Israel is a 15 year-old Emo kid. Like millions of teens before him, who kept back pocket combs in the 50's, long hair in the 60's, wild hair in the 70's, and on and on, he is obsessed with his hairstyle more than anything else, as it seems to define his ambiguous life position - inexperienced, still virginal, and thus innocent by today's standards. But that doesn't mean he isn't seeking new worlds - which he does through the modern day method of texting messages. Most people he contacts seem to share the same concerns teens have shared forever - who's doing who - the ritual to the beginning of coming of age. Israel and his friend, Louie, hang out for a while, where Louie shares sex stories to seem to push Israel off his butt and out there to do something, almost so Louie's point of life at that moment would be justified. And Israel seems to be on that road when he meets Ricky, an older, more experienced teen. The film captures the emptiness of many youth, unsure and stepping either carefully or recklessly into adulthood. The addition of texting provides a shared "we are all on the journey" support mechanism, that makes each step a little easier as youth reaches for solutions and actions that are beneficial for life or just momentary experiences. Israel is played by Matthew Monge, with an endearing simplicity that paints a touching picture of innocence, fragility, and playfulness, tempered by a realization that our paths are really only our own.
Review of Dish
