The Myth of the American Sleepover by David Robert Mitchell

It’s pretty tricky to review a feature in which there’s strictly nothing happening. Forget about the classic teen movies with sex, alcohol and drugs. The Myth of the American Sleepover depicts young people simply getting together, gossiping and wasting time. The sleepover is a ritual with tight rules, even in these slippery times: girls can never invite boys, and boys make sure they parents never find out who slept on what couch. The essence, however, is not in the details, but in the big picture: the value of youth, and the importance of living it before it fades away on the college corridors.

The Myth is about as exciting as a sleepover itself, and that might be its strength for those expecting sluggish stories, but it’s boring to death for anyone expecting… something. Perhaps it’s because this is a film with feminine subtleties and loose gentle cuts in the shots that film can be emotional for some, but dull to others.

The story takes place in present-day Detroit, but this is hardly apparent as David Robert Mitchell keeps his camera away from any references to time or location. As a result, The Myth can be interpreted as a universal - albeit Americano-flavoured - and timeless portrait of four youths seeking one last summer night before the start of the next school year. While Rob is obsessed with a girl he saw at the supermarket, Maggie prefers to join a party with older kids instead of the sleepover she’s been invited to. In the meantime, Scott decides to find the twins he had a crush on as he just got dumped; while Claudia discovers her boyfriend has been dating the girl who’s organizing the sleepover she’s attending. Stunning programme…

The Myth is about freezing time, or at least making time run as slowly as possible. And Mitchell clearly achieved this with his first feature, a Peter Pan syndrome story with no Neverland or pirate boats. From the Barrie’s story The Myth only kept Tinker Bell’s jealousy, seduction and unbearable self-esteem among the protagonists.

While the photography succeeds in showing an amateur-like grainy movie; while the cast is really convincing – Claire Sloma is a big hit; while I had a few good laughs, the film remains a hollow story about a bunch of teenagers discovering privileged instants owing to an allegorical and yet improbable parents’ absence – non-existence. I experienced more exciting and enlightening moments, yet I didn’t fell asleep. But then, this wasn’t a sleepover.

By Olivier Croughs