Rating: 
Summary: "He had his reasons!"
Review: "River's Edge" is probably the most important film Tim Hunter ever made. It will probably leave an extremely bad taste the mouth of the casual viewer, which is in all likelihood the point.
While this film is based on a real incident that occured in the mid-80's, since then there have been dozens of similar cases. What makes this film special is that rather than taking a coldly objective or "documentary" style approach to the event, it makes an attempt to involve the viewer in the daily lives of apathetic youth, and to point a big index finger at the failure of family, society, and the kids themselves to generate some real concern or emotion over the death of another human being.
Pretty much everyone knows the story: a high school student murdered his girlfriend after her having refused to have sex with him, and then babbles to his friends about it, none of whom told police. The performances in this film range from mediocre to spectacular:Crispin Glover steals the show as young psychopath Layne, an iconoclastic figure in this twisted circle of "friends" who attempts to rally the youths into hiding Samson (Daniel Roebuck) and evoke some feelings of loyalty toward him. Since none of the figures involved ( with the exception of Keanu Reeves, who once again proves that he can play a less than intelligent burn out very, very well, it's almost like he's not acting) are capable of emotion over their friends' death, Layne's frenzied mission is doomed to failure from the start.
Dennis Hopper is one of his less impressive roles here as Feck, a reclusive biker/murderer who gives loopy lectures to the kids and sells weed to Layne. The striking thing about the situation is the apathy that practically flies off every scene: Samson, the young killer, seems less affected than any of his peers by what he has done. After leaving Jamie (his dead girlfriend) he goes to the local convenient store in search of a six pack of beer. We gradually come to see that he is perhaps more insane than anyone else, even Hopper, who also murdered a woman decades ago and has a blow up sex doll as a substitute--and he's the good guy.
I'd watch this film simply for Glover's performance, which oscillates between being manically charged to mired in total defeat. It isn't so much about protecting his "friend" as it is about trying to get some sense of connection with his peers. But everyone seems lost in their own orbits, and in the last scene, when the police are arriving, we see the young Layne lying on the grass, defeated. This is a film which deserves more attention, as I'm sure it will take on a more prophetic quality as time goes by and more and more things like this occur.
Rating:
Summary: "It was right in front of me. I poked at it with a stick"
Review: "River's Edge" revolves around the reactions (or lack of them) by high school students to the murder of a high school girl by her boyfriend. Nearly all the kids have a dysfunctional family or other disruptive situation that leaves them untrusting of adults. The death of their friend by another friend creates a tension among them as to whether they should turn him in.The main group of kids is composed of Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye and Roxana Zal. Keanu lives with his little terrorist brother, Josh Miller, an even younger sister, his single mother and her do-nothing boyfriend. The other main character is "Feck" played by Dennis Hopper. He is a criminal in hiding, and is the main source for "Feck weed". Some of the acting is either nearly over the top (Glover) or questionable (Reeves), but Dennis Hopper is great as a rather strange character with a past and a large love doll, Ellie, as a friend. Josh Miller as the younger trouble-making brother is disturbing and excellent. Although the movie is a drama and is rather unnerving, it has some unusual humor, most of it coming from Feck and the younger brother, who is about 10 or 11 years old. At one point the kid is mad and goes to see his friend at night and taps on his window - "Bring your numchuks. And get your dad's car. I know where I can get a gun". The movie is heavy on smoking and drinking among teens and pre-teens, rampant swearing by teens and pre-teens, and teen sex. Oh yeah, a full frontal nude girl, though she's dead and turning a few colors. The DVD has the widescreen movie, chapter, subtitles (French/Spanish) and a trailer. I strongly recommend it for Dennis Hopper and Josh Miller if nothing else.
Rating: 
Summary: crispin rocks!
Review: All you people who believe River's Edge to be dated need your head seeing too. Did you ever see The Breakfast Club or Fast Times at Ridgement High? That's what I call dated. River'd Edge is a damn fine film, basically cuz Crispin's in it, oh, and also Keanu.The characters are supposed to be over the top, I think. Well, anyway, I love the film. So there!
Rating:
Summary: two poorly acted roles - the rest sold the movie!
Review: Although I found the acting of Crispin Glover (Layne) and Joshua Miller (Tim )to be too over-the-top to be 'real', the rest of the cast SOLD their roles and made this a surprisingly well-done flick. Disturbing....
Rating:
Summary: riveting
Review: Back when this came out in the late 80s I always thought of this movie as something of a companion piece to Blue Velvet. While it's not quite as "in your face" as that film, it is still an extremely disturbing yet riveting piece of cinema. Watching it again now on DVD it has lost none of its power. The portrayals of the nihilistic stoner youth are spot on - especially Crispin Glover as the hyper-kinetic Laine - and it's directed with a subtle hand that never allows the material to slide into melodrama. Rewatching it, the only thing that did seem a bit over-the-top was some of the incidental music - a bit too self-consciously "foreboding" at times.
