of the house. James and his friends are gathered around an island in the middle of the kitchen (that is filled with alcoholic drinks) and are discussing the break up. We find out that James is a virgin and was only dating the girl in the previous scene for 11 days (so he will most likely be a little sad, but not heartbroken as such).
5. We also find out that the boys are planning a trip to Europe and will hopefully be departing soon (they think it will be a "trans-formative experience" and a sort of 'coming-of-age' experience). This raises questions for the audience: Will the film be based around this trip? Will James lose his virginity before going? Will something happen on the way there?
6. James and his parents are sat in an up-market restaurant eating dinner, while discussing plans for his trip to Europe - it is apparent that the restaurant is up-market due to the classical music the waiter service, the flowers on the table and the costumes that the actors and actresses are wearing (suits for men and dresses for women). Shot-reverse-shot is used throughout the conversation, stopping occasionally to focus on smaller details (such as James' father being given a drink and then toasting to James' success in school). James is explaining that he will need a little bit of extra money to cover the costs for the trip and asking his parents for that little bit extra. This is when his mother explains that his father has been "transferred to a different apartment" and so is making less money - this means they cannot afford to give him the money and he won't be able to go on the trip with his friends (it was supposed to be his graduation present for finishing secondary school).
7. This is when it becomes apparent that he will also no longer be able to attend Columbia University due to the fact that he won't be able to pay for rent for the first few months. His mother then explains that the only way he will be able to pay for it is to get a job in the summer. James looks disheartened at the prospect of this - the meaning of the lyrics for the opening song are becoming apparent.
8. There is then a cut to a tracking shot of James and one of his friends from the party, Eric, as they discuss the idea of a summer job while moving some stuff into a boot of a car (I think it is a box of 12" records, but it is never made clear). They decide that a good way of doing things would be to get a cheaper apartment and Eric offers to 'float' James for the first few months. We then learn that they both smoke a little bit of cannabis every now and then as Eric hands James a bag of roll ups to last for the summer period. This whole scene is done with the use of a mix of over-the-shoulder shots and two shots, with a point-of-view shot when James worries that his parents are watching them smoke 'weed'. There is then an ellipsis, as the next shot is of James in the car driving away from Eric - he looks back and there is a point-of-view shot as Eric takes a puff of weed and salutes James a goodbye.
9. The film then fades into blurred out extreme close ups of fairground ride lights (but we do not know this yet), as the main cast names are shown onscreen. Another rock song becomes the main soundtrack of the film at this point - it is much slower and calmer than the first one, reflecting James' mood (the song is "Here She Comes Now" by The Velvet Underground). The cast member's names are just made from simple text that is just shown on each part of the video - again, very simple... Keeping the film feeling very realistic (the more special effects there are, the more 'fake' it feels - ruining the suspension of disbelief for the audience members). The images shown behind the text slowly get clearer and clearer, until we see that it is in fact the fairground ride lights that we are seeing. Finally, there are a few images of places that are featured later in the film (with the last of the credits showing) and then point of view shots from James in the back of his parents car as they drive through the suburban streets of their town for the final opening credit.
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