MOVIE REVEIW: BULLY

Bully - 2001

Director - Larry Clark

Starring - Brad Renfro, Bijou Phillips, Michael Pitt, Nick Stahl, Rachel Miner

Screenplay - Jim Schutze (Book), Zachory Long, Roger Pullis

Plot - A true story of a group of teens who kill their friend who bully's, torments and degrades them.

Bully is a film directed by controversial film director Larry Clark who directed Kids (1995) and Ken Park (2002).  He is a director that casually uses teen sex, drug and alcohol use and violence frequently through his films and Bully is no exception.

What interested me to finally see this film was the fact that it was based on a true story - the murder of Bobby Kent. True crime interests me and knowing it was a Larry Clark film it would be an interesting take on the story.

Okay, what I thought of the film.. it was pretty good.  I don't think I have ever seen a film with more nudity or sex in it, but it was a good film.  The acting was alright, Clark casted kids that were relatively unknown to make the film seem more realistic, which worked.  But the thing letting down the realistic value of the film was the amount of unrealistic sex that is presented in this film, yes I have been a teenage and yes I have had my wild nights but come on, get real, shit like that does not go down.

Brad Renfro (RIP) was the best actor in the film, he played the character of Marty very well and had many shirtless scenes which I didn't mind.  Rachel Miner played his girlfriend Lisa, she pissed me off the whole film I hated her, I don't know if it was the directors intention for the audience to hate her but gee wiz, by the end of it I wanted to punch her. Everyone else was okay.

The story flowed and developed nicely and everything was summed up in the end, nothing unfulfilled.  It was a good story to tell and I'm glad it was told.

Best Part: The development of the story.
Worse Part: Too much sex.
Memorable Quote: Derek: [shouts] Hey listen, fucker, I only helped carry the body 'cause that mafia motherfucker was gonna beat the shit out of me!

6.5/10