Cast and crew of "The Pretty One". Photo by Kelsey NaPier. (Neon Tommy)

The charming and witty, yet touching and poignant narrative feature “The Pretty One” was one of the sparkling gems of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. 

“The Pretty One” marks Los Angeles based writer and director Jenée LaMarque’s first feature film. Previously, her short film “Spoonful” (another story about sisters) debuted at Sundance Film Festival back in 2012. 

The film stars the cute, quirky Zoe Kazan (writer and lead actress in the indie dark comedy “Ruby Sparks”) who takes on two roles as twins Audrey and Laurel.

The two may be identical, but they couldn’t be more opposite. Audrey is an outgoing big city girl who sells storybook homes for a living, while Laurel is an awkward wallflower who lives at home with her father and still sleeps in a tiny twin bed with her name painted on the headboard. 

When a joint birthday party thrown for the twins brings the entire family together, Audrey, “the pretty one,” convinces Laurel to move with her to the city and finally start a life of her own. Laurel, scared but excited at the idea of independence, accepts. However, Audrey insists that the deal isn’t sealed until Laurel gets a thorough makeover. The makeover results in the twins being, on the outside, virtually indistinguishable. An unexpected twist of fate turns this movie into a clever case of identity crisis with a romantic edge.

Zoe Kazan seamlessly balances the two roles. While the film’s fairytale-like quality brings about a fun, quirky tone, there are also moments of intense drama as Laurel develops her independent identity and faces the suddenly deep void in her life. The love story that develops between Laurel and Basel is incredibly sweet and made completely realistic by the dynamite chemistry between the actors. 

“The Pretty One” was a refreshing break from the heavy drama-packed roster of documentaries and narratives featured at this year’s festival. Several festival films require audience patience as a story slowly drags on and makes its way to an ambiguous end. “The Pretty One” was an entertaining, straightforward film with good pacing, honest acting and thoughtful direction by Jenée LaMarque.

Whimsical costumes with bursts of color and a vintage touch give the film a fairytale-like quality. The film even has a timeless essence, as the setting is basically void of modern technologies such as cell phones and laptops. The fanciful setting combined with the eccentric yet deeply grounded narrative made for a fun and inspiring movie going experience. 

Reach Staff Reporter Katie Lemon here.