SubUrbia

If "Dazed and Confused" was the 'high' then "SubUrbia" if most definitely the 'down'. It's basically the flipside of "Dazed and Confused", where youthful hedonism has been replaced by 20-something boredom. It's a post-college movie where characters have found themselves unfulfilled in every capacity. It's a pack mentality, where you hang-out with the same gang from high school only to find you've out grown each other and resent one another's ambitions because you know you yourself lack the impetus to do anything constructive with your life. These characters are losers in every respect, clinging on to their high school way of life, reluctant to take initiative and move on. They constantly put each other down, bicker and make efforts to humiliate, yet the depressing thing is they have no one but each other. This is a quality film that remains one of Linklater's most under appreciated efforts. No one has the ability to present young characters with the insight, skill and craft Lanklater possesses. He is truly one of America's finest filmmakers working today and "SubUrbia" is a great film that still holds up.

This is a great story with a great cast of indie icons. Giovanni Ribisi does a convincing and sensitive portrayal of his troubling character and Steve Zahn continues to satisfy with his venue of off-the-wall characters. Indie queen Parker Posey pops up halfway through the movie, and even though, she's not in it that much, she still maintains her magnetic screen presence. Eric Bogosian's dialogue is a key element to making this film fantastic.

I first saw subUrbia in probably 1997, and since then I have shared it with countless people and watched it plenty myself. Its not the sort of movie that you can put in, and then not really watch, to me it requires a bit more concentration. At th same time, the events that unfold for the characters in this movie always strike me. Another major bonus with this film is the issues it takes the time and consideration to cover, sexism, racism, classism, urban sprawl, the third world, and more... Its not a movie for people that don't want to see that ugly side of humans, but then all too often in day to day life the suburbs serve to show the ugly side of humans. Not a movie for children, and I wouldn't watch it with my grandma! Its a powerful and real story of life past high school, but not dealing with college. Of life feeling stuck, trapped, sometimes defeated in your current place, here suburbia. Its not a movie that offers a ton of hope, but its a powerful movie nonetheless!

If you like 90 minute movies (over the course which each character becomes a better person), characters with whom you can deeply sympathize, complete resolution of all conflicts, and happy endings, don't rent this. subUrbia is too harsh, too honest, and too painful.

Ribisi and Katt are amazing. Katt was great as the wisecracking "Stacy" in the movie The Limey, a role similar to his in subUrbia (Tim). Overall, the characters are too angry, poisonous, and disillusioned to be likeable. I didn't find this to be a bad thing, however.

Adding to the numbing ache of the movie is the fantastic score- Sonic Youth's droning guitars and a nihilistic soundtrack all add to the depression in Linklater/Begosian's Burnfield. Enjoy. Or not.

I'm not big on comparing movies, so in watching this movie I abolished the fact that some of the same people who worked on Dazed and Confused did this movie. Depending upon what you expect of this movie determines what exactly you will think of it impressionably. Suburbia is a comedy, but more so a strong story delivered by great actors. Its moral is one of those undefined feelings that will never truly be diagramed, and then again that's not its point. Suburbia unleashes characters that are filled with life and dimension beyond the threes' parallel. It's a story about not caring, about doing, and becoming. It leaves you with a decision in your own self. Deep for a comedy, but simply an excellent movie!