about the characters and events in the film. With this film, Clark's direction certainly seems a lot more focused, polished, and has much more outside appeal than "Kids."The story centers on Marty Brad Renfro and his subliminally sadomasochistic relationship with his so-called "best friend" since they were kids, Bobby Nick Stahl . Marty is your average teenage surfer-bum. He's dropped out of high school and is constantly picked on by Bobby. Marty befriends and eventually impregnates his new girlfriend Lisa Rachel Miner .Rachel sees and quickly grows tired of Bobby's constant humiliation of his "best friend" and suggests to Marty that one way to deal with Bobby is to kill him. So they call upon the "Hitman" Leo Fitzpatrick to help with the dastardly deed. From that moment on, Marty, Rachel, and several others embark on a path that is littered with boasting, lying, and guilt-ridden feelings about what they're about to do. No question that these teenagers get what comes to them in the end, and the build-up to that moment is quite intense.If there is one thing that people can agree on about "Bully," it's that it is frighteningly accurate and true to life. The film, which is based on an actual murder that took place in 1993 in Florida, is quite authentic. Larry Clark even journeyed to the actual Florida suburb where the murder took place and the members of the film's young cast even take the names of those that were involved.The cast is perfect; not a single terrible performance. If there's one thing these kids agree on, it's that Bobby deserves to die. He's just a bully, and a rapist to boot, who does the deed for the cheap thrill of it. There is no question that Bobby is perhaps one of the most loathsome characters ever depicted on film. He may be a closet homosexual he has an obsession with gay porn; he takes Marty to a gay bar and forces him to dance on stage while the patrons stuff dollar bills into his pants; and his violent actions towards Marty and Lisa could be his way of dealing with those repressed desires and he is a sociopath who may have been pushed to these limits by his tough, but loving father. But look at the bigger picture: they're not killing him for the fact that he could be a homosexual; Bobby's murder is even more terrible for the simple reason there is no clear warrant for it. In fact, their actions aren't motivated so much by revenge, as it is jealousy. Most of these kids work low-paying jobs at fast food restaurants and live off of handouts from their ignorant parents. Bobby is on his way to college and looks to work with his father in their own business, which strangely enough, Marty takes up as a part time job.Like "Kids," Clark makes good use of imagery. One of the film's closing shots says a lot more than a teacher ever could: Marty's younger brother stares sadly into his eyes, wearing a t-shirt that says "D.A.R.E. To Resist Drugs And Violence." Powerful imagery indeed. And also like "Kids," he makes good use of people much younger than the main characters; they talk, drink, and act like adults, and they haven't even hit puberty yet.Much has been said about Clark's tendencies to zoom in on and focus on the anatomy of his young cast. True there is much sex and nudity in this film, but I think it's beside the point. Clark is simply trying to capture the reality of today's troubled youth - how sex and drugs are pitiful attempts at giving meaning to their lives."Bully" is an excellent exploration of the youth of today's dark and troubling times in America. Like "Kids," it's a film that's meant for intelligent discussion, beyond the usual controversy and rage that's custom for movies like this.

acting is awesome, Larry Clark is awesome, this is his best movie I think. I can't believe how someone can capture that whole stiffling hot Florida atmosphere so well as he could in this movie. Watch it and remeber: it's 4am...do you know where your kids are? 10/10 I just love it

here because you won't find it. The language, sex, and drug use may bother some people, but thats because no one wants to believe that young adults can be this way. Well, I got out of high school two years ago and I can tell you that this is not far from reality. Thats probably why it has affected me so much...because I know that stuff portrayed in this movie really does happen. This is a great movie. Watch it. Then go tell your kids you love them.

except the psychologically monstrous Bobby, do have some appealing, or at least pathetic qualities, and might have been saved by adult intervention. But there is none and they are lost from the beginning. These parents can't see their children, don't know their children, seem to be afraid of them, afraid of confronting them either because they fear losing them or pushing them into even more destructive behavior. They seem to care, but not enough to risk embarking on a messy intervention. They only want to relate to them as the accessible children they used to be.So the children even though are 16-22, they are emotionally 8-10 are so addled by drugs and alcohol and sex that have no concept of the reality and consequences of actions. They do seem to have a good grasp of the one fact that their lives are essentially hopeless, what they are doing is unsustainable and can not lead to anything but self-destruction. They know it, but it is no more real to them than a video game. Nothing is real; you just hit the replay button and do it over. And there seems to be no one in their world, but other teenagers just like themselves. This includes the "hit man" they have mistaken for an adult, more competent than themselves, able to lead them in safely freeing themselves from the sociopath who main interest in life is controlling them, torturing them, convincing them they are worthless and helpless. It is gut wrenching to watch them deteriorate, individually and as a group, in the face of the actual murder and its aftermath.Watching them is like watching school children hijack their own school bus and accelerate toward a brick wall: watching the crash in slow motion, fascinated and helpless, seeing the expressions on their faces change, seeing them looking at one another, saying "it wasn't my idea, I didn't do it, I didn't mean it" as the gap closes. The conclusion, the prison sentences, is devastating.

