Mean Creek (2004, Estes) *** (of *****)
(Review has a few spoilers, but none ruin any important plot points)
The feature-length directorial debut of Jacob Aaron Estes (He made a short film in 2001) is an interesting, but flawed film. Estes does a good job of doing away with the usual clichés and stereotypes in these kind of films -- for instance, one of the characters has homosexual parents, but they aren't portrayed in a feminine way, they are actually the most caring and responsible in the whole film. The other parents in the film are either dead or irresponsible. The director could have easily made them be the prototypical gay couple like you'd see in many other movies. The film also tackles death, bullying, and adolescence very well. The photography is stunning, it is filmed on DV, with cinematography by Sharon Meir. The music in the film is great, too -- Mos Def, Wilco, The Eels. However, with all the good things the film has going for it, it also suffers from a number of faults. Most noticeably, the pacing. At 87 minutes, you'd expect the film the move really quickly and be tightly paced, but it isn't. At times, there are long stretches of nothing, just the kids sitting or staring into space. You could remove at least 15 minutes off of the film and not loose anything. Another problem with the film is the character development -- characters are built-up and then they do something which makes you question why you even cared for the character in the first place. Although the end of the film offers some closure, I had already stopped caring about the fate of the characters and where they would be headed. The best performances in the film are by Josh Peck and Scott Mechlowicz. Both were really complex, believable performances. Mean Creek is a good, ambitious indie film, but nothing more. I would recommend renting it, it's definitely worth watching, but by the time the film ending, I was left unsatisfied. There is something missing in the film, I just wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is.
(Review has a few spoilers, but none ruin any important plot points)
The feature-length directorial debut of Jacob Aaron Estes (He made a short film in 2001) is an interesting, but flawed film. Estes does a good job of doing away with the usual clichés and stereotypes in these kind of films -- for instance, one of the characters has homosexual parents, but they aren't portrayed in a feminine way, they are actually the most caring and responsible in the whole film. The other parents in the film are either dead or irresponsible. The director could have easily made them be the prototypical gay couple like you'd see in many other movies. The film also tackles death, bullying, and adolescence very well. The photography is stunning, it is filmed on DV, with cinematography by Sharon Meir. The music in the film is great, too -- Mos Def, Wilco, The Eels. However, with all the good things the film has going for it, it also suffers from a number of faults. Most noticeably, the pacing. At 87 minutes, you'd expect the film the move really quickly and be tightly paced, but it isn't. At times, there are long stretches of nothing, just the kids sitting or staring into space. You could remove at least 15 minutes off of the film and not loose anything. Another problem with the film is the character development -- characters are built-up and then they do something which makes you question why you even cared for the character in the first place. Although the end of the film offers some closure, I had already stopped caring about the fate of the characters and where they would be headed. The best performances in the film are by Josh Peck and Scott Mechlowicz. Both were really complex, believable performances. Mean Creek is a good, ambitious indie film, but nothing more. I would recommend renting it, it's definitely worth watching, but by the time the film ending, I was left unsatisfied. There is something missing in the film, I just wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is.