Delinquent

I just watched this film again for the first time since it came out in 1995. That it didn't find the broader audience it deserved back then always struck me as odd. It still holds up really well for a few reasons. It does a great job of conveying the pain of adolescents dealing with the messed up world foisted on them by uncaring adults who ought to know better - a scenario that all too many know all too well. The actors are utterly believable: you can't help feeling sorry for their characters as one poor decision after another leads to an unexpectedly violent ending. The film is brave enough to allow quiet moments to linger. These moments create the mounting tension which the audience knows has to lead to some sort of an explosion. Sure enough, when the stories of the two teens from opposite sides of the track merge, it inevitably leads to tragedy. The astute direction, camerawork and lighting are all spot-on - all credit to the director Peter Hall on what, as far as I can make out, was his only feature. The moody score by The Gang Of Four heightens the tension and drives the action. This is a film that still ought to find its way to a bigger audience.

Did he say something about an underwear fetish? A few minutes later I realise the boy's underwear fetish is central to the film's plot. The overstated arrogance of the kid's father is perhaps bearable, but once the promiscuous ex-teacher appears by chance, my jaw drops. The ideas could make a great John Waters film, but this is played straight, with stunningly wooden acting worthy of any porno. One of the most perplexing movies I've seen.

GRATEFUL and DELIGHTED that Peter Hall's marvelous DELINQUENT, here in Summer / Fall 2024, is back and bad and beautiful as ever; one of our favorite films of all time. We stand with our courageous, defiant young hero's explorations in the world and in the mirror, alone and with his pals, coming to desire, adventure, tragedy, salvation, rage, beauty, chaos. We celebrate Hall's gorgeous cinematography, the timeless score by THE GANG OF 4 and the gorgeous silences, the music of breeze and crickets, bull frog and water lily, and his perfect eye for mysterious mythology and symbolism. NOT TO BE MISSED !! RUN don't walk to catch DELINQUENT !

This is one of those movies that makes you initially think it's just another low budget, 90's horror/thriller. But, the more you watch it, the more you get pulled into the surreal, hyper pubescent world of a 15 year old boy brain. Having been one of those 15 year old boys, albeit many years ago, I could empathize with the main character's lonely but inquisitive existence. Granted, my father was not nearly as heinous as his, but there were certainly times when I found myself totally intolerant to eveything he said. The fantasies and dreams were remarkably similar to what would have been racing through a 15 year old's subconcious.

Before long, I found myself forgetting about the low budget production and amateurish acting and began believing the characters and truly engrossed in the story.

Kudos to Peter Hall for a well written plot that had me completely smiling at the end. This was no fantasy, this was truly something that could happen.

Oh, and did I mention the musical score, courtesy of Gang of Four? Every last nerve in my body was tingling to the screeching guitar and melancholy riffs. If you dont love this movie, you must be a snob. This is a workman like, blue collar movie that you wont soon forget.

Just caught up with this film after 'meeting' director/writer/producer Peter Christian Hall online through mutual friends. Peter is best known as a freelance writer based in New York who has written articles for the likes of Rolling Stone, the Village Voice and the New York Times, but here he shows a visual eye as well. The story features 15-year-old Tim whose mother killed herself and left her body for him to find, and whose father is a policeman in small-town New York where they have recently moved. Tim's father is also abusive and part of Tim's way of coping is through a fantasy life. Soon fantasy and reality merge, as Tim tries to deal with his situation. But it's not your typical coming-of-age movie. The story is told through interesting shots, dreams and fantasy sequences. And the direction is in very capable hands, especially for a first-time director who shows he knows a little something about making a film. The acting is more than adequate for a film shot on such a limited budget. And to top it all off, after meeting and interviewing Gang of Four for a publication, they watched the film and liked it enough to write the music, which perfectly fits the mood of the film. So bottom line, if you appreciate interesting, well-made independent Cinema, do yourself a favor and check this out. You won't regret it.