Twelve and Holding

I feel the last reviewer was a little out of touch with reality. They felt the movie was too 'extreme', but I was actually drawn closer to the characters because the writer portrayed them as VERY real and believable. If I was that age, and someone did what was done to the boy in the movie, prison would be the least of their worries. These kids, and ALL kids, are not the innocent 'Beaver Cleavers' most adults think (or wish) all kids are. I for one, remember when I was 12. I did things like these kids did, and more. I was sexually active in a same sex relationship with someone older, another issue is addressed in the movie, and could relate to it even though the relationship portrayed in the movie is heterosexual. It is VERY rare to see ANY reference to adult - adolescent "relationships" where the adolescent is the sexual aggressor, and NOT the adult. It may be an ugly subject, but it IS reality.

I give this movie an 11 on a scale of 1-10. I would also like to thank IFC Films for showing new releases on PayPer View so people who don't have access to theaters showing the films can see them. I wish ALL independent films were available in this manner.

This movie touches on a series of issues troubling America today seen thru the eyes of it's youth. The film shows us that problems in areas such as violence, guns, race issues and obesity are no longer limited to adults but play an active part amongst young people as well. The film centers around a group of 12 year old friends and their families. All with different problems which reflect on their parents short comings. The script is very well written and the acting is quite extraordinary throughout the entire film. The only real problem is that the movie feels a little too short, but perhaps it's better to quit while ones ahead. I'd recommend this film to anyone with an interest in human nature and all it's flaws.

This is a haunting coming-of-age film about children, bound by a common, shocking tragedy, who struggle to get on with life and overcome their own troubling problems. Despite the severity of issues conveyed in this film's overlapping vignettes, it never becomes melodramatic. Artful screen writing and direction infuse humor in the telling of these children's stories---stories rich with characters who are colorful, but never contrived. All of the children provide very genuine, endearing performances---essential if the audience is going to empathize with them and their disturbing behavior. This movie will frequently make you uncomfortable---very uncomfortable. But no matter how horrifying and even monstrous these children's actions may be, they never lose their appealing and disarming qualities as children. These are very cool kids, even the most troubled, who easily win your affection.

During the course of the movie, one of the children queries the others by asking, "Do you know ninety-percent of people's problems are due to their inability to get over the past?" All of these children will be faced with this challenge. You hope all will overcome this obstacle, but sadly, not all of them will or should be able to get over their past.

Twelve and Holding (2005) ***1/2

Twelve and Holding is filled with some of the best performances by young kids as I've seen in a long time. Michael Cuesta directs the film very nicely and the film approaches a difficult subject of how young kids deal with tragedy and death head on. Though the film doesn't rank up there with Come and See, Forbidden Games, or Grave of the Fireflies, this is still a wonderful and delicate addition to that genre. The material in this film could have easily been turned into a nightmarish exploitation picture, but its done just right and focuses intently on the reality of these kids situations.

Leonard's parents seem to be more caricatures than realistic, and there are some aspects of the screenplay which could have used some fine tuning, but overall Twelve and Holding is a powerful, heartbreaking and tragic film, handled oh so delicately by Cuesta and especially the young actors and some of the adults as well(especially Jeremy "Dags" Renner, who'da thunk it).

A very nice little film that deserved a much wider audience than it got.

3.5/4

The minute this film started playing, I was hooked. The story follows three 12 year olds who are the normal kind of kids you expect to bump into in your neighbourhood. Each has their own issues, as do all 12 year olds, and it is not till an immensely tragic death amongst them occurs, that they start confronting their issues and start trying to deal with them in their own way. Each very different. The story unravels beautifully and there are times you feel like you need to look away, and start squirming with unease and shock, and times you literally burst out laughing and then cry as well.. Well, I did anyway. I would highly recommend this to pretty much everyone I know, I cant believe it slipped through the net, and I have only just seen it. An absolute gem. To say it is like Stand By Me is a bold statement, but a deserved one. Its of the same calibre. Watch it.