DUFF - If you don't have one, you are one! - DVD

Movie: Actually, Bianca (Mae Whitman) is quite content with her life. Good, she may not be the most popular girl at her school. But she has two best friends in Jess (Skyler Samuels) and Casey (Bianca Santos), with whom she's been through thick and thin for years. And girl crush Wesley (Robbie Amell) has been a close friend since the sandbox. So even the eternal teasing from school bitch Madison (Bella Thorne) can be endured. But then she learns what a DUFF (Designatet Ugly Fat Friend) is and has to fear that in her clique she takes exactly this role of the less attractive appendage, which is used by boys only to get to Jess and Casey. And suddenly the once so unbreakable friendship between the girls breaks and Bianca wants to do everything to stop being a DUFF. Wesley, of all people, is supposed to help her, and he's willing to do so for a few lessons. But his ex Madison doesn't like that at all and she makes it her sole mission to sabotage Bianca wherever she can. A DUFF is not allowed to steal her thunder.

DUFF - If you don't have one, you are one! sounds like a typical teen high school comedy. And basically, that's exactly what it is. But it happens every few years that there are films in this not-so-deep genre that are pleasantly cheeky, clever and charming and thus stand out from the crowd. That was the case with Clueless, as well as Girls Club or Simply to Be Had. Ari Sandel's directorial debut, based on the novel Because of Love by Kody Keplinger, is clearly one of those same positive genre surprises, as reflected in the fine cast, some genuinely amusing gags and well-written dialogue.

The scene alone where Bianca and her two best friends fall out is quite wonderfully written. Where in the past you'd just hurl insults at each other before storming off in a huff, now you have to unfriend each other first on Facebook, unfollow your Twitter feed, delete your Instagram photos and so on. The messy problem of cyber-bullying is also dealt with here in a pleasantly ironic way, without ridiculing the victims. Sandel and screenwriter Josh A. Cagan almost always find the right tone anyway to address the constant presence of social media in most teenagers' lives without simply demonizing it. This gives the impression that they understand and take seriously the characters of their film and their problems and thus also those of the target audience, but then deal with them in an appropriately biting and ironic way.

The young ensemble is also convincing, led by former child actress Mae Whitman (Independence Day, Parenthood), who perfectly embodies the mixture of unassuming DUFF and self-confident young woman. But also Disney star Bella Thorne as an icy bitch or Allison Janney as Bianca's not quite conventional mother can convince all along the line. Sure, DUFF - Hast du keine, bist du eine! is neither particularly sophisticated, nor does the comedy reinvent the genre of teen comedy. But a good script, loose direction and the well-acted cast turn a rather conventional story into a very charming, easy-going fun that you can relate to even if you yourself are no longer part of the YouTube and Instagram generation. An excellent proof that teen comedies don't automatically have to be flat and stupid and sometimes are much better than their reputation. Quite clearly, this is: absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The picture and sound quality of the DVD is exactly what can be expected from a current cinema production. The picture is absolutely clean, the color scheme is coherent, and the contrasts are also on a good level. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix doesn't fire up any surround fireworks, as is usual for the comedy genre. Dialogue and music tend to take place in the foreground. But there is also audible movement in the multichannel area every now and then, which makes for a very positive overall impression. Good!

Extras: As a bonus, the DVD has the DUFF files, nine mini-promo featurettes to offer. These cover what a DUFF is (approx. 2:30 min.), Malloy High School teachers (approx. 1:40 min.), Bianca (approx. 1:06 min.), Wesley (approx. 1:25 min.), Jess & Casey (approx. 1:10 min.) and Madison (approx. 1:22 min.), about pop culture (approx. 1:55 min.), the way from book to movie (approx. 2:04 min.) and about a visit at the red carpet for the premiere of the movie (approx. 3:17 min.). There are also some nice outtakes (approx. 3:09 min.), as well as three trailers for the film.

Conclusion: DUFF - Hast du keine, bist du eine! is a charming and amusing example of how teen comedies don't automatically have to be flat and stupid, and are sometimes much better than their reputation. A clever script, charming actors and a nice story make this comedy absolutely worth seeing, not only for the teen target group. The audiovisual realization of the DVD is on a good level and leaves hardly anything to be desired. The bonus material is quite promolastig failed, but fans of the film can still risk a look here. The bottom line is for the DVD a very clear: Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp