Larry Clark's fall from grace
Larry Clark is a genius. He's probably the only director I have ever seen who can create a frank and understanding portrayal of modern teenage promiscuity and the issues of youth today without turning his films into a porn orgy. Kids was a commendable effort, and Bully was a superb film. Which led me to pick this up, having never heard of it, for the cheap rate of 5. Clark had, until now, focused on teenage melodrama, and this little foray into sci-fi/horror looked interesting.
At least it was until I realised what had happened. The concept itself is interesting - Clark, fond of examining the behaviour of teenagers without the rule of law, has attempted to create a society that forms an ideal background to test the behaviour of a number of teenagers who live in a society where there is literally are no laws. And for the first half an hour, it looks promising.
Even the ensuing bathtub and sofa orgies didn't reduce my curiosity. These scenes are lifeless and directionless, and seem to serve no purpose than to allow the actors to show as much bare flesh as possible. But I was hoping that this was going to take us somewhere. Teenagers from a society where sex is banned, launched into one where sex is free.
Sadly, after around half an hour, you realise that in fact, it isn't going anywhere. The film turns into a pointless gore and fleshfest which revels in killing off characters in the most disgusting and tasteless ways possible, interspersed with sex scenes that are only vaguely explained away in the plot. None of the characters are developed into anything worth considering.
The film feels like Larry Clark's work for the first half an hour or so, before the gorefest begins and you don't recognise it anymore - perhaps a case of studio interference. In any case, it's a blemish on Clark's record that won't be easy to remove.
At least it was until I realised what had happened. The concept itself is interesting - Clark, fond of examining the behaviour of teenagers without the rule of law, has attempted to create a society that forms an ideal background to test the behaviour of a number of teenagers who live in a society where there is literally are no laws. And for the first half an hour, it looks promising.
Even the ensuing bathtub and sofa orgies didn't reduce my curiosity. These scenes are lifeless and directionless, and seem to serve no purpose than to allow the actors to show as much bare flesh as possible. But I was hoping that this was going to take us somewhere. Teenagers from a society where sex is banned, launched into one where sex is free.
Sadly, after around half an hour, you realise that in fact, it isn't going anywhere. The film turns into a pointless gore and fleshfest which revels in killing off characters in the most disgusting and tasteless ways possible, interspersed with sex scenes that are only vaguely explained away in the plot. None of the characters are developed into anything worth considering.
The film feels like Larry Clark's work for the first half an hour or so, before the gorefest begins and you don't recognise it anymore - perhaps a case of studio interference. In any case, it's a blemish on Clark's record that won't be easy to remove.
- jamyskis
- Dec 20, 2005