The Crush (I) (2010) User Reviews

A good film but probably the weakest of the Oscar-nominated batch.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 February 2011]

Well, I just got back from my yearly pilgrimage to see the nominees for the Best Live Action Academy Award. Compared to other years, this is an interesting field, as I actually liked all the films and see there being no clear winner. Usually I have at least a few of them I don't particularly like but this is a good crop...but there also is no clearly 'perfect' film as well. So, in light of this, my predicting that "The Confession" will be the most likely of the films to win is not at all certain--as I see this as mostly a three film race but any of the five could easily win.

The film begins with a cute kid (Ardal) announcing to his pretty teacher that he was in love with her. However, this is not a typical sort of crush, as the kid buys the lady a ring and writes a date in his planner when he anticipates marrying her in ten years! Later, when the boy and his mother see the teacher with her new fiancé, the boy is crushed--and angered because the fiancé seemed a bit insensitive towards her. How the kid resolves all this is just plain crazy--and left me very, very cold and a bit confused. Was it advocating gun violence or saying the kid's behavior was good?! What about a woman who could condone this? I just felt very conflicted over this one and felt this 'surprise twist' made the film almost impossible to believe--though the acting and direction were still very good.

I think "The Crush" is the least likely of the five films to win and although I liked the film and greatly respect it, it had some plot problems that left me a bit confused. Up until the very end, I loved the film but the final confrontation scene left me wondering many things--and I hated the response by the teacher as it seemed to make no sense and seemed a bit vicious and bizarre. I'd say more, but it would give away too much of the plot...but it just seemed like the wrong way to end this film.

We Need To Talk About Ardal

[sashank_kini-1 · 7/10 · 9 February 2012]

I still remember my first crush; it was in the first grade, and her name was Ms. Heather. I especially loved her smile, and she was probably in her forties still quite lovely. I even condoned her act of slapping my friend, even though her nails hit his eye and he began weeping. To me she was a cherished rose; even in the second grade, I used to smile at her whenever I passed by her class. Then it stopped, I don't remember when.

The Crush has happened with many boys, and it is usually the class teacher. But most, probably all, ended with it being a mere memory once they have been promoted to the next grade. The movie however takes a different approach to the storyline and it is not completely implausible – many such cases do pop up in the newspapers. However, the explanation offered in the end by the short is bewildering; I think the boy would have to be super-intelligent to think of such a scheme. I am not going to disclose the ending here, but up till then, the movie does work fine. I especially loved the scene in which the kid uses a swear word and instantly apologizes to his teacher. Another good thing was to have such close shots during the scene, similar to western films. The boy however should have been in the third or fourth grade as that is when, I feel many boys are fascinated by guns and such things.

I will not denounce the entire movie because of the ending, because it is a good watch, especially during the confrontation. Also, the acting is competent, especially Rory Keenan. The ending does dampen the effect though, and the 'ball rolling' scene looked silly.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10

losing the plot

[LunarPoise · 6/10 · 28 February 2013]

A primary school boy has a crush on his teacher. This starts out like many a crush, but soon escalates into something more deadly...

This film works well when the boy and the teacher dominate the first two-thirds. The scenes are naturalistic and endearing. A precocious turn by Oran Creagh as the besotted but unnervingly mature Ardal Travis keeps us hooked. Olga Wehrly as the put-upon teacher is full of liberal good intentions while simultaneously not quite grasping the full import of what is going on right in front of her eyes.

Unfortunately, the film starts to unravel when The Boyfriend (Rory Keenan hamming it up) appears. What has been sweet and episodic till this point becomes forced and caricatured. The Boyfriend is just too much of a pantomime villain. Had he been more well-drawn, the audience would be asking, "Will the teacher realise he is no good for her?" It would then be down to the boy to bring that about. As it is, he is so in-your-face loutish that the audience instead asks, "What is WRONG with this woman that she cannot see what a dick-head this guy is!?"

And he is a dick-head. The boy says so. Which brings me to my other problem with this film, the jarring switch in tone in the last third. Till that point, I was thinking this was something I could show to my primary-school age kids. Then someone decides it is funny to have a kid use naughty words (always a sign of juvenile filmmakers). After that, it descends into amateurish self-indulgence. The gunshot/ball roll is weak. Having the teacher use the word 'kiddie fiddler' is just crass and totally out of tune with the tone of the first two thirds.

A shame really, because the film builds so well and unearths real talent in the boy. Maybe they thought they had to be 'edgy' with their ending, but it comes off as a lack of confidence and control in the filmmakers. All in all, a missed opportunity.

He looks very pure and cute, but...

[safrannene · 7/10 · 7 February 2014]

A boy's dream is to marry his elementary school teacher. He gives her a ring and tells his love, but she has a fiancé. The boy meets the rival, and decides to fight a duel.

No one thinks the young student can marry his teacher, even if he has a crush on her seriously. So, at first, I think the story is funny and fantastic. I like the scene that he writes down his wish for marriage as a plan in 2015. He looks very pure and cute for me. Generally speaking, a child gets more serious when he is treated as a child or ignored by grown-ups. The boy in the film is not an exception, and he acts in an excessive way. I have to admit that the story is serious, not only fantastic.

The message in the film is "Don't make light of children."

The Crush

[ayuppe003 · 20 July 2013]

This is the story about a little boy. He loves his teacher. He gives a ring for her, and promises to get marry. However she has a boyfriend. They decide their marrying. He does not like that. One night, his father hides the gun in the closet. The little boy sees it. He decides he will kill teacher's boyfriend. What will happen to them??

I like this story. The little boy is so cute. I think this movie is easy to understand, if you cannot understand English. It is because this movie is so kind. Expressions of the little boy are a lot. I like the scene that the little boy is peevish. He said he wants to get marry with his teacher, but he saw she dates with other man. I think he really loves her. I wish they marry when the little boy is able to marry to age.

If you watch this movie, you will be happy. The boy is so cute. Check it out.

purity of the children

[koheioguni · 7/10 · 17 February 2019]

This film is organized by up down up time process. So, I could predict the ending scene but the shooting scene surprises me since the noise of the shoot is very real. This film clearly shows the personality of the little boy such as he is a single-minded person, pure and having desire for destroying the relationships between the teacher and her fiancé. The boy stands out because he is the only one who stares at the teacher and remain the classroom after the class. The background music supports the atmosphere and change of the scenes. Especially, in the gun shooting scene, the audience would believe that the teacher's fiancé is dead because of the music and characters reaction. However, it turns out that it is a fake gun and the fiancé break his relationships by his careless remarks. As I expected in the final scene, the boy can succeed in taking her attention back to him

pure feeling of the little boy

[doncns · 9/10 · 30 September 2013]

The little boy who is an elementary school student falls in love with his teacher and he proposes to her, but she has a fiancé. Then, the little boy started revenge when he sees hers fiancé. This film is depicts pure feeling of the little boy and heart warming story. I think the little boy is very brave and very cute. So, I like this film. The little boy's bravery and the fiancé's weakness were contrasted greatly. If a favorite person has a fiancé, I think almost all people will give up, but this boy has conveyed his feeling to the teacher, without giving up. We can remember the pure feeling which we are forgetting by seeing this film.

good love story

[ysk865540 · 7/10 · 12 February 2014]

This film's genre is love story.

The main character's love for his teacher is very strong. I want the main character to be my partner.

At the last part of the film, there is a scene which is suspenseful. However, at the end, I could know what the main character wants to do.

I was impressed with his love for his teacher. I thought that he is too young to be his teacher's partner at first, but I rethought that he and his teacher can be a well-matched couple.

I wonder if there is a gentle boy who loves me like the main character in this film.

The Crush

[rumi-s0507 · 10/10 · 21 August 2013]

This is the story about the boy who is in love with his homeroom teacher. He loves her very much and proposes to her. As a matter of course, she doesn't take it seriously. Moreover, the boy knows that she has a fiancé.

I like this movie very very much because the boy who is the chief character in this film is very cute. In addition, the imaging technique is also good. For example, the picture becomes slow in the scene where the boy admires her. Though it is the ending that I can expect somehow, it is very interesting and makes me happy. I wonder whether he saw through the true nature of the man from the beginning. Surely the boy is in new love sometime. But I wish the boy marries to her when he grows up. I want to see the sequel which is about the near future of the boy.

