Seventeen-year-old Justine (Fraser) is a normal teenager - she has a know-it-all best mate (Duprey), her best male friend is computer geek Chas (De Lacey) and worst of all, she's still a virgin. So while on a trip to a virtual reality exhibition, she can't help but pop into a booth that promises to create her ideal partner. But there's a malfunction and her imaginary man Jake (Penry-Jones) becomes a reality, starting a chain of events that leads to industrial espionage, rampant hormones and one of the most unusual courtships in cinema history, as Justine tries desperately to shag, well, herself.
Adapted from a best-selling teen novel, the action hurtles along at a frantic pace, with director Hurran throwing in direct-to-cameras, split-screens and every other visual gimmick he can think of to ensure the film looks like it has sprung straight from the pages of Just 17. It makes for an exciting and sometimes funny ride, but occasionally, just as with the endless young girls' magazines, it's difficult to know quite at whom the movie is pitched.
Still, the gorgeous Fraser - all wide eyes and toothy grin - is an eminently watchable leading lady, capably supported by the punked-up, effeminate Penry-Jones. Not quite so grandstanding, but equally as effective is De Lacey, who turns in an excellent performance as Chas, quiet enough to be hassled by school bullies, but intelligent enough never to be a victim.It may be shallow and overly glossy and play like its audience has an attention span of less than five seconds, but hey, that's teenagers for you. And for all those 13- and 14-year-old kids who desperately try and sneak into a 15 every weekend, this may be just the thing.