Bully

I just watched this movie, and I found it interesting and compelling enough to check the IMDb site. I have always found Larry Clarks movies captivating, and this one was no exception. However when i was reading through the reviews I saw people constantly referring to the teens lives as "empty and meaningless", using their pot smoking and sex as examples.

This completely defeats the purpose of Larry Clarks films as I (as a teen) interpret them. These movies don't show "those" rotten kids hanging out on the street corners. They depict YOUR kids in a way you never want to see them. Thats why his movies are so powerful, because they show a reality few people want to admit exists. This movie, and Kids should be standard viewing for parents and teens alike. So parents realize what their kids are getting up to and so teens realize what can come of their actions.

I watched this movie because I had seen Kids and thought that it was a pretty well directed movie. I base a lot of my movie viewing on directors and I figured that I would give Larry Clark a shot. I knew nothing about the movie before viewing it, I didn't even read the back of the DVD. This movie was one of the most astonishing films I have ever seen and I have seen a whole lot of them. The fact that it is based on a true story amplifies the impact. I will definitely read the book that it is based on and would recommend this film to my peers. As a warning, there is a good bit of nudity, strong language, and violence. But if you can sit through it, its worth it!

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.

I loved the way Kid's presented itself when it was first released, if I had it my way then that film would be shown to all the kids in high school's all over the world because the reality of what is going on in each character really hits home when watching this and I think it might make a lot of young kids think before what they do. Anyway that was my introduction to Larry Clark and the amazing Leo Fitzpatrick and when I had heard not long ago that these two got together and made another harrowing teen film called Bully I just had to watch it but apart of me wishes I didn't watch it because I scared me in a way because of how real it was. Leo Fitzpatrick is not the lead star in this one though, this one is left to Brad Renfro (Marty) and Nick Stahl (Bobby) who are two best friends who live in world where they sell phone sex for gay people and make homosexual films to sell to porn shops, just you're average teenager of course, but Bobby is a dominating friend towards Marty and Marty just breaks and decides with his vulnerable girlfriend that they should kill Bobby so he won't be a problem in their lives, from there we are taken into this dark tale of teenage revenge. There is a big build to what happens in this film and that's what makes it harrowing viewing because you just don't know what is going to happen. But by the time the film had ended I straight away bombarded the internet with information about the real happening of what actually went on.

Overall this is Larry Clark's best work to date and it opens you up to a whole new world of talented actors and a director that should be praised more about his work. This is not the sort of film that finishes and you go on with what you are doing, it will stay in your head for a while and will leave wanting more in way because you really feel that you want the film to go on a bit longer to know more about these fascinating characters.

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.