The Crush

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 21 March 2024]

Although it's a bit far-fetched, I did quite enjoy this story of unrequited love. Young "Ardal" (Oran Creagh) takes a shine to his second grade teacher "Miss Purdy" (Olga Wehrly) and after a bit of quizzing of his parents, concludes that he can marry her in 2015! A shopping trip in town puts a spanner in his works though when he encounters her, newly sporting an engagement ring from her boyfriend (Rory Keenan). "Ardal" is distraught, then he hits on an idea. He will challenge the man to a duel for the hand of the fair maiden. The boyfriend - who's a bit of an eedjit if truth be told, thinks it's all a joke - but is it? Creagh offers us quite an engaging performance as the loved-up young lad and there's quite a fun dinner-table chat with his parents where he offers up a worrying degree of eight year old maturity! It's quite endearingly written and though it does fall away towards the end, I suppose we've all had a crush at one stage that'd we have done (virtually) anything to fulfil!

Unrealistic story filled with clichés

[velianne-87204 · 5/10 · 4 July 2018]

This short film tells the story of a young primary school boy who has developed a crush for his teacher. He sets his mind on being with her, bringing her a ring. Amused by the child's naivety, his teacher accepts the present and tells him she will think about the proposal. However, the next day while walking in the street, the boy encounters his teacher with another man, who she introduces as her fiancé. Hurt by his teacher's betrayal, the boy takes extreme measures to show his teacher that she shouldn't stay with her soon to be husband.

For several reasons I did not enjoy this short film, finding it too unrealistic to my taste. I was also triggered by the fact that it took quite lightly the issue of gun possession by children but also the position of women. Even though he is only a child and has yet to experience anything in life, the little boy is portrayed as the teacher's hero, knowing better what is good for her then herself, and saving her from her "horrible" fiancé. Some very clichéd stereotypes are also uttered, such as the fact that he can't be with her unless he can support her financially. I just really did not like the image relayed by the teacher, one of a damsel in distress, that needs to be taught how to make better choices in her life by an eight year old child. The boy is also portrayed in quite a disturbing matter. First in his way of speaking but also of course in his actions as he is threatening another man with a gun only to "get a woman". Overall, this short film did not initiate any feelings of enjoyment in me, just frustration over the characters portrayal and over the turn of events.

A Pure Heart of a Pure Boy

[AdamHawkes · 9/10 · 28 June 2013]

A student who is a little boy loves his homeroom teacher and makes a proposal of marriage to her. His dream is to get married to her, but it is broken easily. Actually, she has a fiancé and accidentally the boy witnesses them. He is shocked and decides to fight the fiancé with guns to get her. On the day when they battle, it results in an amazing end.

The boy is pure and maybe everyone has childhood like that. You have also loved your teacher - I know, I have. This film reminded me of my old memories therefore I was ashamed a little but missed it. The love of the boy is stronger than any other, and because of it his behavior is also passionate. There are a lot of things that I have to learn, such as how to approach a woman and what it is to love someone seriously.

This film is a very humorous and heart-warming one that represents feelings of little boys. If you watch this film, you might also remember your childhood and retake the pure heart that you had and is different from now.

The Crush

[odette0515 · 7/10 · 16 September 2013]

This film's leading role is schoolboy. He falls in love with his schoolteacher and gives her an engagement ring. But his love for her is not required when he comes across her with her boyfriend. Furthermore she wears a real engagement ring which is given by her boyfriend. He reaches a decision to do a pistol duel with her boyfriend.

This schoolboy is so cute and his power of action is amazing. The pistol duel scene is absolutely scary and there is a sense of urgency, because his eyes are serious. Though, I can feel his real love with his eyes. My favorite scene is the first scene. That schoolboy is still young, but the schoolboy eyes are gentle and more grown up looking face. I don't know he looks through to penetrate into the teacher's boyfriend real heart but he does a good job.

Useless Movie

[mystic_sage_1791 · 3/10 · 20 April 2011]

I found this movie ridiculous. A kid who argues like and thinks like an adult, and the slow and stupid responses of the adults are just too unreal. When the kid was holding the gun, the woman could have easily snatched it away, and yet she just chose to sit and watch the drama. The dialogue of the man criticizing his girlfriend just before being shot also seems like it was forced so that a story would come out of it. It's an amateur film. I'm surprised it has such a high rating. There's nothing real or interesting in the movie. In the end, the kid conveniently decides not to marry her after all, after the entire drama.

