This is one movie that takes the cake in cliches.
Not one minute of this film holds any coherency - characters drift through most of the film in lethargic manners. To be frank it's a bad film.
The issues this film addressed had already been dissected and reported in news and documentries.
And the subject did disturb me abit, do we really need a fictionalized version of Columbine? It was a horrible tragedy and frankly the makers of this film have turned it into a plot divice for a shoddy drama.
It's the same as someone making a film about a tsuinami or a terrorist attach on a landmark or populated area.

(star rating) 1/2*/*****

havent heard of it

I really liked this one, so much so it's number 8 in my top ten list of favorite movies. Gus Van Sant has always been hit (Good Will Hunting) or miss (Psycho) with me, but this was without doubt one of his best hits. By the end of some scenes I could see why they did what they did. It wasn't that they were being picked on constantly (though that was present) it was just they were tired with everything around them. Their monotonous lives, the ever annoying blonde bimbos talking about nothing but shopping and purging, the teachers who ignore their every move.

I just wish they'd given it the DVD release it deserved. As is, there's a single trailer and a short behind the scenes documentary. I guess if a movie isn't a big budget blockbuster these days it gets forgotten.

**** out of ****

Saw it. For the first hour I was bored to death. Then it picked up, it seemed pointless. Had no characters. I didn't gete it, although I did think it was kinda interesting. I think it was based on Columbine.

I dont see how it was a cliche though.

Anyhow, sort of on this subject - I was browsing the video section and found
"Heart of America" - sort of Canada's and Germany's  take on school shootings and what not. I have to say it's better then both "Elephant" and "Thirteen". Which came as a shock to even me since it was directed by Uwe Boll. lOl.

Check it out - it's actually quite good.