Anyone who loves cinema and isn't full of themselves will love this movie. It manages to both satirize two genres while also being a well-constructed example of both. It does this by taking one classic vocabulary of sociopathic behavior (1930's gangster movies) and applies it to different set of sociopathic characters (self-absorbed, oh-so-serious teenagers).
I have only two complaints. The first is that the dialog can be so stylized (in a beautifully realized combination of teen slang and gangster-speak) that you may want to use subtitles (or just watch the film again immediately). Yet, the dialog is often inventive (sometimes hilariously) and is definitely worth the time to watch.
The other complaint is the number of one-star reviews I am seeing from people who, to be honest, cannot possibly meet the qualifications I mentioned at the beginning of this review. I can only guess that they came into this movie with a fixed idea of what it was going to be like and refused to change that expectation (or maybe they just needed those subtitles). But that is this movie's most obvious strength: It is simply not what you expect.
I have only two complaints. The first is that the dialog can be so stylized (in a beautifully realized combination of teen slang and gangster-speak) that you may want to use subtitles (or just watch the film again immediately). Yet, the dialog is often inventive (sometimes hilariously) and is definitely worth the time to watch.
The other complaint is the number of one-star reviews I am seeing from people who, to be honest, cannot possibly meet the qualifications I mentioned at the beginning of this review. I can only guess that they came into this movie with a fixed idea of what it was going to be like and refused to change that expectation (or maybe they just needed those subtitles). But that is this movie's most obvious strength: It is simply not what you expect.