Blush and Cover

[doctorsmoothlove · 30 May 2011]

A schoolboy apparently has the hots for his lovely elementary school teacher. Convinced he will marry her, the boy challenges her good-for-nothing fiancé to a duel. The battle begins, and the boy pulls out a pistol. He harasses the fiancé who confesses that he isn't ready to be married. He closes by saying that he hopes his teacher will find a better man. The movie is entirely guilty of exploiting its child character and doesn't have the conviction to actually conclude the story properly. It's about average when compared to the other shorts this year.

Not Recommended

brave child

[bbc-ohs · 6/10 · 25 July 2016]

This movie is about a child who love his school teacher. He likes his teacher, so he gives a ring to her. She is happy to get the ring. He enjoys going to school every day. One day, he goes shopping with his mother. Then, he meets his teacher on the way to shopping. However, a happening occurs. It's that she has boyfriend and he meets him. He is shocked. From that day, he avoids the teacher. A few days later, he sees the teacher meets her boy friend. He is very irritated. One day, his father hides a gun into closet. He sees the scene. He tries to kill the boy friend of his teacher. He tells the boy friend to come a place. The boy friend comes the place. The child points his gun at the boy friend. He begs for his life. He tells him that the doesn't love his girl friend. The child pull the trigger. The gun is air gun. It is unimaginable end. The teacher leaves him and takes the child to somewhere. The child wins the man. His lone for the teacher is so strong. I think loving someone is very good and it makes our act positively.

I was tricked!

[tjch · 7/10 · 10 August 2017]

I was tricked until the last! At the beginning, I thought that the boy was crazy about his young and beautiful teacher, and he tried to rob her of her lover. However, it was wrong. The reason why this film could trick me is because the director can use sound and structure, in the other words, he or she succeeds in making good atmosphere. I was caught in the cleverly devised trap. Moreover, after watching this film, I re-thought that why I was tricked by the young swindler and the smart producer. After that, I hit upon an idea; it is pureness. In my opinion, youth like the boy never lies because of pureness. That means his action is directly related to what he wants to do. Therefore, I was tricked. Anyway, this movie entertains you, because until the last, the boy's behavior and the atmosphere of this film misleads you, and the last scene betrays your expectation or your prediction.

"A Heartrending Masterpiece: The Crush Delivers an Unforgettable Cinematic Experience"

[Pratyush003 · 10/10 · 1 October 2023]

"The Crush is an exquisite gem of storytelling, an emotional rollercoaster that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves an indelible mark on the soul. From its impeccable direction to the stellar performances, every frame exudes raw, heartfelt emotion, immersing the audience in a world where love and loss collide with breathtaking intensity. The cinematography is breathtaking, capturing the essence of the characters' emotions with unparalleled finesse. The script is masterfully crafted, weaving a tale that is both heartbreaking and uplifting, reminding us of the power of human connection. The actors deliver performances that are nothing short of brilliant, drawing viewers into their characters' pain and resilience. The Crush is a testament to the artistry of filmmaking, a flawless blend of storytelling, visuals, and emotion. It's a rare cinematic experience that resonates long after the credits roll, leaving an enduring impact. A true masterpiece that deserves every accolade it receives, earning a well-deserved 10/10."

jealous

[sawii29 · 7/10 · 26 July 2013]

A boy who is in elementary school fancies a homeroom teacher. He bumps into her in a street, but she is with her fiancé. He is shocked because he thinks he could marry her sincerely. Next day, he offers the fiancé a duel to a death for who can get her. On the day of duel, he brings a pistol and orders the fiancé to say not to marry her. At first, the fiancé seems unwilling to say that, but gradually he realizes the boy is serious. He finally screams and… In the beginning of this film, I thought this was about childlike love. However, the boy made me scared. I came to know even a child feels strong jealousy. Anyway, this was one of the most shocking, impressive movies I've ever seen.

