My Name Is 'A' by Anonymous

From its clumsy,pretentious title to its attempts to combine John cassavetes cinema verite shooting style with a Jim van bebber esque trash aesthetic, Shane Ryan reid 's 2012 low budget movie based on real events is definitely an exercise in trying way to hard. Dialogue is delivered with zero conviction by the young and inexperienced cast and the murder aside, the movie has no real direction, Thanks to a seemingly non existent screenplay. Resembling more a promising film student effort than a fully fledged professional production thanks to its numerous technical and creative setbacks, those interested in the bustamante case would be best served by the countless news stories available on the web about the case. A few well captured arty shots and the tasteful placement of Moody music will never be a substitute for quality all round movie making.

This is a rare movie to find on DVD but I was able to grab it at an underground indie horror and genre film shop near my house in CT. Usually when I buy a movie(which is very often, maybe too often), I watch it within a day or two. However, this movie sat for a couple of years. There has been multiple good wild eye releases even though they are all microbudget films, some with out any budget to even speak of. One of their releases, "Final Entries: The Video Diaries of Maddie O" is another rare film and is, in my opinion, one of the scariest found footage movies ever made. It's cheap, it's grainy, it's bizarre and creepy, it ACTUALLY HAD a story. This is where I say, "My Name is A" is beeeyond terrible. Could possibly be the single worst film I've ever seen. I started watching it last night but turned it off after 33mins, only to resume it this morning just to see how it played out because the actual case this movie is built around is quite interesting and very disturbing. The movie doesn't even relate to the actual crime AT ALL. The movie tries to portray this corny vision of wasted youth or urban decay but falls flat on its face within minutes of the film's start. The story doesn't do the crime justice. There is no narrative to speak of, as the movie ATTEMPTS to be some kind of cheap version of "Gummo" but instead comes off idiotic, immature, and poorly conceived. At least in "Gummo" we were engaged. There was scenes tying the film together as a whole unit even with the glimpses into random characters lives. This movie has too many characters that aren't explained. By the end of the film we realize these girls are all damaged in their own way and living out their own personal hells but it's too little too late. In real life the murder was committed by one girl, Alyssa Bustamante, yet the movie shows her as a side character if you will. Some butt ugly anorexic girl gets the most screen time but who even is this girl? A family member? A friend? Some random nasty chick? I've seen some real bad movies but it's rare to never that I stop a film due to its awfulness. The last one was the after dark horror fest movie "Unearthed" which was equally awful in a different way. There is no explaining here, no flow, and no story what so ever. This movie did not do the actual case justice as this movie seems too nasty and amateur. This story should be done by someone with actual talent. Someone who actually knows how the case really went down. It should play out in traditional movie format with aerial shots of a shanty town and drone shots of the deep wooded area where the murder took place. There should be more dialogue and dialogue that makes sense for that matter. Ultimately, this IS a rare movie so if you find it for a dollar or two, pick it up, just to own it. However, I would not recommend watching it as it is a total waste of time. Let it sit and rot on your shelf where it belongs. Shane Ryan is an awful director with no future.

My Name Is 'A' by Anonymous is unlike others. It captures emotion, good and bad. Reading reviews I noticed many people just look at the "amateur" film style and how "messed up it is". The film tackles real world issues, but is portrayed as characters. This movie is brutal and sad, there's no confusion there. The only reason I haven't rated it 10 stars is because it isn't much like the true crime committed by Alyssa Bustamante. Many people get confused when they see her name on the movie cover, and then watch it and don't see much resemblance.

Regardless, My Name Is 'A' by Anonymous is a 9 star worth film. People who rated it lower probably didn't understand the movie personally. I would completely recommend it to people who can stomach dark topics and disturbing imagery. A great film.

When you hear that this film is about the real-life murder committed by Alyssa Bustamante, you'd probably think that the film would center around that event. And you'd be wrong. Instead this movie tries to explore "who is Alyssa Bustamante?" and I'm not sure how much if any of it is accurate.

The weird thing is that the movie has a lot of awkward sequences that seem to be there to pad out the length, and don't seem to in any way service the story. At one point there's a really awkward shower scene, and at the halfway point in the movie we have to watch a music video in what I assume to be Russian?

The real story of Alyssa Bustamante is disturbing on its own, and it would have been better to tell the story of the actual events. The lying, the manipulation. Pretending to help look for her victim, all the while keeping entries in her diary about the thrill she got from it. That would have been good subject matter for a documentary of a murder. Instead we follow a girl with a terminal obsession with Russia.

Honestly, I would recommend to avoid this.

Where does one even start with a film such as this? I guess the first business at hand is this is not the typical horror film, although it is horrific at points in its own way. This is not a "for fun" film, you wont be popping up some corn and plopping down in your favorite chair and settling in for a good time. Instead you will be drawn into a strange dreamy harsh experience, that will captivate and move you, sometimes in ways you may not like. And one more word to the wise this is not a film that impressionable children need to be around, I was warned and appreciated the heads up once I watched so I extend the same to you. 

Shane Ryans film is loosely based on an actual murder case, involving the death of 9 year old  Elizabeth Olten, at the hands of her neighbor (also a child of 15  when she murdered Elizabeth) Alyssa Bustamante. That being said this  film is not the typical "based on" movie, it doesn't try to follow the the "facts" of the crime per Se, it includes a few points but the film isn't a direct interpretation of the crime itself, more of a slice of life look at the society that may have helped create the situation internally that led to the act.  

The film follows Bustamante and "The Sidekick", as they torment her little brother, video tape themselves in various angry teen-aged moments, including scenes of self mutilation in the form of "cutting". However they are not the only characters we watch. There are a several other key players including "The Angst" and "The Performer". It is at times almost difficult to watch but yet stunningly beautiful all at once. It is a film filled with a sad stark reality of mental illness, cruelty, anorexia, isolation, despair, rape and murder. There are moments when the reality of the film is so gripping its hard not to turn away. on occasion I felt almost as though I was peeking through someones window watching their pained lives unfold, which is a credit to both the acting and the directing of this film. 

Please do not get me wrong, I think this is a BRILLIANT film. It does what it is meant to, it makes you think, it creates a conversation, and it most definitely stays with you.  Shane Ryan creates a beautifully haunting film.  The cinematography is stunning, Shane Ryan finds a sad strange beauty in a very morose macabre subject. Its dreamy, and ethereal, in a nightmare sort of way. The score is absolutely amazing, and lends itself to the very  strong mood to the film.  Whatever budget Mr. Ryan had he used extremely well, as the film looks and feels much more produced than I am sure the budget would suggest. 

This is a film that will haunt you with its realism, if you feel nothing while watching this then someone needs to call 911 because you are dead inside. I highly recommend this film if you are looking for something outside the normal horror genre to watch, or if you are a fan of "arthouse"  films. It truly is a work of ART, a film of macabre beauty, hats off to you Shane Ryan!