Bully (2001)

Directed by Larry Clark / Written by Zachary Long & Roger Pullis
Starring Brad Renfro, Bijou Phillips, Rachel Miner and Nick Stahl
113 min / Lions Gate / Unrated
Retail: $24.99 / Street: $21

Not a single thing to say

Bully is another film from Larry Clark, so from the outset, you know what to expect. He's controversial, but here more than Kids, the movie is comprised closely designed plot. It's the true story of high school kids who plotted to kill one of their friends - a bully.

The script here is invisible, no fancy speeches, no big words, simple and to the point. Bully is a movie written like people actually talk. Like his other films, Clark's Bully is loosely shot and naturally acted. It was especially surprising was to see Kids Leo Fitzpatrick, playing a neighborhood hitman. His starring role in Kids was ten years before Bully, so it's interesting to see how he's progressed as an actor.

The rest of the cast is unarguably talented, the highlight being Nick Stahl as the titular bully. His performance is one mixed with anger, sadness and fear, rolled up with a vulnerability that only suggests what simmers below.

The film ramps up to it's pivotal climax and releases in gurgles and spurts. This scene feels so raw and emotional, that it trembles with nervous energy. You can actually believe that the story happened just the way it's portrayed here. It's amazingly disturbing, and although it's no more graphic than other scenes of its type, it feels all the more uncomfortable because it's an act committed by excited and confused teenagers.

The sex and nudity in Bully is very prevalent but never really feels gratuitous. It establishes the full range of these character and their emotional states. There's lots of reflections (quite literally with characters often looking at their unclothed selves in the mirror.)

Let's be clear about something: if you're the kind of person that turns on the V-chip in your TV, then there's no reason why you would watch this movie. But for those of you that enjoy confrontational and complex movies, this is a perfect choice.

Movie Grade: A-

Video Grade: 3 out of 5
Low budget movie, a little grainy and a little shaky. Again, I forgive. It's shot in a vérité style so it looks just like a documentary. It only adds to the impact the realism of the movie.
Anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1

Blood Brothers

Audio Grade: 4 out of 5
Looks like I'm back to my old antics. The audio is nothing to speak of although the music is nicely mixed particularly in some of the more suspenseful scenes. What is good is the music only track, which for us real film nerds, is a blessing. It gives a good primer on the way scenes are swayed by the music. Often all it takes to make a scene suspenseful is a little tune.
English (Dolby 5.1)

Extras and Misc: 2 out of 5
All in all, not much. Just a few scattered cast and director interviews which run a total of about 20 minutes. Nothing that really takes a look into the book or the true story of what happened. I'll count the aforementioned music only track as an extra. The disc is a single disc in a keepcase.

Overall: 3 out of 5
If you enjoyed any of Larry Clark's other films or are a fan of the teen crime suspense sub-genre, this is the film for you. All others stay away - lots of nakedness, violence and cursing within.

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