Reviews by Jeff Katz & Gary Kramer
Valentine Road (TV)
HBO
4.5 stars
Five years after the tragic murder of 15-year-old Larry King comes the powerful doc Valentine Road, debuting in October on HBO. Speaking with friends, lawyers, former teachers and family, director Marta Cunningham attempts to explain the whys of both how a young boy who felt different wasn’t protected, and how his classmate could go to such extreme measures when he felt threatened. Cunningham does explore the backstory of what some have dubbed the other victim in this unfortunate incident—King’s killer, Brandon McInerney. His family and friends are interviewed and we learn of his abusive upbringing and, much like King, a difficult childhood. Perfectly timed for National Bully Awareness Month, Valentine Road, in part, brings to light how the school administration failed both boys, with interviews from teachers and staff that are equally heartbreaking as they are infuriating. At times the doc feels as if it’s lacking a bit of call to action, possibly masked behind the in-depth backstory. But it's the contributions from Larry’s friends that will leave viewers with a bit of hope at the end of this sad story, as one boy’s ability to live his all-too-brief life authentically continues to inspire those who knew him. — JK
Laurence Anyways (DVD)
Breaking Glass
2 stars
Out filmmaker Xavier Dolan’s ambitious film about the title character (Melvil Poupaud) becoming a woman is overlong—nearly three hours!—and underwhelming. While there is plenty of style on display with Dolan’s fancy camera work, imaginative fantasy sequences, and his penchant for gorgeous clothes and fabulous set design, there is, alas, no heart here. Laurence and his girlfriend, Fred (Suzanne Clément), are shrill, selfish characters who lie and fight. There are points to be made about gender roles and the treatment of and marginalization of trans people, but Laurence Anyways suggests punching men in bars and screaming at insensitive waitresses are effective methods for teaching tolerance. Poupaud is unconvincing as the woman he was not born to be, even when he walks confidently down the street in female dress and attracts stares. Dolan’s uneven film swerves wildly between dramatic and melodramatic crescendos without an ounce of emotion, save frustration. At least Nathalie Baye is terrific as Laurence’s mother. — GK
Bashment (DVD)
Ariztical
Bashment is an ambitious, overstuffed, but not ineffective film about a queer, white MC in the UK grappling with the aftermath of a violent incident that leaves his lover brain damaged. Writer/director Rikki Beadle-Blair asks many provocative questions about race and class, as well as masculinity, gender, and sexuality as victims confront their jailed attackers to find the source of the hate and rage. The ideas about forgiveness and bridging the gaps between black and white, gay and straight, even male and female are valid, although viewers will have to get past some wildly unrealistic transformations. Additionally, the characters’ thick accents, plus the film’s plot contrivances and staginess—Bashment is based on a play—can be straining. And while Beadle-Blair may cudgel viewers with loud, angry language, his mission here is to promote a new way of thinking about manners, racism, and homophobia—and for that he should be applauded. — GK
Aleksandr’s Price (DVD)
Breaking Glass
1 star
Written, directed, and starring the handsome but talentless Pau Masó, Aleksandr’s Price is a laughably bad drama about an illegal broke young Russian in New York City who turns tricks to support himself. While Aleksandr had a few good experiences initially, he soon experiences a downward spiral of epic proportions. Recounting his story to a therapist (one of the many bad performers in the film), Aleksandr talks about his regrets. Viewers who watch this film all the way through will have some as well. Aleksandr falls for his clients and would-be clients to ease his loneliness and stave off debt; he gets raped, blackmailed by a cop, and into a quasi-S&M-like scene. And just when the film cannot possibly get any worse, he hits absolute rock bottom by sleeping with the wrong man. Aleksandr’s Price is never sexy or stimulating, but the title character has an odd habit of masturbating to ease the tension in his life. Yes, it’s that kind of wrongheaded film. — GK