Movie review - "Mean Girls" (2002) ****1/2

Not just a brilliant teen film, but a brilliant film full stop - clever idea (home schooled girl arrives from Africa to an American high school), vivacious characters, top script, bright handling. Lindsay Lohan is perfect in the lead - it's a bit worrying for her career that she wanted to play the Rachel McAdams part (Lohan-star, don't you know what's good for you?). The three bitch girls are all perfectly cast, too - Lucy Chabert is a comic genius, McAdam brilliant and so is the other girl; everyone else is good - McAdams' "cool" mom, the stressed headmaster, the fat girl who wants to be cool, the Indian rapper, Lohan's friend (it took some time but the gay best friend is now established in teen land). The love interest is a bit bland but I guess that comes with the territory. Continually inventive, a genuinely happy ending, and as an extra cherry on top the final credits uses a kick arse version of 'Dancing with Myself''. Listening to the audio commentary, the film hasn't come out yet but the writer and director know they've done a great job - they have.