Rating:
Summary: "American Graffiti" meets "American Psycho"
Review: Before Larry Clarke's uber-nihilistic "Kids" (and the real-life Columbine tragedy) came along and made this movie look like a wacky Disney romp, Tim Hunter's "River's Edge" WAS the most disturbing look at modern teenage alienation ever put on film. Based on a true story, "River's Edge" examines a group of high school stoners and thier reactions (or inaction) to the thrill kill murder of one of thier friends by her boyfriend. The resulting angst, confusion, guilt and conflicted peer-pressure loyalty issues makes for cracking drama, and the talented, well-directed ensemble cast is more than up for it. Crispin Glover steals the show with a decidedly weird, but compelling performance as the "alpha" of the teen pack. Co-star Dennis Hopper once stated in an interview that of all the young actors he has worked with since he appeared in "Rebel Without A Cause", Glover comes the closest (in terms of acting presence, not 'looks') to capturing James Dean's ghost. Keanu Reeves turns in a great performance, making it even more puzzling why he has since evolved into such an inert mannequin onscreen. The most interesting aspect of the film is that the more times you see it (and it does stand up to repeat viewings) the more darkly comic it becomes; not "ha-ha funny", but "funny" in the same way "To Die For" and "Punch-Drunk Love" are "funny". Not to be missed by any fan of intelligent, well-made cinema.
Rating:
Summary: "American Graffiti" meets "American Psycho"
Review: Before Larry Clarke's uber-nihilistic "Kids" (and the real-life Columbine tragedy) came along and made this movie look like a wacky Disney romp, Tim Hunter's "River's Edge" WAS the most disturbing look at modern teenage alienation ever put on film. Based on a true story, "River's Edge" examines a group of high school stoners and thier reactions (or inaction) to the thrill kill murder of one of thier friends by her boyfriend. The resulting angst, confusion, guilt and conflicted peer-pressure loyalty issues makes for cracking drama, and the talented, well-directed ensemble cast is more than up for it. Crispin Glover steals the show with a decidedly weird, but compelling performance as the "alpha" of the teen pack. Co-star Dennis Hopper once stated in an interview that of all the young actors he has worked with since he appeared in "Rebel Without A Cause", Glover comes the closest (in terms of acting presence, not 'looks') to capturing James Dean's ghost. Keanu Reeves turns in a great performance, making it even more puzzling why he has since evolved into such an inert mannequin onscreen. The most interesting aspect of the film is that the more times you see it (and it does stand up to repeat viewings) the more darkly comic it becomes; not "ha-ha funny", but "funny" in the same way "To Die For" and "Punch-Drunk Love" are "funny". Not to be missed by any fan of intelligent, well-made cinema.
Rating:
Summary: 80s TrailerPark culture
Review: Black-Death-Speed Metal Teenaged Rocker Dudes and their hella fine girlfriends, living in white-trash Stockton and smoking dope that they stole from their burnt out parents, hanging out on the banks of the Sacramento River. Apathy, rage, anger, and a desire to fit in and belong while understanding that the future is guaranteed to be a bleak repetition of this cycle of working class poverty. Most adults are either hard case Reagan era suits or "Alan Alda/Rob Riener school of self-awareness" ineffectuals and either way are twice as befuddled about this generation as the parents of the flower children were about THAT generation. When the adults are freaks and things go terribly wrong in your little clique that represents the only GOOD things in your life, where do you turn? Do you even care? Realistic portrayal of lower-class living in Northern California. Speed Freaks, Burnt out and disenfranchised adults, broken families and lots of testosterone and machismo. Yup. Growing up in the 80s as white trash sucked when the "16 Candles elite" was constantly flashed in your face. Wait until the 90s when Quake and Doom are released and ultra-violence is REALLY embraced by the socially outcast and desensitized youths. The kids in this movie were raised by kids that were already lost, and had little chance out of the starting gate. The movie is a study in futility and the apathy it breeds. Really an honest and insightful look at this segment of our society that doesn't try to pose any answers or solutions, and maybe suggests that there aren't any. Perhaps this movie is more of a Shakesperian tragedy about the inevitable courses of mankind than any kind of message about how the 60s generation eroded traditional family values. (I think it takes a huge stretch to see THAT message anywhere in this movie at all, or maybe just being clueless). Yup. Don't let your kids watch this movie, they might think it is cool, grow their hair long and kill their girlfriend and smoke and have casual sex and do other really bad things. Hmnnn... But maybe if this movie triggers this kind of behavior in your kid, you've already got some problems there already, anyhow... :)
Rating:
Summary: *****
Review: good sound and picture. i've only had my player for 2 month. this is one of the best in my changer so far. i'm glad i bought this disk
Rating: 
Summary: It Really Is Dated
Review: I finally saw this movie for the first time. Although it is not currently available, I requested it from my local video store and they were able to find a copy. I had always looked forward to seeing this movie and had heard a lot about it, but I was very disappointed. I totally agree with the reviewer above (or below?) who called it dated. I'm sure it was really powerful back in the eighties, but boy how times have changed. The performances are over-the-top and although it's based on real events, it isn't depicted believably. It's a good movie, but shows how times have changed so quickly in what passes as believable performances.
|
