(Possible Spoilers)
This movie was shot for about $40,000 from what I hear, and to be honest, it shows it in some spots, with some focus problems in a classroom scene, and an editing screw up in a confrontation scene between the two boys at Ryan's house, but aside from these few technical glitches, this movie is, quite frankly, brilliant. Periera's story is just a study in parch realism, and the amateurish look of the movie only adds to it's reality, as it feels unpolished, unfiltered. This is a study in violence and rage and where they come from. Robert DiPatri is adequate in the lead role of Barrett, but this movie is clearly a showcase for Eion Bailey. I'd been a fan of Bailey's for his small performances in Fight Club, Almost Famous, and as Pvt. David Webster on HBO's remarkable mini-series Band of Brothers, but I was simply not prepared for his performance in this movie. As Ryan, the troubled, lonely teen with a history of violence who befriends Barrett, Bailey makes this film entirely his own with a gritty, blazing performance that sent chills down my spine. Watching the quite rage build within him as the film progresses, and seeing that anger finally spill out in the film's bloody climax, I was unable to take my eyes off of this brilliant young actor. I eagerly await Periera's next project, as well as Bailey's next performance.
This movie was shot for about $40,000 from what I hear, and to be honest, it shows it in some spots, with some focus problems in a classroom scene, and an editing screw up in a confrontation scene between the two boys at Ryan's house, but aside from these few technical glitches, this movie is, quite frankly, brilliant. Periera's story is just a study in parch realism, and the amateurish look of the movie only adds to it's reality, as it feels unpolished, unfiltered. This is a study in violence and rage and where they come from. Robert DiPatri is adequate in the lead role of Barrett, but this movie is clearly a showcase for Eion Bailey. I'd been a fan of Bailey's for his small performances in Fight Club, Almost Famous, and as Pvt. David Webster on HBO's remarkable mini-series Band of Brothers, but I was simply not prepared for his performance in this movie. As Ryan, the troubled, lonely teen with a history of violence who befriends Barrett, Bailey makes this film entirely his own with a gritty, blazing performance that sent chills down my spine. Watching the quite rage build within him as the film progresses, and seeing that anger finally spill out in the film's bloody climax, I was unable to take my eyes off of this brilliant young actor. I eagerly await Periera's next project, as well as Bailey's next performance.