Julien Donkey-Boy

Rating:
Summary: Whoa
Review: all i have to say is that this film blew me away! Watch it!!!

Rating:
Summary: Julien Donkey Boy
Review: Although not for everyone, JDB is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word. If the highest goal of art and cinema is to realistically portray human life and emotion, as imperfect and ugly as it can get most of the time, then this movie succeeds on every level. You're literally brought into the mind of a young schizophrenic and his world, and watching this movie is a lot of work like films should be. Who wants to know what line is coming next like in 95% of Hollywood shlock? At the end of it all, you feel like you've just run a marathon although you've never left your couch, an like all of Korine's films, you're left feeling dirty and used. This is good! Emotionally, you can't help but be drawn into this world and feel the insanity and it is very unsettling. Visually, the grainy DV film and hand held camera work all add to the overall emotion and the editing and cinematogrophy are suberb! Really cutting edge stuff from a destructionist standpoint, where polished dialogue, posh sets and Hollywood extravagence are thrown out the window for reality. I've seen many films in my days and this one is groundbreaking in my view and sets the bar higher for other avante-garde filmakers. You owe in to yourself as a member of the human race to check this movie out.

Rating:
Summary: beautiful and transcendent
Review: But it wasn't. Yeah it's weird and I appreciate that, but I think you should be prepared before watching it by knowing that it has absolutely no plot what so ever. At least gummo has some sort of story. I could barely finish watching this movie, don't waste your time with it.

Rating:
Summary: I thought it would be good because of all the good reviews.
Review: But it wasn't. Yeah it's weird and I appreciate that, but I think you should be prepared before watching it by knowing that it has absolutely no plot what so ever. At least gummo has some sort of story. I could barely finish watching this movie, don't waste your time with it.

Rating:
Summary: And then there was one!
Review: Everest.....Where are you Everest

Am I hypersensitive....hypersensitive.....

Natural High .... like the mountains.....Everest

Rating:
Summary: More twisted genius from Harmony Special K-orine
Review: Extraordinary second film from Harmony Korine. A portrait of a disfunctional American Family, with career performances from Ewen Bremner as the schizophrenic Julien, Chloe Sevigny as his heavily pregnant sister Pearl, and legendary German director as his overbearing and eccentric father. If you liked "Gummo", Korine's first film, you will assuredly love this film. However, if you despised Gummo for its lack of plot and linear narrative, I still would not necessarily advise you to steer clear. Although the style is again disconnected and fragmented, this time the events that unfold have a markedly more cohesive feel than in Korine's debut. Ewen Bremner is startlingly good as Julien - check his rambling psychobabble as he walks through the city, confusing passers by with lines such as the memorable and hilarious "Excuse me, is my family tree this tree, or that tree?" (Korine used hidden cameras for many scenes, in order to capture genuine reactions from unsuspecting interlopers and therefore, as Korine explains in the "making of.." documentary which supplements the film on the dvd version, "capture something real"). Werner Herzog is equally good as his father - you often feel that it is no wonder that Julien is so messed up, considering the way his dad treats him (and indeed the rest of the family) Chloe Sevigny also shines - this time as Julien's sister, who provides Julien with a mother figure (and a lot more besides!!!), the mother of the family having passed away many years ago. A genuinely original, affecting and at times frankly hilarious movie, you really should not miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a GREAT FILM
Review: Finally and American produces a film that is worth seeing. This film is not like any comercial film you see in the main-stream theaters.....this is REAL CINEMA!!! Harmony Korine takes us where movies should take us.....to the unknown....anyone can figure the ending to most HOLLYWOOD films but Julien Donkey-Boy you are wondering "if you should cross the street" this movie is a must see if you are into independent type films or are into film makers like Werner Herzog or Lars Von Terre

Rating:
Summary: beautiful and transcendent
Review: First, I'd like to say that those of you who watch Korine's films because you liked Kids will be very disappointed. To me, Kids is like all of Larry Clark's films, the indulgent fantasies of a pederast passed off as art. Korine has stated he is "completely indifferent" about both him as a person and his films, including the ones he wrote. When someone offers you a screen writing job at 18, you take it. It enabled him to create Gummo and JDB, so there's little room for complaint.

Superficially, I'll say (as a person who has spent time in mental hospitals as both patient and staff), this is the most honest portrayal of both schizophrenia and mental illness in general that I've ever seen. Nearly every other film dealing with this subject matter is simply an established actor's cowardly attempt to dazzle critics. I think Ewan Bremner captures the cadences and spontaneity without flaw.

The grainy quality was intentional, achieved by transferring to Super8 before 35mm. The effect may be difficult for some to stomach, but there are moments where it seems to perfect the already beautiful images. In particular, I'm in love with these: Pearl (Sevigny)walking through the field (of the same color as her hair) singing a contemporary hymn, the sequences of Chrissy (blind girl) ice-skating, "grandymama" trying to coax the dog back in the house as it prances through snow (again, of the same color), Pearl cutting father(Herzog)'s hair as 'grandymama' watches intently from the window, Julien in the confession booth; I could go on and on.

