It's been a while ago since I've seen this one, but I still remember how well I liked it. It's hard to find movies like this, ones which don't feel like movies, where a bunch of life stuff happens which feels believable, and you're just along for the ride.
The directing was really good. The scenery was immersive. The acting from what I could tell (not my native language) seemed pretty great. All of the people felt like they fit their role. In other words, the one who was supposed to be the tough one looked the part. The one who played the wimp, looked like the biggest dork. The father, especially. The mother, and even the sister. Even the boys they fought felt like they genuinely fit the part. The fight scenes felt like real stuff that could happen. I didn't feel myself thinking, "yeah right". Pretty much everything felt believable, and like I was watching more of a documentary than a movie.
Now, this is my kind of movie. I like movies which don't feel like a movie. I like that "being there" vibe. I want to feel like a fly on the wall. This film delivers that, and I don't think there was one scene I didn't feel that way in. It doesn't try to hype up a bunch of fluff, or influence you to feel a certain way about it. It just presents some scenes where the sequence of events tell the story. Even when some extreme events occur, it fits the context, and feels believable.
It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. So, if you're looking for larger than life caricatures, epic worlds, elaborate costumes, distorted reality, exciting stunts or scary monsters, then you'll likely miss the whole point.
Some other things I remember being interesting:
I found myself wondering what happened to that boy's face, and they didn't tell us straight away. The way it was finally revealed was woven into the narrative in a way which felt natural. It didn't feel like they were showing you this so you would know. It felt like I was one of the boys in the scene, and just as curious as they were. When they reacted to the story, it mirrored how I felt inside.
I also like the way the drug scenes felt. The actors didn't act like they were trying to act high. It just felt like they were high, and behaving the way that high people act.
There was a tragic scene at the end where something was done to one of the boys, and it actually felt believable. The way that the boy was shaken by it felt genuine.
The weakest part of the film was the revenge scene with the father. Although, it wasn't bad at all. It made sense in context, and didn't feel too predictable. I managed to feel a bit surprised by it, and not in a way where it just felt like that because it didn't fit. The fallout afterwards made me feel upset.
The ending wasn't what I'd hoped, and felt a little short, but it didn't disappoint. The circumstances which led to it were, but not the acting or storyline. It worked, and was a nice way to finish the sequence of events.
On a more personal note, I like that it had some really attractive actors in it. Somehow, that always makes the characters feel more believable. I feel more engaged in the sequence of events, as well as immersed in that world. Probably, because I actually want to be there, and with them. It helps me to connect. Plus, I really don't care to stare at ugly boys acting stupid. Having attractive actors makes even the dumbest stuff they do seem more interesting. I mean, even the wimpy boy is sorta cute, in an awkward way. It helps me feel sorry for him, and want things to turn out OK. However, it's also fun to watch him suffer. There's nothing fun about watching an ugly freak suffer. It's almost too much.
There don't seem to be enough movies like this. That's tragic, because I could get lost in stories like this all day long. Afterwards, I feel like I lived that experience, and those are my memories. It's the sort of memories I've experienced in my own real life. It makes my life feel like it's been even more interesting and memorable. It deepens my experience of being human, and a guy. It makes me miss the good ole days, when I was wild like that. It makes me want to go and do some more guy things, and get into even more hijinks.
I hope they make more good movies which feel like memories and not movies.