The crush

[shojijason · 10/10 · 5 September 2017]

This film is a story about a child falling in love into a teacher. This film was very scary but so sweet. I think Ardle was very smart to do this. At first, I guess he was really in love to the teacher but, he realized he can't marry her so changed his love to saving his teacher. The way he did it was a bit hard but I felt that his love is so strong. The man didn't have the feeling as Ardle.I thought it is very sweet to do things for people's happiness. It was a good point that he didn't change his feelings when his heart was broken, like some criminals and bad endings. I wish the film didn't show the gun until he and the man meet at the dark place. Because it would make it more horror and more like a surprise. It was good the boy's parents won't know what happened.

Love of a boy

[okk07 · 7/10 · 9 August 2017]

First, I think that this film expresses different love of a boy and a man to a lady – a teacher of the boy. They love her from different position and by different ways.

Second, I think that there are many scenes that are expressed by the boy's eye. Especially, the scenes that the boy look at the place of gun closely, makes us image various things. I think that in this scene, there is a fear behind a purity of the boy.

Third, I think that a way to threaten the man is surprising us. If a boy or girl does things like the boy actually, I think that the deed become a great fear. When I watched this film, I thought that what the man has become of.

I like this film because there are scenes that make us threaten and I think that this film expresses a pure love

What are these characters?

[dreameable · 5/10 · 18 June 2018]

The story is about an 8 years old schoolboy who falls in love with his teacher, and finds out that she engaged with her boyfriend. He thinks that her boyfriend is not good enough for the teacher, he challenges him to a duel to the death. The movie itself has a cloudy mood. We cannot predict the action of each character, making us concentrate to the story on see what is going to happen next. Even the setup does not seem to be a thriller movie, but it is definitely a thriller by the scenes being presented all along. However, I personally hate this kind of movie because the decision of every main character does not make any sense to me. After I finish watching it, instead of feeling with the character, I get annoyed by them at the end of the movie. In other word, I do not enjoy this movie at all.

SPOIL - Every character seem to be more stupid than the kids? 1. Father buy a model gun or kind of weapon model to his son is very weird 2. Teacher could have done something to the boy when he holing a gut pointing as someone 3. Teacher's boyfriend should only say "I won't marry her" to get out of the situation, no need to say such a thing that he actually think.

Thrilling

[yk-88 · 8/10 · 7 August 2013]

A young boy is fond of his school teacher, but she has a boyfriend.. After the boy realizes this fact, what is he going to do? Does he succeed to get her from her boyfriend? How will it end? In the film, there is one thing that we can learn other country's culture. It doesn't happen in Japan. I cannot say the thing, so I recommend you to watch it. I like the name of this film."THE CRUSH" means I think to fight with each other, and to like someone in one way. I don't know if it has several or different meanings, but for me, this title is amazing. On the other hand, it's very thrilling and scary for children to watch. Also it is not for education, I think. To sum up, I like this film. Although I watched it without English and Japanese subtitles, I understand the story. It means that it's easy to know the story, so I want to recommend it to my friends.

He is a sincere man.

[ruckingham · 7/10 · 30 June 2018]

I had shivers from the beginning of this movie. A boy's unexpected action makes me so. He loves his school teacher and applies for marriage, but he fails. After that he decides to do outrageous thing. His decision is daring. Therefore, people who watch this movie become tense and uneasy. This short movie has reality.

There is no bad point about camerawork. For example, camerawork is fine when it makes audiences pay attention to one thing. When the boy gives teacher a ring, camerawork is pointed on the ring. Moreover, I want to emphasize this movie's expression method. That is how to cut scene. Especially, I focus on the scene which the boy shoots a man. In fact, the man is teacher's boyfriend, and the boy decides to shoot him(with a toy gun). When the man is shot, screen becomes the color grey and points only one point of a building. After that, the man notices that he is not killed. I think this expression is very presentable. By watching this scene, audiences should be sympathizing with the man. Audiences can experience being shoot with a gun. However, audiences will notice that the boy don't use real gun, but toy gun soon. It makes them feel relieved.

This story is a first love

[saoatama · 4/10 · 10 July 2018]

This story is a first love. A male elementary student falls in love with a teacher. He gives her a toy ring as a engaged ring. But one weekend he knows that she has fiance. And he challenges her fiance. At first I think this short movie is psycho horror or suspence. I thought he were insane and he would attack the teacher because she doesn't accept his "propose". I know he is still child but I hate him. It is not love just to push his mind to someone without thinking her feeling. I really hate such attitude. I don't know how I interpret this story. There is no lesson. I could not laugh this ending.