Bully

Film

Alex, one of the subjects of Bully

Time Out rating:

<strong>Rating: </strong>3/5

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Time Out says

Tue Mar 27 2012

It doesn’t take a vivid imagination to guess the daily torments 12-year-old Alex might experience: A skinny, socially awkward seventh-grader in Sioux City, Iowa, he unintentionally invites abuse from his middle-school peers. Once he boards the morning bus, students steal his glasses, stab him with pencils, bang his head against the back of his seat and threaten to beat the snot out of him. Then he arrives at school, and his day gets worse.

Bully does not offer any celebrity narration, cutesy animated vignettes or pop-psychology Dr. Phil clips; it concentrates more on effects than causes, using an often powerful, no-frills observational style to capture how this social ill plagues us. There are other stories that filmmaker Lee Hirsch touches upon—including glancing, halfhearted nods to the experiences of a young African-American female and an ostracized lesbian, as well as two gut-wrenching tales involving suicide. But he’s conspicuously drawn to Alex’s victimization, portraying him as the poster boy of an out-of-control bullying epidemic in middle America. (And only in middle America, it seems; such things happening in, say, Los Angeles or the Bronx are apparently the subject of another movie.)

After we witness a particularly damning encounter between Alex’s parents and an epically ineffective principal, Bully’s focus shifts toward a Stand for the Silent rally—and that’s when the film’s real aims become clear. This antibullying advocacy group could not be more well-intentioned or needed, but suddenly, the sneaking suspicion that you’ve merely been watching an extended PSA for the grassroots organization starts to take hold. Awareness will be raised—which doesn’t mean Hirsch hasn’t delivered the artiest infomercial ever.

Follow David Fear on Twitter: @davidlfear

Author: David Fear

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Release details

US release:

Fri Mar 30 2012

Duration:

99 mins

Cast and crew

Producer:

Chris Hanley, Don Murphy, Fernando Sulichin

Screenwriter:

Zachary Long David McKenna, Roger Pullis

Cast:

Bijou Phillips, Daniel Franzese, Michael Pitt, Kelli Garner, Nathalie Paulding, Nick Stahl, Brad Renfro, Leo Fitzpatrick, Rachel Miner

Cinematography:

Steve Gainer

Production Designer:

Linda Burton

Editor:

Andrew Hafitz

Director:

Larry Clark

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Rated as: 0/5 (0 ratings)

  • It would have been helpful if this page mentioned where the film was being shown so that those of us who aren't dissuaded by the snarky review could go and see it.

    Cheryl Sat Mar 31 2012
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  • Infomercial? This film is really being shoved into that category? Trivialize much? Generally infomercials don't bring me to tears. This trailer did, knowing Alex could just as easily have been my kid brother who was mercilessly picked on throughout middle school. The sad fact is that unlike cutesy animation PSA's, the odds of this movie being seen by audiences that need to see it most (kids in classrooms across the country) are already slim. There are likely plenty of school administrators, even parents who share a "sneaking suspicion" and are uncomfortable with/very much against this film being shown. I doubt the dismissive cynicism here will make their feelings lessen any.

    Sophia Sat Mar 31 2012
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  • "Unintentionally invites abuse?" "Sneaking suspicion?" "Infomercial?" I don't see how documenting the epidemic (at least you were correct to use that word) of bullying and the efforts of parents who have lost their children to a culture of abuse that is ignored or institutionally tolerated in our schools could possibly be construed as an "informercial." As a close relative of a bullying victim I am appalled at your smarmy, arrogant and cynical attempt to convince your readers that you've discovered the secret of what this film's purpose REALLY is. Ever hear of simply reviewing a documentary's content, quality and effectiveness at raising awareness of an important and, in this case, devastating subject? I thought that was the foremost objective of any serious documentary film critic. Shame on you.

    jon Sat Mar 31 2012
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  • It's not an infomercial. It's a really important cause. You could do a ten hour series on this issue and still not cover every important voice, every angle. The snark and cynicism apparent in this review doesn't help make the change that this brave and important film stands for and isn't appropriate to the level of tragedy of which this film is seeking to make us aware.

    Cady Sat Mar 31 2012
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