Bully

It seems that the reviews of this movie are rather bleak because people say that the director focused too much on sex and that this was not a realistic picture for teens. I watched the movie, and read the book, and I have another reference source- my mother was a juror for the court case State of Florida Vs. Ali Willis and Donny Semenec. She was sequestered for over a month and was told every piece of information about these two teenagers and their friends.

This sex/drug filled movie is a spot-on represenation of these kid's sad life. They had no future, no regrets, didn't go to school and yes, they had sex with each other a lot. From what my mother says, if you were to make a movie about them accurately, it would have to be close to 75% sex. The bully was bi-sexual and would force his best friend to have sex with him after he had raped his girlfriend. These kids were also not poor white trash, as their parents were very wealthy, and they drove nice cars.

I think the fact is some people cannot stomach the idea of these kids being real, so they blame the director for not interpreting the story correctly. This is a story of middle- upper class kids, kids like your sons and daughters.

I thought this movie was very good. 7.5/10

Controversial director Larry Clark's based on real-life events "Bully" is sometimes quite hard to watch, but you can't quite stop yourself from watching the misadventures of these messed up children either. This film feels so real, so nitty-gritty, that at times, you may feel like an intruder, watching someone else's life. These children are so far removed from being children, it is hard to think that they actually are just children. After all, the concept of a group of kids killing their so-called friend, well, its hardly child's play now is it? The cast are great. Brad Renfro is top-notch in all his performances, here is no exception. Bijou Phillips is great, Rachel Miner is cunning, Kelli Garner is a lot of fun, Michael Pitt is slightly annoying, but entertaining nonetheless. Nick Stahl is intense, to say the least.

Of course it would be hard to say you condone the actions of these "kids", after all, they murdered. But it makes for gripping drama. The film also reveals the sentencing which the kids received for their parts in the murder, some of which was very surprising. A great film, but you need to be in the mood for a hard-watch.

Raw, realistic, deeply disturbing and haunting film about a group of recently graduated high school kids whose lives are aimless and empty. With nothing better to do, they get together to plot the murder of their mean best friend (Nick Stahl), who was the only one bound for college and to make something of himself. With none of your usual Hollywood gloss and a well selected cast (especially Stahl in a creepy performance), this film has many powerful moments and completely draws you into it's story. Shockingly enough, based on a true story.

Unrated; Strong Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, Profanity, and Nudity.

I watched this movie five days ago and I'm still affected by it. Afterwards all I could do was cry for the youth of America, because this isn't just some movie. It really, truly happened. The actors turn in outstanding performances as teenagers with nothing to do but turn to sex and drugs to fill the empty voids in their lives. Nick Stahl is particularly amazing as Bobby, the boarder-line psychotic who tormented his friends until they could take it no more.This is a sad, realistic look at how many teenagers really do act with their peers. Don't look for your typical teenager fare here because you won't find it. The language, sex, and drug use may bother some people, but thats because no one wants to believe that young adults can be this way. Well, I got out of high school two years ago and I can tell you that this is not far from reality. Thats probably why it has affected me so much...because I know that stuff portrayed in this movie really does happen. This is a great movie. Watch it. Then go tell your kids you love them.

There's something about the kids in Larry Clark's films, such as this, Bully, and his 1995 classic Kids (which took place in New York and had the feel of an un-interviewed documentary), where the characters are brought so vividly to life, and their contemplations and actions in their dead-end lives, that I get reminded of the people I was around back in my grade school days (I've been out of the public school system for six months now). I remember the lay-abouts, the complainers, the overly medicated, and of course I remember the bullies, laying on abuse that sometimes they weren't even aware they were inflicting.

Nick Stahl plays Billy, bully among a circle of teenage friends in Hollywood, Florida, and his best friend from childhood is Marty, played with striking intensity by Brad Renfro, has been daily receiving torment, if not with punches and slaps, then more on the mental side. Soon, his girlfriend makes a suggestion "he should be killed", and very soon after that the circle of friends agree, and then it continues, along with a so-called hit man, a good small part for Fitzpatrick who was noteworthy in Kids.

There will be some out there who may not be able to stomach the elements - it's unrated, not a bad move, and there are as many moments of sex as in a Cinemax soft porn and as many moments of smoking dope as in a Method Man/Redman production - but that's all part of Clark's overall effect, and he pulls it off like a true craftsman and not as a overly exploitation film-maker. This circle of friends are a sad, hollow representation of the kinds of societies the youth of the nation inhabit, and the key is that it's correct, at least in such a banal suburbia. Grade: A