Boot Camp

A little thrown off by the "excessiveness" in the beginning of this film I was pleased to see the pace quickly changed into an intriguingly heart wrenching and fist clenching experience. Pulling no punches in exposing the cruelty that exists in these rehabilitation centers you frequently find yourself a little uneasy with this films content (especially upon remembering that this was based on true events). A lot of content is crammed into this sole title as the story is a melting pot of drama, action, and even a relatively strong love story. Not a dull moment is to be found within this running time. The visuals compliment the story well with a beautiful setting and equally stunning cast.

I'm all for some tough love, and military boot camps where kids are taught discipline,,, but the kinda place portrayed in this movie is just torture,, with psychotic administrators.

In Denver, the rebel Sophie (Mila Kunis) misses her deceased father and hates her stepfather Karl (Serge Houde), pushing him to the edge. After a serious incident with his guests at home, she is sent to the ASAP – Advanced Serenity Achievement Program – a correctional facility in Fiji Island leaded by Norman Hail (Peter Stormare), who self-entitles doctor, to be rehabilitated in a socially acceptable pattern of behavior. She finds a concentration camp without human rights that uses abusive military training techniques to brainwash the offenders. Meanwhile her boyfriend Ben (Gregory Smith) forces a situation at home to be sent to the same boot camp and escape with Sophie.

"Boot Camp" explains in the very beginning that is based on a true event; therefore it seems that it really does exist places like the Serenity Camp in the world. The story does not have the intention to discuss whether these boot camps are necessary or not, but to show a specific place directed by an unprepared man with psychological problems that uses torture techniques as if the end could justify the means. A dictatorship with absolute power associated to playing God always generates injustices and corruption and is doomed to fail. The story is entertaining, but some of the teenagers (and parents) depicted in the movie really deserve to be sent to a correctional facility or to a shrink to resolve their issues. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Ilha - Uma Prisão Sem Grades" ("The Island – A Prison Without Bars")

As someone who was in places similar to what this movie portrays, it was an excellent film. It did an excellent job of showing how places like that are run. How people can be staff members and think they are really doing good. How easily kids can turn on one another if given the slightest idea of freedom. And the fact the director of the place was just as twisted as the idea of the camp.. It all still makes me sick. The film absolutely hit home a lot of times. I thought they did an excellent job showing this. They may not have showed all that happens at these places, but they showed what needed to be showed and I am glad to know people are a little more knowledgeable now that they have seen this film.

For those of you that think programs like this don't exist, you are very wrong! I spent 10 months in Spring Creek Lodge in Montana, which was actually very nice compared to other programs that are, like Spring Creek, affiliated with WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs). Look it up!! There are so many documented abuses in their facilities outside of the U.S. (Jamaica, Mexico, Costa Rica, Somoa). Most of them have been shut down, but they are still out there!! When I was at Spring Creek in Montana, there was an incident at Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica....very similar to what happens in this movie. The kids rioted and took the place over, setting fires and having sex. A lot of them ran off into the wilderness. Most were located and sent to other programs like mine in Montana. Also, look into the High Impact program that was shut down in Tecate, Mexico. This stuff does exist, and it's devastating! And good parents are deceived every day by their very false advertising! And they do come and kidnap you in the night, just like in the film.....messed up stuff.