Bully (2001)

Acclaimed director Larry Clark delivers his most powerful film since KIDS. Marty (Brad Renfro) is a tormented surfer who relies on his longtime pal Bobby (Nick Stahl) for rides to the beach and South Florida bars despite vicious abuse. But when Bobby turns his unwanted attention to Marty's new girlfriend Lisa (Rachel Miner) and her best friend Ally (Bijou Phillips), Lisa decides Bobby's reign of terror must end. Assembling a crew of alienated suburban teens, she forms a deadly plan to get Bobby out of the way once and for all, turning friends into enemies and casual acquaintances into co-defendants in a murder that rocked America to its core.

Disturbing

Clearly from the title of this review it can be concluded that the oppinion of this film is DISTURBING. Disturbing is the first word that comes to mind. It isn't as disturbing as KIDS or Gummo, but it ranks close. Bully is afilm that will leave the viewer wondering who produced this film and if they themselves are a little disturbed. It will definitely hit a nerve. If it doesn't then check your pulse. May 11, 2008

Bully Movie

I recieved the movie in a timely manner and it was in the same condition the seller described it to be. I really enjoyed this movie as well and am now currently writing the inmate from this movie. I appreciate being able to find someone that was honest with their products. Thanks! May 5, 2008

Very Brilliant film

Bully is clearly one of the most brilliant films I have ever seen and I see everything/ Larry Clark has made a movie that shocks you but keeps your attention the whole time. Nick Stahl and Brad Renfro play excllent lead roles as does Bijou Phillps and Rachel Miner. The film has a lot of sex, nudity and a very violent scene. But it's worth it. When you see this film make sure you see the DVD. March 26, 2008

Horrible Waste Of Time

This movie is terrible. The only person who was half way decent in the movie was Marty and that's because he didn't talk all that much. Every other character was just plain annoying. Don't waste your time on this movie unless you want to see Brad Renfro doing a pretty good job in certain scenes. Otherwise... what a terrible movie. I don't know how anyone could give this movie a good review. Do yourself a favor, see Alpha Dog instead. That's a similar, but much better movie than Bully. January 31, 2008

Vast improvement over Kids, anyway.

Bully (Larry Clark, 2001)

I have no doubt that it's entirely coincidental that Brad Renfro died under mysterious circumstances two days after I finally got around to watching Bully, one of his final male-lead performances. Still, it's just plain weird.

First off, kudos to Larry Clark for making a movie that doesn't require subtitles. Even Leo Fitzpatrick, one of the actors who made Kids such an unwatchable mess, has managed to learn to enunciate. Bravo! That said, all the rest of the stuff that caused me to dislike Kids is still here, albeit mostly muted. The one thing that still stands way, way out is Clark's consistent need to dump any subtlety in order to go for the shock value shot. (I mean, come on. The opening scene, fergossake.) It's not as if the story doesn't have more than enough shock value on its own-- a bully, Bobby Kent (Terminator 3's Nick Stahl), finally pushes those around him over the edge, and they plot to kill him. Renfro plays Kent's best friend, Marty Puccio, the one most manipulated by Bobby-- in the first ten minutes of the film, Bobby prods Marty to dance in a gay bar's teen amateur night, sets him up for paid phone sex, beats him severely, and then says "come on, Marty, you're my best friend." It's classic emotional abuse, and Stahl is a good enough actor to pull it off. The whole beginning of the film is Hollywood-emotional-shortcut city, but there's enough depth and emotion to Stahl's performance that it doesn't feel like the audience, at least, is being manipulated as much as Marty is. Things change for the two of them when Marty meets Lisa Connelly (Californication's Rachel Miner), and the two of them begin a relationship; Marty is seemingly less tolerant of Bobby's shenanigans, and Lisa just flat-out doesn't like him (though her best friend Ali [Bijou Phillips] is intrigued by Bobby). After a series of events that shows both Lisa and Ali just how nasty Bobby can be, Lisa, Ali, and Marty, along with a few of Ali's friends, decide to take matters into their own hands.

The movie, which is based on a true case (chronicled in Jim Schutze's book of the same name), raises one extremely important question: is there ever anyone who truly deserves to die, someone whom the world would be better off without? I think to some extent that how you answer that question will determine how you ultimately feel about this movie. Even so, however, if you believe (as I do) that the answer to that question is a resounding and unqualified "yes", there are still some technical details of the movie that may keep you from fully enjoying it. The sound editing ranges from barely competent to painfully bad. Clark's directorial style has always struck me as amateur, though I do realize that might be an affectation on his part (some sort of cinema verite approach, perhaps). The acting ranges from the very good (Renfro) to the "what are you doing here?" (Daniel Franzese, who redeemed himself and more in Mean Girls). It is, of course, possible that all this will be eclipsed, in your mind, by the fact that very few of these actors wear more than the bare minimum of clothing at any given time, and often a great deal less than that; Miner, in particular, seems to have some sort of allergy to clothing in this movie. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's not a bad film, but it's not a great one, either. ***
January 23, 2008

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