At least this movie wasn't boring. There was never a dull moment in this mess which might convince many viewers to overrate it. Fortunately dear reader I am not such a viewer.
I enjoyed this movie while watching. Perhaps I would have rated it higher if not for the ending which I shall not spoil, not that very much would be spoilt in any case, but I won't spoil. I would have rated it higher if my enjoyment was less derived from pure voyeurism and more from well developed characters and a terrific story. This is the kind of film that's well directed and acted enough to resemble art but depraved and disgusting enough to appeal to the voyeur in us, so we can excuse ourselves for sitting through it. The artistic elements did not outweigh the negatives, as you shall see in the following paragraph.
The situations in the film were just not funny, and thus in no sense can this be called a comedy. Pedophilia is especially not very humorous. There were scenes that I found to be quite gripping between a pedophiliac father and his son but they belong in a much better film, not in a film that turns everything into a joke with an ending that made me mad. Everything here deserves a better ending, perhaps a more tragic ending, but at least a conclusion that wraps everything up in a way befitting a drama and less befitting a Jim Carrey comedy.
There also just isn't much substance here. Characters make obscene phone calls. They have sick fantasies. They hurt others and themselves. The lesson that loneliness and desperation breed perversion is hammered into our heads with one shock after another. We learn that seemingly banal and normal families have skeletons. We learn that a child masturbating is funny. We learn all of his and more, but what is the point? Don't waste your time here trying to find one. It's all shock and no substance. The material is better handled in "American Beauty", a more mainstream and also flawed but far superior film.
If "American Beauty" is rented out or something, or there is nothing else on cable, watch this. You won't be bored but you certainly will not be enlightened.
On another note, I very strongly recommend the director's prior film, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" which is quite easily one of the greatest and most perceptive movies about teenagers.
I enjoyed this movie while watching. Perhaps I would have rated it higher if not for the ending which I shall not spoil, not that very much would be spoilt in any case, but I won't spoil. I would have rated it higher if my enjoyment was less derived from pure voyeurism and more from well developed characters and a terrific story. This is the kind of film that's well directed and acted enough to resemble art but depraved and disgusting enough to appeal to the voyeur in us, so we can excuse ourselves for sitting through it. The artistic elements did not outweigh the negatives, as you shall see in the following paragraph.
The situations in the film were just not funny, and thus in no sense can this be called a comedy. Pedophilia is especially not very humorous. There were scenes that I found to be quite gripping between a pedophiliac father and his son but they belong in a much better film, not in a film that turns everything into a joke with an ending that made me mad. Everything here deserves a better ending, perhaps a more tragic ending, but at least a conclusion that wraps everything up in a way befitting a drama and less befitting a Jim Carrey comedy.
There also just isn't much substance here. Characters make obscene phone calls. They have sick fantasies. They hurt others and themselves. The lesson that loneliness and desperation breed perversion is hammered into our heads with one shock after another. We learn that seemingly banal and normal families have skeletons. We learn that a child masturbating is funny. We learn all of his and more, but what is the point? Don't waste your time here trying to find one. It's all shock and no substance. The material is better handled in "American Beauty", a more mainstream and also flawed but far superior film.
If "American Beauty" is rented out or something, or there is nothing else on cable, watch this. You won't be bored but you certainly will not be enlightened.
On another note, I very strongly recommend the director's prior film, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" which is quite easily one of the greatest and most perceptive movies about teenagers.