Don's Plum

This film was shot in the mid 90's, and after Titanic became a hit, the makers of the film wanted to release it, but it was suppressed by Leonardo DiCaprio and (to a lesser degree) Tobey Maguire. One would think it's an embarrassing, awful film considering Leo sued the makers and tried to stop it being released. Well, guess what? It's not a great film by any means, but it's not really that embarrassing and it's your typical 90's Gen X talk fest. Basically, a bunch of Gen Xers sit around at a diner, have cigarettes, coffee, food, and talk about "edgy" topics like sex. This was the kind of stuff that was being made in that decade. Basically indie talk fests. This is typical of those films for better or worse. Those type of films often started out well but got more tiresome as they progressed and they were never as "smart" as they thought they were. This one is like that, too, but does that mean it shouldn't be seen? Of course not. It's a decently made indie movie, shot on low contrast 16mm black and white, like Kevin Smith's Clerks, which came out a year before this film was made. Why DiCaprio hated it is beyond me. It's not THAT bad, Leo.

If you're feeling nostalgic about the 90's, check it out and this will take you back to that time.

If you like naturalistic films, then this film is for you. If you are mesmerised by smoke rising from your cigarette, then this film is for you. Hell, if you appreciate independent film, then there is no point in excluding this one.

Headed by a talented young cast including some of the most famous male actors of Generation X, do not expect the typical mindless American mash that fills up the majority of the shelving space in our video stores. Notably, Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire accomplish creating characters that are polar to the characters the audience has come so use to seeing them play. These are in no way the finest performances of the cast so far, but the characters are sharp, interesting and well executed.

Don's Plum contains a hypnotic plot that is completely absent of seen-before action sequences and predictable twists. It is a simple story of a group of friends, the issues that they have had, are having and will have in time to come. The themes brought up throughout the film are relevant to every posse - homosexuality, comradeship, loyalty, ethics, morals, tolerance etc. Most importantly, the viewer is encouraged to arrive at a point of self reflection, as the characters so frequently do in the toilet mirror throughout the film.

Shot in black and white, the emotion of the actors is intensified almost dissolving the other physical elements of the film into insignificance. The acting is unconstrained, even impulsive at times, blurring the line between the character and the actor playing them. The use of sound and music is cleverly executed, with silence and the effect it can have when arriving upon a group of people, playing a major role. The other elements in the film are nowhere near a breakthrough, but are overall appropriate.

If you want to feel motivated to stay in touch with friends or if a favourite of yours is in the cast, get off the couch and watch it. Even if these don't apply to you, there is no harm in checking it out to roast some appreciation of the cast and crew's efforts in a unblemished independent film.

Don't press stop as soon as the credits appear...

Don's Plum. The first time I heard the name, and about the controversy surrounding it, especially with DiCaprio and Macguire, I thought it was a gay romance. On watching it however, I found it to be an interesting, insightful and sometimes confusing bit of film making. Some of the characters are very well portrayed, with their own quirks, and it was the first movie I'd where Leo actually acts. His character, Derek, is not a cute, romantic, retarded guy. He's an annoying, selfish try-hard that seeks attention from the group by whatever means necessary. Ian, Toby's character, is fantastic. He's like a kid with ADD, and for all we know, he does. He's a pacifist, a non-conformer and he's slightly out of it. Macguire does an awesome job with Ian, and it was nice to see a different character from him, other than a wishy-washy pussy-whipped wimp like in Pleasantville or Cider House Rules, or a try-hard super-hero like in Spiderman. The female stars by far outshine their male counterparts. Jenny Lewis is amazing as the dope-addicted Sarah. She brings out a real sense of pathos, though her script needed some work. Amber Benson role as Amy is small, and the only reason Amy is there is to show how much of an arsehole Derek is. The movie is a good sample of what can happen with experimental film. The idea works very well and the small soliloquies in the bathroom are just great. The editing is a bit choppy in some places, and the sound mix could be better, but overall I was very satisfied with the end product. Why Leo and Toby wanted the distribution of the Plum to be suppressed is beyond me.

this is definitely a movie that is not always easy to watch. Its about a group of kids that go and hang out at a restaurant called "Don's Plum". if you are a fan of any of the actors in the movie you really should try to see it. there are some really interesting performances by Dicaprio, Maguire, and Jeremy Sisto . You will definitely see them all in a way that you have never seen them before

This movie isn't the most incredible thing in the world, but it's really entertaining to witness just how insane Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire are. I am a HUGE Jenny Lewis fan, so I was super excited to watch her, and she has a fairly large role (one that includes making out with Leo).

If you want to watch it just for Amber Benson, I'm sorry to say she only appears for about 3 minutes, so don't bother.

Check it out if you have a thing for black and white movies about people dealing with their "issues", or if you care to see Leonardo act like an idiot in fake hillbilly teeth.