BULLY
PLOT-The true story of a group of Florida teenagers who murder an abusive friend.
VIOLENCE-Several graphic beatings are shown, a person is repeatedly stabbed, and a throat is cut.
SEX/NUDITY-Nearly all the main characters are shown fully nude and having sex frequently throughout the film.
WHY I LIKED IT-I was one of the few people who sat through Larry Clark's 1995 film KIDS in the theater, and walked out thinking it was incredible. His style is unmistakable, he has a way of using the camera to get across the emotion of a scene. Plus, he doesn't shy away from explicit sex or violence, which Hollywood prefers to dance around and sugar coat as we all know. If I could describe BULLY in one word, it'd be "honest". The film is based on actual events that occurred in Florida in 1993, and follows the excellent book about the crime (BULLY: A TRUE STORY OF HIGH SCHOOL REVENGE by Jim Schutze) almost exactly. The acting is all superb, as is the direction and camera work. Some may find the film upsetting, but Clark tells it like it is. Murder is not glamorous or pretty. It's fucked up. And, fittingly, so is this movie! These days, everbody wants to ingore or shy away from the subject of teen violence, and that is a shame. Confronting the issue is a great step towards solving the problem.
DOWNSIDE-Although the actress that plays the part of Lisa is incredible, I think it was wrong to cast a thin girl to portray someone who was overweight in real life. Anyone who read the book (or is familiar with the crime) knows that Lisa went to extremes to protect Marty from Bobby because of her own self-esteem issues. She'd never had a boyfriend because of her looks, and she went way overboard once she finally got into a relationship. Unfortunately this doesn't come across as well with a thin actress, and the point kind of gets missed.
MEMORABLE SCENES-The parts where Bobby hits Marty are extremely realistic. Anyone who has been part of or witness to an abusive friendship/relationship cannot deny that Clark and his actors do an amazing job at bringing this across on screen. It's almost too hard to watch.
NOTES-I could've sworn the DVD said it contained a comentary track by Clark, but it doesn't. But there are plenty of interviews with him and the cast though. Also, the film is unrated, so don't be misled by the note that says "theatrical version" on the box. As a side note, Clark directed an episode of Showtime's cable series "Creature Features" in October 2001. It was called "Teenage Caveman", and it was freaky as hell. Very sexual, very violent, and yet sci-fi at the same time. If you're a fan, don't miss it.