This neo-realistic movie aggravated more that entertained. Some interesting parts, some pretentious, and some unfortunately irritating. For me, it could have been condensed into 30mins. The acting, was varied, though sometimes beyond atrocious, and if voice overs that sound like they are being read for the first time off a script is actually a new interpretation of neo-realism, I hope it is a passing trend. The cinematography at times exceptional and at other times, baffling. I actually forgot that Christopher Doyle was the cinematographer of this movie, and his signature slow motion though lovely in Wong Kar Wai films, did not maximize their effect and at times were even overused, if not entirely inappropriate. Perhaps more annoying, however, were the dolly shots of Alex walking down the corridor at school. These shots were in and out of focus, and whilst obviously an effect, failed to realize as it appeared as simply primes without measurement, lack of compensation for lighting and movement. I guess with many Gus Van Sant films, it is love or hate - well I did not love this one this time around.

Gus Van Sant does it again, although it took me a while to get into the film. But the combining of some classical ditties en peculiar shots and close-ups and the (crime) story, including a gruesome horror scene filmed from above, reminded me of good old Hitchcock, more specifically 'Psycho' (1960)... an actual shower scene can be no coincidence then, right? Well, we all knew how big a fan Van Sant was of that film.Furthermore, there's an extraordinary and fun choice of songs ('I can help' by Billy Swan, for instance), a series of 'hallway'-scenes reminiscent of Van Sant's earlier 'Elephant' (2003) and a fine build-up through an ingenious play with time and that notebook that keeps popping up everywhere.Unfortunately, I wasn't very much convinced by the acting, Gabe Nevins would seem more in place as a poster-boy for some big jeans brand or something. It was mostly the talent of Van Sant which I enjoyed here.A solid 7 out of 10.

I literally created an account just to say how bad this movie was. there are no spoilers because nothing really happens in this movie. The plot line says it all. The acting was something I could have put on better with sock puppets. It just seemed like no one in the movie seemed like they knew what they were doing/supposed to say. There was a wide range of music (not saying it was a good choice in music) but that is the only decent thing about this "film". I have tried to watch this movie a couple times now and every time made me want to jump in front of a train. All in all, the acting was crap, the plot was crap and this whole project was one of the biggest wastes of money I have seen in my life.

Alex, the teenager who is the protagonist in this movie, navigates his way through his days more often by reacting rather than acting. Only a couple of times do we see him really engaged, once when listening to music while driving and again when he listens to a newscast that has great relevance to him. With Alex being so visibly emotionless, and the minimalist approach taken overall, it is surprising that I felt I got to know him fairly well. At fist I was put off by the pacing, like a long take simply following Alex as he walks along a path near the beach. But you can tell a lot about someone by the way they dress and how they walk. After relaxing and letting the story unfold at its own pace I came to appreciate the dreamlike mood created.The story is told in a non-linear fashion that is initially a bit confusing, but a whole does emerge. The plot rests on a remarkably few pivot points and by the end I was surprised by how much had happened when it seemed like nothing had happened.The teens in this film seem real; I think Van Sant understands how teens actually talk to each other and interact. After a rash of movies portraying teens as sex obsessed it is good to see a teen who is ambivalent in his approach to this topic. Music plays a significant role, not only to establish mood, but to add commentary. For example, in one scene that has Alex walking down a high school hallway in slow motion (a scene that lasts well over a minute) Elliot Smith is singing the song "The White Lady Loves You More" which contains the lyric, "I'm lookin' at a hand full of broken plans and I'm tired of playing it down." This could well apply to Alex as he tries to deal with his parent's divorce, a tragic accident and death, sexual pressures, and boring classes. Alex's approach to his problems is the first response of most teens, or perhaps most everybody--avoidance and escape. The skateboard park that Alex is attracted to ("I could sit all day and watch") is key to his personality--he is more of an observer than a participant.I can see how some would find this movie pretentious and obtuse (Van Sant certainly does not hit you over the head with whatever it is he is trying to express), but it is a unique piece of work worth consideration.