The kids aren't alright (Kids (DVD))

Member Name: mmintfresh

Product:	Kids (DVD)
Date:	07/09/02 (556 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Direction, Performances, Script, Documentary style

Disadvantages: Not for everyone

The film focuses on three people, Telly, 17 (Leo Fitzpatrick), his best friend Casper, 16 or 17 (Justin Pierce) and Jennie, 16 (Chloe Sevigny)who has slept with Telly. The film opens with Telly seducing and having sex with a 12 year old girl (Sarah Henderson). At first the audience is mislead because we believe that Telly actually cares for this girl. However we a re sadly mistaken, as he leaves he spits on her floor that goes outside to his waiting friend, Casper and tells him all about his conquest. We then learn that Telly only lives for one thing, deflowering young girls. He doesn't care about them or their age as long as he can fulfil his needs he's fine. The two then shoplift and go to Telly's house. They steal Telly's mothers money and then leave to go to a friends house where they get high, watch skateboarding on tv and discuss sex. They talk about all the things that girls love to do whilst across town a group of girls are talking about the same thing from the female perspective. The conversation moves to AIDS. The boys dispel it as a myth made up to scare people whilst the girls understand the real risks.

We then see Ruby, 17 (Rosario Dawson) and Jennie go to a clinic to get some test results. Ruby is going because she has got a new boyfriend and wants to check that she’s clean, Jennie goes along to offer support. They get the results and Jennie finds out that she tested positive for HIV. She is shocked by this because she has only ever slept with Telly and Ruby is fine despite the fact that she sleeps around. Jennie now goes off to find Telly to tell him. Meanwhile Telly and Casper are hanging out at the park, where a whole group of them almost beat a man to death, they then break into a pool to have a swim. He has also picked up one of his friends 13 year old sister, Darcy (Yakira Peguero). They all then go to a party where kids as young as nine or ten smoke drugs, drink and discuss their conquests. Jennie is hot on Tell

y’s trail but can she stop him before he has sex with Darcy.

I only saw Kids recently but I have known about it for ages. That is because of all the controversy that it has built up. When it was released in 1995 it caused a storm. The reason for this is because the film deals with things like violence, drugs and unprotected sex but places them in a teenage context. The film itself is very frank and brutal in it's portal of a group of streetwise inner city kids. The three main characters are also interesting choices because there are two that belong very much to this group but Jennie is an innocent that wandered into their world and her life was ruined. Telly, who narrates the film is a detestable person he has no morals whatsoever and only cares about sex. Leo Fitzpatrick plays a big part in making his so loathsome because he makes him uncaring and his voice is quite unsettling. Casper is not quite as hateful and often very funny but he to is morally devoid, although he does at one point give money to a man with no legs. Drugs and drink are his obsession and he is barely seen without a bottle clasped in his hand. Jennie is a likable character and gets the audiences sympathy. Firstly because she was tricked by Telly, he hasn't talked to her for a year but she still says hi to him on the phone and secondly because she is HIV positive. She does have a caring side and the fact that she is going to tell Telly makes her a nicer person. Chloe Sevigny does a brilliant job and puts in the second best performance of the film, behind Fitzpatrick. The actors in the film were all unknowns at the time and some were infact just friends on the young script writer Harmony Korine.

One of the good things about the film, and definitely suits the films content is the way it is filmed. Director Larry Clark has made the film look like a documentary. The camera work is gritty and often handheld and doesn't look like a Hollywood film but a channel 4
docum
entary. The script also gives it a degree of realism because the dialogue sounds spontaneous and real. This works to the films advantage because the film is trying to be realistic and be a portrait of how life is for inner city kids.

The film itself has some strong moral messages to put across, firstly there is the obvious one about unprotected sex and the dangers of STD's but it is also wants to show how these kids have nothing worthwhile in their lives and that in their own little world their are no morals or right and wrong. They do what they want. It is not because of their parents (Telly's mother believes he's a good boy who spends his time looking for a job)but because they are bored and don't know anything meaningful. It also seems to be a wake up call for both kids and parents that warns that kids are living like this and living like this can ruin your life. One of the saddest points is the film is what Telly's says as the film ends "Fucking is what I love. Take that away, I have nothing" whilst the audience know that Jennie is trying to find him to do exactly that, does that mean that he will have nothing to live for?

This film is definitely not for everyone because some will find it shocking and offensive and it is not the kind of film that can be enjoyed neither is it escapist. However it is a powerful and well made film.

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