Smaller movies push the envelope to further their stories

ELLIOTT SMITH

Originally published Friday, January 18, 2002

Sex is a funny thing. No matter how much we become accustomed to talking and hearing about it, it's still somewhat of a taboo subject in mainstream movies.

Want a surefire box-office killer? Make an NC-17 film.

The rating, which was supposed to make filmmakers more comfortable with tackling "adult" subjects, has instead become the scarlet letter of film, since most small towns won't show movies with that rating, and most newspapers won't run ads for them.

So most of the major studios play it safe, leaving pushing the boundaries to the little guys, who don't have the might or the money to fight the system.

A perfect example of a so-called "sex" movie by a major is AMERICAN PIE 2 (R) * 1/2, the sequel to the raunchy surprise hit of 1999.

In this one, the gang that we all came to know and love are back for more of the same.

No, I mean it. If you've seen the first movie, then you've pretty much seen this one, since it nearly rehashes every funny scene from the original.

Stifler drinking a gross body fluid? Check. Jim embarrassed by his sexual experimentation? Natch. Nadia speaking in horrible European accent? You got it. Band instruments used in non-musical ways? Of course.

The story is simple. After everyone's first year of college, the guys rent a beach house and throw wild parties to try and broaden their sexual horizons. Yawn.

Yeah, there are some funny parts here, mostly thanks to the great Seann William Scott as Stifler, but this is a franchise that's beginning to crack at the seams.

Since we know that nothing shocking is really going to happen and that everyone will learn a valuable "life lesson" at the end, all the sex talk and gratuitous nudity is just a calculated attempt by the filmmakers to lure young adults back to another tepid sequel.

Is there something wrong with that? Not necessarily. Lest I sound like a hypocrite, I remember watching "Porky's Revenge" with gleeful abandon as a youth, but that was 16 years ago. It's kind of sad that nothing has really changed since.

On the independent scene, however, filmmakers are willing to push the envelope to further their stories past silly comedies.

Larry Clark is one of those directors. He made plenty of noise with his first feature, the very controversial "Kids," and returns to the territory of teen-age life with BULLY (unrated) ***, the true tale of a sordid murder in Florida.

Brad Renfro ("The Client") stars as Marty, a youth content spending his days surfing and hanging out with his friend Bobby (Nick Stahl). The only problem is that Bobby is a psychopath in training, constantly abusing Marty both physically and mentally.

The dynamic of their friendship changes when Marty meets Lisa (Rachel Miner) and they strike up a relationship. Pretty soon, the talk turns to killing Bobby, and the rest of the movie details their plan and eventual revenge killing of the bully that has tormented their lives.

That said, this isn't a film for everyone. Clark definitely has some sort of issue with teen-age sexuality, as there are several graphic scenes and the constant, almost-leering way in which he shoots his young cast. (Judging by this film, everyone in Florida walks around with their shirt off.)

That part of the film is almost aimless, but when the focus switches to the murder and the aftermath -- the kids are so dumb, it's almost hard to believe -- it becomes a pretty intense portrait of how things can spiral out of control.

Control is the key element of THE CENTER OF THE WORLD (unrated) ***, with sex as the variable. Who has power? Is it the prostitute or the john?

Computer nerd Richard (Peter Sarsgaard) falls for Florence (Molly Parker), a stripper he meets in a coffee shop, and he offers her a proposition: $10,000 for three nights in Las Vegas.

Florence agrees, but with stipulations: "No feelings and no (expletive)," she says.

And so as the weekend unfolds, we see the balance of power shift back and forth between these two people, raising the question of whether these two people could ever find happiness together.

Since there are so few characters here, it almost takes the shape of a play, adding to the emotional connection a viewer feels with these wayward souls. Director Wayne Wang's use of digital cameras lends a certain verite to the proceedings, as well as the career performances from Sarsgaard and Parker.

As with "Bully," this movie doesn't shy away from its subject (so much so that a theater in Cincinnati self-censored a particularly touchy scene), but that's what makes it that much more effective.

In real life, things aren't pretty and they certainly aren't as easy as having the foreign exchange student take off her clothes in your bedroom.

Elliott Smith is a sportswriter for The Olympian by night and The Video Guy even later at night. Readers may send comments or suggestions to esmith@olympia.gannett.com.

Star guide

Superior * * * *

Good * * *

Fair * *

Poor *

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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