Dare

Alexa Walker (Emmy Rossum) is a stressed-out high school drama geek. To her dismay, she's paired up with jock Johnny Drake (Zach Gilford) who doesn't care about their acting assignment. Even worst, former student and star actor Grant Matson (Alan Cumming) is impressed with him rather than her. She spirals downwards and ends up in detention with Johnny. She goes to her friend Courtney (Rooney Mara)'s party and has sex with Johnny. Her best friend Ben Berger (Ashley Springer) gets jealous. This becomes a series of sexual experimentations.

The structure of this movie is divided in three. The first part follows Alexa, the second part follows Ben, and the third part follows Johnny. It leaves the flow disjointed and the emotions disconnected. Alexa's part is standard high school drama. I really like her scene with Cumming. The Ben part is uncertain. By the time it's Johnny's part, I am lost emotionally with Alexa. The three leads are relatively good. Gilford puts up the most compelling performance. This film has an awkward, uncertain tone that keeps it from finding its feet.

I only give this film a 6 because, having seen the short-form original on the BOYS LIFE 5 DVD compilation, I generally prefer it over this feature film. The only point in this film's favor is that it develops the character of Johnny Drake, who was virtually raised in an emotional vacuum. The creators totally blow the ending of this film, by not having Johnny develop a relationship with either Alexa or Ben that satisfies his desire to be loved. The short-form film never touches on this theme, and I believe is better because of it. That film at least leaves the viewer wondering what might happen in the future with Ben, but neither film leaves the viewer with a satisfactory resolution. Believe me, the version of the story told in 20 minutes works better from a cinematic perspective that this drawn-out version of the same story.

Unique coming of age drama about three high school seniors and the shady relationship that develops between them. Alexa is a wannabe actress who becomes uncomfortable at the very mention of sex. She hangs out with her childhood friend Ben, who's only friend is Alexa. They're both in drama class (Ben handles the stage lights) with Johnny, the most popular jock in school. He's only there because he has to be, much to the chagrin of Alexa since he's her acting partner. Following a truly rotten performance, a popular actor gives Alexa a piece of his mind, basically telling her that only through proper life experience will she ever have a remote chance of being a good actress. Devastated, she decides to get some experience through Johnny while perhaps escalating their on-stage chemistry in the process. None of this sits well with Ben, who has his own encounter with Johnny. It all leads to an unexpected triangle where the most unlikely person might wind up getting hurt.

Early on, I figured this would be your typical quirky teen indie, but it takes a turn into darker territory. It ends up taking on a more psychological route as it tackles themes of discovering yourself sexually and popularity sometimes only being skin deep. Emmy Rossum, who hasn't been in many films worthy of her talent, is solid as the naive good girl turned manipulative user. The change in her character may be a little abrupt, but she handles it well. Saying that, I still think the writers could've spent more time gradually exploring her transformation. Ashley Springer is okay as Ben, but his character turns into too much of a perverse oddball by film's end. Good choice for the role of outsider, though. The real star of the picture is Zach Gilford of Friday Night Lights fame. He gives a layered turn as the tortured Johnny. It's a very different role from his awkward, somewhat shy FNL character, and he shows that he has the depth to pull it off. Rooney Mara also makes an impression as Courtney, Alexa's best friend. Looking at her IMDb page after viewing this film, I was very surprised to see that she's playing Nancy in the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake.

While the acting is mostly strong, I will say that Alexa and Ben are hard to relate to as the film goes on. Again, a little more time on their transformations would have been nice. The ending also leaves something to be desired. It just isn't wrapped up in a very satisfying manner. As it stands, Dare is far from great. The story and characters both could have been better developed, but I'd say it's worth a look for those who don't mind teen dramas that are a bit off of the beaten path.

I would recommend this film for anyone who finds themselves interested in sexuality in general or especially teen sexual awakenings. The plot itself is not extremely gripping but the actors bring a certain raw, candid look at "graduating" adolescence and embarking upon the lifelong trip of finding one's identity.

Those who wish a typical Hollywood or status quo film experience should stay away from this one as it's quite creative and caters to those seeking intellectual or romantic pondering. So while this film is indeed interesting the average movie-watcher may find it lacking for entertainment value.

'Dare' is pretty much what you'd expect from a low-budget indie film: Lazy direction and pretentious storytelling. The standards for indie films are pretty low and this movie is one of those movies that does nothing to change that.

Every character pits him or herself into the perfect mold of dramatic archetypes (minor roles included). The female lead, Alexa, played by a modest Emmy Rossum, is your typical high school overachiever who breaks out of her shell after a moment of foreseeable clarity. Playing a character that's easy to hate, Emmy works well with the distasteful card she was dealt. Ashley Springer's character Ben, however, doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. The unyielding character is completely unlikable throughout the whole movie and he falls victim to being portrayed by an inconsistent actor. Johnny Drake, the biggest cliché of film history, is the only likable character. Zach Gilford shows range in his acting abilities by breaking away from his awkward roles to play the "bad boy" with a heart of gold.

Everything about this movie reeks of presumptuous "raw" perspectives of teen life and sexuality. Unfortunately, the unapologetic principle that drives the plot forward isn't enough to save it from the dull progression, simple dialogue and contradictory character development. The writer, David Brind, gives me the impression that he wrote this script overnight with help from a 13 year old companion of his.

The film is directed by Adam Salky, who's lack of any relevant experience is evident. The atmosphere of the film is nonexistent. The characters had might as well been in subspace. Salky does absolutely nothing to build an environment for the viewers. Mid-shots are as close as we get to a setting. The worst part is that the movie tries to feed off that false feeling of genuine temperance with its weary direction. It didn't work.

I do, however, applaud Brind for having the courage to portray sexuality in ways that mainstream writers are scared to (even in today's more open-minded society). Unfortunately, all applauds come to an abrupt pause as the credits roll. The ending is yet another "profound" attempt at open-endings. Don't get me wrong. I don't always need everything wrapped together with a pretty little bow but there's only so many gaps that a viewer should fill on his own, don't ya think?