(2001)
2
Jason Clark
Director Larry Clark's trademark obsession with scantily clad (or just plain naked) teenagers is fully in evidence in this raw, grainy look at a motley crew caught up in a revenge pact, and that's part of the overall problem with the film. The film seems to be both a satire on senseless teenage violence and a harsh drama centering on it, but Clark can't seem to make up his mind which should be more prevalent; therefore, the movie falls apart well before it should. Brad Renfro and Nick Stahl seem miscast as the victim and tormentor, respectively; it might have been more effective if they had switched roles to fit their natural abilities. But nothing can disguise the director's obsession with his young cast's exposed bodies, and that leering, uncomfortable aspect negates any impact of the movie's jarring frankness about other matters; the whole affair seems too exploitative to make much of a point. The film, due to its graphic content, was released unrated by its distributor, which also happened with Clark's first feature effort, the controversial 1995 film Kids.
Bully on AllMovie
Bully (2001)
