King Jack

Acting was good, soundtrack was good (though at times more uplifting than the moment deserved), tone was good, but overall it was too gritty for what it was, and there wasn't enough character growth or reason for the character growth. I don't know, maybe that's just the way "slice-of-life" movies tend to be. But it seemed possibly too overtly brutal - my dad watching it with me just walked away half way through when it became clear this was going to be just a lot of violent bullying, uncomfortable teen coed angst/drinking/fighting/smoking etc.

Overall I respect the movie - it was well done and I'll tell people about it, but I'm not about to full-heartedly recommend it or watch it again.

In Short: This is a gritty portrayal of the life of the "kid no one likes". We all knew someone like that in school. Like it or not, this is what the youth of today are like. The backstabbing, the violence, the pure hatred of rivals. It's real.

To survive adolescence nowadays, in an environment similar to Jack's, it's akin to going to war everyday. The methods of the bully may have changed over time, but the point of the bully remains the same: to scare and intimidate the bullied into submission.

Two things you may LIKE about "King Jack":

+ The acting; not just with script delivery but expressive emotions; to make this story really work, an actor needs to expose a part of them they may not like; kudos to Charlie Plummer (Jack) and Danny Flaherty (Shane). + The script; written and directed by Felix Thompson; if you were a bully or the bullied, this will trigger something in you.

Two things you may NOT LIKE about "King Jack":

+ The script; (see above) + The violence and aggression; it may be a little overboard and hard to believe at times.

Jack has had a hard life. He lost a father who adored him (offscreen), and finds himself the victim of a bully who himself used to be the whipping boy of Jack's older brother Tom. Jack's mother has a sister with of psychiatric problems, and it's inferred she attempted to commit suicide, and the husband of the sister calls to see if Jack's family can care for Jack's 12 year-old cousin, Ben.

At first, Jack is pretty cold towards Ben, but they soon warm to each other and even manage to have a little fun before the bully interferes. What comes after is a pretty decent flick with an ending that will leave a smile on your face.

A well acted drama about life in a American small-town for a teenage boy outcast.

What I like is that it holds nothing back, the characters feel very much real and the dialog is explicit and the darker themes are portrayed as ugly as they are in real life.

So although it is a movie about kids, it's not necessarily FOR kids. In fact some scenes are rather disturbing and of adult matter so one could argue the complete opposite.

The style of the movie is a bit reminiscent of David Gordon Green's indie-dramas and it will be interesting to see what the director Felix Thompson will do next, hopefully this movie will be his big break, it's certainly worthy of attention.

Good soundtrack as well.

This is best described as a 'coming of age' film I'd say. Whatever that really means. Ever notice that these films, if artily shot and well acted can get away with a lot?

This is in that category. What does it get away with? Well, a lead character who I think you're supposed to root for who really isn't all that likable. If you're not really meant to root for him the film is just a short glimpse of his life that doesn't really mean a great deal or lead anywhere. It's just a series of crappy events that he lives through for a few days.

Hazy summer shots skillfully photographed and easy on the ear melancholy songs help glide you along. But for me at the end I'm just wondering, well, why? Is there a point? No? Well at least it looked pretty.

You may as well watch 'Mud' for a masterful example in this genre