Regarding the oedipal complex/surrogate mother theme, my take is that Pearl never quite fills the shoes of their mother. Another poster mentioned that the professional ice-skater is his image of his mother, and I agree. He loves his sister very much, but it seems only Chrissy approaches the idealized grace of his mother, indicated by the parallel ice-skating sequences mentioned above. Again, this is my perception and it could be flawed.

I can't say much about Herzog's performance that hasn't already been said, it's simply stunning. And those who hated this movie and were 'surprised' by his appearance seem to be missing the point.

I find the religious themes very interesting, in the contrast between Julien's confusion and the blind men's unwavering inspiration and faith. There's no clear 'message', as there are very few in real life.

I could go on for hours.

One complaint about the DVD: The extra short labelled "The Confession of Julien Donkey-Boy" is NOT the confession. Personally, I find extras to be worthless anyway. The real confession, however, can be found online, and should be read by anyone questioning its adherance to the Dogme95 doctrine.

9.5/10

Rating:
Summary: "Julien Donkey-Boy" - Harmony Korine's Dogme 95 Film
Review: Flashing a giant mouthful of fake gold teeth that he received as a present, Julien (an almost indescribable Ewen Bremner, better known as "Spud" from Trainspotting) aimlessly and shamelessly wanders the depressing streets of his hometown of Queens in his own little schizophrenic world of make-believe, childish song, and unanswered questions. See and REALLY EXPERIENCE Julien taking a bath, all the while singing and mumbling uncoherently to himself, watch him go to work in Queens as an aide for blind students, see him put on a bra and underwear and wrestle his brother, watch his family go to church, listen and watch him talk to his dead mother on the phone, and finally, watch the breakdown of his damaged & disinegrated pysche as the unthinkable happens to Julien. The film jumps from one weird scene to the next, all in somewhat of a jumble. It is like you are inside of Julien's own schizophrenic mind as times and at others you are just a silent and invisible onlooker. Julien lives in a low to middle class & HIGHLY dysfunctional family with his pregnant, tutu wearing sister, Pearl (Chloe Sevigny), his wanna-be wrestler brother Chris (Evan Neumann), his oblivious to it all, crazy, dog loving grandmother (Joyce Korine, the director's true to life grandmother), and above all, the patriarch of the family... Chris, Julien and Pearl's sadistic, drunken, cough syrup swilling, gas-mask-wearing father(a fabulous Werner Herzog). The story of Julien is based on director Harmony Korine's ("Gummo" & screenwriter of "Kids") own schizophrenic uncle and the location where the movie was shot is the actual house that his uncle grew up in. Thusly, "Julien Donkey-Boy" was made according to the tenets of Dogme 95, the largely European movement based around the "Dogme Vow of Chastity," which eschews, among many other things, any kind of artificial lighting, costumes or props. The one thing, above all that I find amazing about these types of films like the Dogme 95 group is this filmaking isn't anything "NEW" or "GROUNDBREAKING". Film makers have been doing these types of movies FOR YEARS and YEARS. The change is that now we as viewers get to see experimental & different genres of films. It's just that with LOTS money and the need for something different to be actually "VIEWED" in this century is what is NEW. "EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN..." The way that the movie is shot is what is so interesting to me. Not the story, plot or cohesiveness, of which there is very little, but the sheer "way" of filming this movie and others like it. Shot entirely with digital video and hidden cameras on the actor's person whilst the non-sequitur "scenes"; like the scene where Pearl is buying secondhand baby clothes, are ALL shot "off the cuff" and true to life. The other people in the scenes weren't even aware that they were being filmed at the time! Post-production, the digital video is slowed down in places and given a herky-jerky home movie/Super 8 quality to it. There are also some beautiful scenes that are given an organic quality with green and gold "washes" over them, such as the scene with Pearl in a field of wheat singing to herself. There are also some very dark scenes that are given a cold quality with purple and blue "washes" to them, like the scenes of Julien playing God and Hitler, and, of course, the tragic ending scene to it all... Is this a film for everyone? Is the story truly "enjoyable"? Of course not. But if you enjoy watching the odd and obscure you will like "Julien Donkey-Boy" Happy Watching!

Rating:
Summary: julien shines
Review: Goodness, I'd like to put it straight . . . I've read the other reviews. This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE movie. It makes me cry in several scenes. Some are funny, but most of it is rather disturbing. I think people who give this movie a bad review are super-insensitive to schizophrenia and family dysfunction. It is a LOT of dysfunction for one family, but name one movie that doesn't exhaggerate a little bit! I would recommend this movie to ANYONE. I saw it in my local coffee shop/theatre twice, and now own it. Closed minded insensitive people . . . well, I can't speak for you . . . this movie opened my eyes wider than they were before. Perhaps it would open yours too!