Bully
Only one thing left to do, the hitman needs a ride.
A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * · · ) DVD Rating: ( * * * · · )
In high school, a fellow class mate of mine shot and killed a pregnant woman and her husband after tying them up in their own basement. I used to laugh at the way he smoked cigarettes during gym class and now he is spending the rest of his life in jail. I couldn't help but think about that while I watched this movie. If there is any movie that would steer someone away from committing a murder, it's Bully. It is a nightmare of details. We follow the lives of children living as animals, with no question of their future or moral standard. They have sex, drink and take drugs as a matter of habit, but when they decide to kill, they are way out of their element.
The main thing that makes this movie work is the depth of character and attention to detail. The camera never shys away from anything, building the picture as one of documentary rather than art. The characters, in costume, language and action are as alive as any lower middle class teens you might see working at a pizza hut. Speaking of, time for my daily P'Zone!! As the logic of their climactic action builds, you almost wish it would just skip ahead. Seeing the horror of their decisions building as they detail out their devious plans is uncomfortable to watch. With the detail of their story, you know the action is going to be truly horrible and you have no wish for them to follow through with it. No doubt they feel the same.
The DVD is a 1.85 to 1 16x9 enhanced picture with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The picture quality and sound quality is nothing to write home about but seems to fit the independent nature of the movie and even the grime of the story. One scene in particular is the first time I have ever felt physically sick from camera movement. See if you can find the scene. There are no notable extras on the DVD.
Probably the most powerful moment of the film is the last 30 seconds or so. Throughout the picture I had no idea it was a true story until then, and at that moment I felt the real power of the act they had done. It made me shutter to think how easily we joke about such acts and how they are seen in media today, but if any one film gives you a feeling of the reality of the situation, it is Bully.