The The Chumscrubber is one of the strangest films I have seen, but I have to say I liked it, I liked it a lot.

The film stars Jamie Bell, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, Carrie-Anne Moss, Rita Wilson, Rory Culkin, Justin Chatwin, and John Heard.

It's a comedy that is drenched in pain.

A young teen, who happens to supply his school with drugs, commits suicide.  His next door neighbour, and kinda friend (Jamie Bell), finds the body but decides not to tell anyone.  

when it is announced that he is dead, some of the kids get really pissed off and end up kidnapping Jamie Bell's brother and tell him if he doesn't get the drugs for them they will kill his brother, the thing is they take the wrong kid.

The movie is not just a kidnap film, it is almost impossible to describe it, it's a cross between American Beauty and a John Hughes film.

All the actor's are great, but the strongest performance I think comes from Glen Close.  Here is a mother whose teenage son has just killed himself, but she goes on like nothing has happened, she hides her pain with fake smiles, continuing on life like nothing has happened.

Now I don't think this movie is supposed to take place in reality, more like an idea of what reality could become.

This is a comedy but there is so much pain involved.  Everyone is miserable in it, they hide behind drugs, alcohol and violence.

The only character that See's beauty and joy is Ralph Fiennes, and that's only after he gets hit in the head.  Even though he is the only one who seems happy everyone else things he has gone nuts.

I am not sure who may like this film, kids or adults, the movie is equal when it deals with both the kids and their parents, and I have to say, this is the only movie I have seen that can put a video game(house of the dead style) into the film and make it work, the video game is part of the story and plays more than one would think.

This is one strange movie, it is dark, sad, and painful, but yet it is funny.

Also on a technical level this movie is superb, the cinematography is great, and the last shot is amazing, and also the score by James horner is great, one of his best, this movie was probably made on a very low budget, but it looks great.

One thing that is strange is that this is rated R.  There is no nudity, graphic violence, there is a beating or two and someone is hit by a car, but it is not hard core by any standard.  There is a little bit of swearing, but not a lot, and some drug content, but it is not glamorized, in fact it shows how bad drugs and alcohol are.

I think 13-16 year olds would be able to watch this, in fact this would probably be a good movie for teens to watch with their parents.

I really liked this film, even though it is one of the strangest I have seen in a while, this is like David lynch without the lurid sex and violence.

What else is amusing is that a lot of the cast is British, in fact I think there are a couple that are from the harry potter films..LOL, that kinda got my attention.