Director Mark Lester's small gem of a comedy captures the highs and lows of one teen's life as he falls in and out of love, gets a job, fights with his friends and otherwise comes of age -- all captured in the space of his car.
Taking place entirely in one vehicle and using essentially one camera angle, the story manages to compress a wide swath of experience into a tightly packed physical and narrative space.
The concept works because of the great acting, dialogue and photography, and the brisk pace and editing never flag, only pausing at the most important moments of our unnamed main character's life. The result is a film that induces smiles for its relatability, and aches at the heart because of how quickly it goes by.
"Orange Drive" is a perfect encapsulation of the emotional intensity of a teenager's life, from the peaks of first love and solid friendship to the lows of disappointment of fights, breakups and the confusion of simply being human.
