Reel Review Roundup

Project X (MA)

Directed by: Nima Nourizadeh

Starring: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown

Half a star

Review by: Julian Wright

If ever there was a type of film that didn’t need the found footage treatment, it is the teens getting drunk at a party film. Not only is it redundant – with Facebook, Youtube and camera phones, no one runs around a party with a camcorder – but trying to make us believe the atrocious behaviour of the characters in this film actually happened is offensive.

Stealing heavily from Superbad (it is basically an unofficial remake minus the charm) and several other better, and not so better, teens go wild type films, Project X is a projectile vomit of clichés and disgusting, adolescent behaviour. In fact, this film goes so over the line of decency, it is an insult to adolescents. And anyone else that happens to have the misfortune of seeing it.

Three hormone driven teenage virgin guys (aren’t they all in these movies?) Thomas (Thomas Mann), Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown) are always on the lookout for the perfect candidate to take their virginity. The opportunity comes up on Thomas’ birthday when his parents go away for the weekend for their anniversary. Thomas is thinking a few geeky friends over for some harmless beers, but Costa has broadcast around town the promise of an orgy of free-flowing booze and drugs, pumping music and naked chicks. The more chicks, the better because this just increases the chances of having sex. Charming

The events of the night, which predictably include excessive drinking, drug taking, risk taking as well as underage sex, dirty dancing, naked chicks and endless grinding, are all captured by a school mate for reasons that are not really made clear. Needless to say it is fairly standard stuff except the attitude with which it is made.

There is minimal character development of the already unlikable and foul-mouthed trio, who spend as much time insulting each other as they do thinking about how to score. When you have friends like these, who needs enemies? But the sickening part is this film’s portrayal and treatment of teenage girls. The camera creeps up their legs, lingers on their crotches and zooms in on their cleavage. It encourages its audience to ogle at drunk and topless party girls who are supposed to be high school students. And they wanted to ban The Human Centipede.

Half a star may sound generous but there is the occasional chuckle from the least offensive gags, notably the 12-year-old bouncers hired to keep the party under control. But if this is the next step in teenage themed films, maybe we should stick with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless and Superbad, where the characters are appealing, learn something and don’t degrade the human race. This is the kind of found footage that should be destroyed, or better yet, never be filmed in the first place.

This entry was posted on February 29, 2012 at 10:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.