Brad Renfro is top-notch in all his performances, here is no exception. Bijou Phillips is great, Rachel Miner is cunning, Kelli Garner is a lot of fun, Michael Pitt is slightly annoying, but entertaining nonetheless. Nick Stahl is intense, to say the least.Of course it would be hard to say you condone the actions of these "kids", after all, they murdered. But it makes for gripping drama. The film also reveals the sentencing which the kids received for their parts in the murder, some of which was very surprising. A great film, but you need to be in the mood for a hard-watch.

weren't even aware they were inflicting. Nick Stahl plays Billy, bully among a circle of teenage friends in Hollywood, Florida, and his best friend from childhood is Marty, played with striking intensity by Brad Renfro, has been daily receiving torment, if not with punches and slaps, then more on the mental side. Soon, his girlfriend makes a suggestion "he should be killed", and very soon after that the circle of friends agree, and then it continues, along with a so-called hit man, a good small part for Fitzpatrick who was noteworthy in Kids.There will be some out there who may not be able to stomach the elements - it's unrated, not a bad move, and there are as many moments of sex as in a Cinemax soft porn and as many moments of smoking dope as in a Method Man/Redman production - but that's all part of Clark's overall effect, and he pulls it off like a true craftsman and not as a overly exploitation film-maker. This circle of friends are a sad, hollow representation of the kinds of societies the youth of the nation inhabit, and the key is that it's correct, at least in such a banal suburbia. Grade: A

lack joy, excitement, pleasure, and humanity and the camera likes to mash our faces in all the bruised, sweaty, scummy teenage flesh. Many of the sex scenes come off quite disturbing and bizarre. There's no sense of human restraint or dignity, which makes the scenes all the more realistic. The violence and drug use are simply an embarrassment to watch. The drug use makes all the characters look completely ridiculous and foolish. The violence is cold, brutal, and messy, without any sense of style, strategy, or mercy. It's all rather gritty.BULLY is perhaps Larry Clark's darkest film. What is incredibly horrific about this film, to me, is that these characters seem to have no idea what on earth they are doing throughout the entire film. They are completely unprepared and shallow when the time comes to actually murder Bobby Kent, and then when they actually manage to eventually get it done, they make one mistake after another and it's really quite pitiful to watch. I'm not going to give away the ending, but I will say that it won't surprise the audience at all after seeing these characters' blatant clumsiness. The characters make so many stupid decisions that it almost becomes a dark comedy or dark satire. However, the fact that it happens so fast is what keeps us from having time to laugh. The characters themselves are quite bizarre. There's Marty who is the main victim of Bobby , who beats his girlfriend and gets her pregnant. He comes off as more of a bad guy than Bobby Kent does at times, strangely. There's Lisa, Marty's clearly psychotic and very sick girlfriend. Ali, who has a child of her own and is the one who truly leads Bobby to his death. Heather, an abused, burned out ex-drug addict. Donnie, who is obviously has a good nature but is too stoned on a regular basis to think for himself. There's Lisa's cousin Derek, who just wants to constantly take the easy way out. Then there's the hit-man himself who has a slightly tougher posterior, but ends up being just as unprepared and dehumanized as the rest of the characters when the murder actually takes place. Of the characters, the only two I could really muster up any sympathy at all for were Heather and Donnie, and I could probably personally relate to Donnie the best, but they are, in reality, all equally dumb and crazed. No matter which way I slice it, the only character I end up hating more and more is the Lisa character. I did end up feeling bad for Bobby as he was getting murdered, but that was just because he had more potential and more of a future than all of the other characters, meaning that he had more of a chance of redemption and feeling real sorrow for his actions than any of the other characters. That doesn't make him any less of a bad person, but then again these are all bad people and we should only look at what they do and what the commit in this film as a reminder that parents need to be more in charge and take a stand. This film is incredible and it must be seen to be truly believed.

well do a great job, keeping the story, interesting and thrilling. They have a little help though from the music department as well. I mean I did not notice a lot of musical score throughout the film, but in the two most important scenes the kill and in the end I noticed it, and it certainly helped make the scene better. All in all a great effort by Larry Clark who'll never make it big time and the actors who portrayed the main characters. I see potential with some of them and I think that they all can make something of themselves. If I was a director and I needed a few spaces filled, I'd definitely knock on some of their doors as other director's will . Good luck to all of you young promises. As for Larry Clark, I'm sure he'll continue to do what he does and I'm sure I'll check out some of his other films. 8 out of 10