I can't believe this movie is so underrated - it's unique, haunting and deeply depressing but gets to grips with the social, familial and romantic expectations put on an individual. The protagonist's need to excel is tormenting and the film perfectly encapsulates a sense of mounting pressure. The characters, both the boy who (seems) to have everything and those surrounding him, are vividly sketched. John Kirkland's relationship with his eccentric but overbearing mother steals the show, although his vacuous relationship with the girl next door is thought-provoking and sad. As a postgraduate student of literature, I have read many incredible works of art, and this film is up there with some of the best examples of artistic socio-psychological interrogation.
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