Bully

Larry Clark, USA, 2001, 113 minutes

Larry Clark, the writer/director of Kids, has a gift (or a fixation) for showing us the most unsettling things that ‘modern teenagers’ get up to. In Kids his topic was sex and drugs, as Clark gave a shocking portrayal of a day in the lives of some New York youths. Whilst Bully may not be as memorably shocking, it is much more chilling; particularly due to the fact that it is based on a true story of a group of Florida teens plotting to kill the local bully.

Clark selected a cast of young actors, some of whom seem to have been hand-picked to play his disaffected youth; Brad Renfro, who has had a number of drug antic/police run-ins, plays lead role of Marty alongside Rachel Miner, Macauley Culkin’s bride at 17 (divorced at 19) as Lisa. Miner particularly shines as the princess who slowly lets her true colours show. Whilst the cast may not have many credentials behind them and the performances are not as crisp as you’d like in parts, the director whirls his cast up into a convincing group of delinquents who really believe in what they are doing, thus drawing the audience in further.

This film received much in the way of critical plaudits for its unflinching view of what people are truly capable of, and whilst it may not be as slick as other efforts it is the brutality of the camera and near-documentary style that make it stand out. A cinematic masterpiece this film may not be, but it is certainly a memorable piece of film-making that will enthral and leave you wondering what people are capable of in this big wide world.

Review by Peter Thompson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2003