The Babysitters

This is what I look for in independent film. Well drawn characters, competent movie making, and a pleasing ambiguity that a big studio wouldn't dare leave in, lest the audience actually decide how to feel for themselves. The guys are great - desperate, sleazy, charming, funny and sad. The girls are also portrayed fairly - scheming, sweet, sexy and innocent. Leguizamo's character is believable to me as an aging playa, chafing against middle age and lusting for Waterson's Shirley. And Shirley is the best on-screen pimp in recent memory. To be fair: things unfold a little quickly, people accept their situations a little easier than they might in real life, but this is a pretty short movie, and throwing in more angst would be overkill and overlong on screen. No one comes away clean, and no one comes away as the absolute bad guy. Moral absolutes would kill this film, and I'm glad it got made the way it did.

This movie is both entertaining and highly unsatisfying; as unsure of itself as the teenage girls it depicts. There does not seem to be an overall direction and there is little in terms of a climax. No pun intended, because the frequent sex scenes are among the film's most entertaining sequences.

Almost every act committed by those in the film is immoral, illegal, or a terrible mixture of the two. Grown adults, ranging from lonely elderly perverts to unhappily married businessmen, purchase time with teenage girls running a prostitution ring disguised as a babysitting business. The film attempts to focus on the internal struggle of both the men and girls involved, but does little to form any kind of moral compass along the way. As the movie progresses, you grow to dislike the greedy ringleader as well as the married men her clique sleeps with.

Due to the lack of a leading protagonist, we are left with no one to cheer for. The only thing to look forward to is some kind of justice, some kind of reprehension or punishment for the acts committed. That does not happen. The ending is, to say the least, highly disappointing and resolves no questions nor concludes the movie properly.

This is the kind of film that demands a satisfying ending, but in the end, the viewer is left with more questions than answers. As far as we know, everyone involved manages to forget about the ordeal and move on. Perhaps the viewer should do the same with this film.

Just saw this film at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). The director was there and participated in the Q&A. The film was entertaining, I'll give it that much, however the major problems stem from it just doesn't feel like the film-making team really knew what kind of film they wanted to make. The tone is muddled and therefore you're never really sure how to feel about most of the situations. The sex scenes are probably the most interesting of the film, and mostly because that's really the only time where we really see the characters and what they're going through. Cynthia Nixon and John Leguzamo play a married couple, and although they're both cast well and play the parts well I find it very hard to believe them as a couple at all. I think that the writing and portrayal of their characters is fine, it just doesn't fit. The director/writer seems to prefer going after internal conflict rather than external, the main problem is that in the end we never really get a sense of how this whole story has affected everyone. We're left on a very vague not that I think hurts the film more than helps it. That and it kinda/sorta felt like a newer take on 'Pizza Boy' with Patrick Dempsy (and from a marketing point MILFS are way more interesting than... oh my... FILFs?)

OK, there is something slightly sleazy about watching a movie featuring high school girls making money providing sex to dads.

Michael (John Leguizamo) and his wife (Cynthia Nixon) are falling into routine, and she is not interested in his hobby. His job is becoming a bore. He and the babysitter (Katherine Waterston) fall into an illicit relationship.

Soon, Shirly (Waterston) gets her friends into babysitting for $200 a pop and takes a cut.

One of the girls (Louisa Krause) wants out and things go to hell.

Waterston was really good, and I always enjoy Leguizamo in anything he does.

I loved the characters though I did wish that the movie didn't end so fast, I would have loved to see someone's wife find out. There are a lot of interesting and sleazy events taking place in this film and oddly enough you'll find yourself glued to the seat begging for more craziness to happen as the story line unfolds. This film is dramatically insane with hot romances and yet its a little disturbing once you factor in the age and lives that they lead. These girls are not your typical high school students, don't expect anything but slightly tamed adult material from this flick. This movie in my opinion is a must see, and most definitely not for people with an open mind.