King Jack

This little flick has 'indie' written all over it and I am a big fan of indie movie makers. These films are usually superior in content, substance, and acting when compared to the big budget movies. Well not all indie flicks, but the movies made by directors who love the craft. With that said, my opinion of 'King Jack' comes up a bit short.

The plot revolves around Jack and his visiting cousin Ben. Both are tweens and are unpopular in school and Jack has an attitude. The setting is a lower middle class worker neighborhood with a mix of ethnic people. There are three older boys that bully Jack and Ben. The plot becomes predictable with the conflict between Jack and the bully's and Jacks interest in two young girls. Ben is along for the ride through no effort of his own and he suffers the wrath of the three bully's. By movies end both Jack and Ben have been pretty well beaten up by the bully's. Life in hell town is rough and unforgiving but both boys perceive and learn a tough lesson about loyalty, family, and friendship.

This little movie is adequate in it's craft, well photographed, and edited. But the story is old and has been done more than once. If you want to watch some very good young actors as believable characters this is a fine choice. But as it unfolds you'll be able to see what's about to happen next.

In Short: This is a gritty portrayal of the life of the "kid no one likes". We all knew someone like that in school. Like it or not, this is what the youth of today are like. The backstabbing, the violence, the pure hatred of rivals. It's real.

To survive adolescence nowadays, in an environment similar to Jack's, it's akin to going to war everyday. The methods of the bully may have changed over time, but the point of the bully remains the same: to scare and intimidate the bullied into submission.

Two things you may LIKE about "King Jack":

+ The acting; not just with script delivery but expressive emotions; to make this story really work, an actor needs to expose a part of them they may not like; kudos to Charlie Plummer (Jack) and Danny Flaherty (Shane). + The script; written and directed by Felix Thompson; if you were a bully or the bullied, this will trigger something in you.

Two things you may NOT LIKE about "King Jack":

+ The script; (see above) + The violence and aggression; it may be a little overboard and hard to believe at times.

A couple of good bits, but really just one of those movies that becomes more unreal as it goes along its typical, tiresome path.

Deprived kid, depressive surroundings, unrealistic characters, oh sure it happens, but give me a break. I know areas and neighborhood can be tough, been there done that. But you know what isn't real? People don't get beat up, and hours later, they are miraculously wandering around beating other people up.

At least TRY to make it real. It's not 1930, I have sen what a couple good punches to the face does to a guy. I know that being kicked the the ribs really hard, feels like, a couple of groans putting a shirt on, then off for a pleasant bike ride, doesn't happen.

I had family that grew up poor and in the projects, you have good people and a few really bad folks. None of the scenarios in this film work. Writers need to be able to tell a good story not just make everyone look like a criminal or a thug.

Jack has had a hard life. He lost a father who adored him (offscreen), and finds himself the victim of a bully who himself used to be the whipping boy of Jack's older brother Tom. Jack's mother has a sister with of psychiatric problems, and it's inferred she attempted to commit suicide, and the husband of the sister calls to see if Jack's family can care for Jack's 12 year-old cousin, Ben.

At first, Jack is pretty cold towards Ben, but they soon warm to each other and even manage to have a little fun before the bully interferes. What comes after is a pretty decent flick with an ending that will leave a smile on your face.

I understand that this is the Director's first outing. I feel the movie is impeccable. It is empathetic and authentic. In the majority of movies, there is a protagonist that you fundamentally like. It takes the entire movie to get to this point and is comparatively brave in this regard.

Whilst it pulls few punches, it is sensitively undertaken and I feel it could be watched by a comparatively young audience.

If you have never been bullied, you are extremely fortunate. If you are being bullied - you need to discover a strategy that works for you that counters that desolate feeling of victimisation.

A small. well-crafted, well-acted, well-photographed movie. A fabulous first outing for the Director.