The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Rating:
Summary: As Only Youth Can...
Review: -This Heavy view into the teenage psyche brings humor, despair, and young lust/love together in a distorted way that only adolescence can successfully accomplish.
-To explain further: It is a darker male version of "Now and Then," that digs deeper into youthful tendencies that mainstream teenage bubble gum movies try to avoid.
-Watch this with friends and be prepared to find certain aspects of this film refreshingly disturbing; a quality that sets it aside from the rest.

Rating:
Summary: Different
Review: I really enjoyed this film. Enough to go out and buy it. Jodie Foster was great as a one-legged nun! If you get uptight easily and let's say "American Beauty" offended you....you probably don't want to watch this one. For all others...a must see!

Rating:
Summary: Unconvincing
Review: This film was well-intentioned but ultimately unconvincing. I didn't mind the inclusion of the animation scenes. But their effect was to reduce the amount of time on the live-action parts. As a result, the character and plot development aspects seemed very rushed and unconvincing. The twists and turns came totally out of left field. The acting of Kieran Culkin and especially Emile Hirsch was very compelling, particularly the non-verbal aspects... though I didn't really buy into Jodie Foster's performance as a hard-nosed nun. This isn't a totally irredeemable movie, but the carelessly rushed character and plot development made for a disappointing end to what seemed like a promising film. I actually give this film 2 1/2 stars but that choice is not offered.

Rating:
Summary: Honest, Brave, and True
Review: As a Savannah, GA native and a graduate of the Catholic elementary/middle school upon which this book (and now movie) is based, I find "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" to be a 'coming of age' story that rivals the rest. It's characters are dynamic and real, the settings being actual identifiable locations around Savannah. I was skeptical of the movie after learning that it would not be filmed on-location, an understandable objection of the church leadership, but it does capture the essence of the book. My family knew Chris Furhman ("Francis Doyle") and although both the book and movie contain fictional elements, for the most part they are true.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFULLY HONEST AND INTERESTING
Review: This is truly one of the best films I have seen in a very long time and I think the reason for this is how they use the animation of Todd McFarland to go into the mind(s) of the boys, what they are thinking, feeling, and how they see themselves. It shows such raw emotion of what they are truly going through. It is such an original concept that it is to unique for most of Hollywood to understand at this time. It will become a cult classic and it deserves an Oscar nominations for the three main young actors/actress, the animation, and best picture. Sadly, it will be over looked because the idea can't be grasped unless you have a true artists soul. The balance between live action and animation is unbelievable! I am not, nor ever have been a comic book fan and that says it all! If I can be this impressed, so should others.

Rating:
Summary: Big things come in small packages
Review: This movie absolutely amazed me. It has perfect combination of humor and tragedy, as well as some of the best acting I've ever seen. It sickens me to see that some of the most phenomenal young actors never get the recognition that they deserve. I've recommended this movie to almost everyone I could, and the results have been good so far. It definitely has the potential that most coming of age stories lack. ...

Rating:
Summary: Astounding
Review: The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is easily the best film of the year. Kieran Culkin and Jena Malone continue to impress with their heartbreakingly tragic performances, and Emile Hirsch is a very talented newcomer. I am proud of Jodie Foster for producing (and starring in) such a cult (although excellent) book. The screenplay is magnificent, and Josh Homme's score is wonderfully evocative and beautiful. The film manages to be astoundingly hilarious and devastatingly tragic simultaneously. Wow.

Rating:
Summary: No Redeeming Value
Review: The makers of this movie and the parents of these actors should be ashamed. This is soft teen porn, totally depressing: Incest, teen sex, suicide, alcoholism, drug use, vandalism. Jodi Foster's worst performance ever...not believable at all. What's the message here? Depression? Skip it!

Rating:
Summary: Lovelorn Troublemakers
Review: A beautiful coming of age story, sure to delight the adolescent male concealed within each and every boys' adulthood. Culkin's performance is right on as the meddlesome Tim, while Emile Hirsch brings mature insight to his portrayal of the lovelorn Francis. The cinematography is reminiscent of a town time has forgotten. Full of desolate cemeteries, mills and industrial factories, the bleak surroundings are nothing more than a landscape of trouble for Tim and Francis. McFarlane's comic book translation is well crafted and blends well with Tim and Francis' tragic tale of youth. For those without patience, these interwoven stories may prove challenging. But with patience, you'll grasp their metaphoric dance, appreciating the foreshadowing and symbolism.

Rating:
Summary: A new classic
Review: Something happens when you are watching a film you know is destined to become a classic. You feel a sort of reverence. This film, from the very first scene, catches you emotionally and does not let go. It is a coming of age story that deals with heavy issues, but in a respectful and fascinating manner. You remember what it was like to be a teenager, and how hard it was to express yourself, to know how and what you felt about anything. The protagonist, beautifully played by Emile Hirsch, deals with life by making it into a comic book. He observes and feels, but it is his way of expressing himself that is the most fascinating. All the performances in the film were outstanding, but Jodie Foster once again proves herself an outstanding actress. Her one-legged nun could easily have been the caricature on the comic book page. Instead, she uses her eyes to convey the conflict of the character, the good and the bad. This is an outstanding film that will eventually find its audience.