Overrated

Rating: Null/10 (16 June 2001)

most of the reviews of this movie have been overwhelmingly positive, but i really can't see why. i think this movie misses the mark in many areas.
i think my main problem with the movie is the script. a potentially explosive subject has been rendered boring and lifeless. how could this have happened? instead of learning about the characters through action, we learn about them through monologue after monologue of racist diatribe. going into this movie, we already KNOW the character's views on race. we don't need wasted minutes of edward norton going on and on about the decay of america. if more time had been spent on the skinhead's actions, and the reactions of the family, this could have been a powerful movie.
i also had a problem with the movie's cinematography, and editing. the slow motion was waaaaay over done, and kind of stripped the movie of its realism. i also found the black and white of the flashbacks to be out of place, but perhaps that was a stylization that the director found appropriate. i know i'm nitpicking, but i also found the color of the movie a tad jarring. the film makers seem to have borrowed the color palette of jerry maguire, or similarly bright movie. i thought the hues were a little too far on the "cheerful, happy" side for such a dark picture.
another problem i had was with the ending. i will not give it away, but it kind of left me hanging. i know the point of the movie was that there are no easy solutions, but the conclusion left me wholly unsatisfied. i actually found it kind of senseless, but i guess racism itself is senseless, so maybe the ending does fit.
positively, edward norton gives a fabulous performance as derek, and edward furlong is equally as impressive. i actually had no problems with any of the actors...they each did fine jobs.
however, this movie just didn't cut it for me. i think a lot of people have been duped by the movie's premise, and assume the film must be good simply because it tackles racism. if you want to see a movie that really hits home on the subject, rent the very chilling "romper stomper".
all said, i still recommend viewing this if only to see edward norton's superb performance. if you want a hard hitting movie on race relations in america, look elsewhere.