Crime And Punishment In Suburbia (7/10)

[Mike]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000053V7I.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

CRIME + PUNISHMENT IN SUBURBIA (2000)

Rated R for brutal violence, strong sexuality, language and substance abuse.

The first time I watched this movie I loved it, I was blown away and surprised with it. Then I watched it again and I still liked it but not quite as much. And then I watched it a third time with a friend and I liked it even less. It just wasn't as good as I originally thought it was. My friend thought it was only ok and you know what? That's the same way I felt after watching it a third time. So I had no idea what to think of this movie. I originally loved it and after three viewings I thought it was only ok. Usually if I watch a movie and I'm disappointed I can watch it again and end up liking it better. Exactly the opposite happened here. I watched it and loved it, then I watched it two more times and thought it was only ok. So I decided its rating would fall somewhere in between "ok" and "love." That's where the 7/10 comes in.

Overall, it was a good movie. A movie with teenagers that's actually pretty smart. It is reminiscent of American Beauty (10/10). I thought Monica Keena (Dawson's Creek) gave a really good performance and so did Ellen Barkin (This Boy's Life, Drop Dead Gorgeous).

"Crime + Punishment In Suburbia" just goes to show you how fucked up and disfunctional some families can be and just how bad some peoples lives really are. Based on my first reaction to this movie, which completely blew me away, I recommend it...

Grade: 7/10



[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 08-31-2002).]

[Julie]

This was a pretty good flick. The acting was good and the plot and script were very well done. I was impressed. More people should see this movie. I recommended it to everyone I know.

Grade: B+

[Mike]

Yeah, I've recommended it to my friends and family. Not too many people have seen it but they really should. It's a good movie.

[Mike]

I haven't heard anyone here mention this movie. Did anyone else see it?

[Kim_EZ]

I liked this movie. It wasn't as bad as many reviewers thought it was.

6/10

[wyodebbie]

"Crime and Punishment in Suburbia" is just what the title says, it's the story of a suburban family that has internal strife because of drinking and adultery. In the middle is the teenage daughter that is already sexually active and on the outside, viewing all this, is a lonely teenage boy expressing himself through photography and he photographs the deterioration of the family as it leads to murder and guilt. Both the younger stars, Monica Keena and Vincent Kartheiser were very good in their roles as well as the parents played by Michael Ironside and Ellen Barkin. I liked the main headings that give you the main ideas of the segment like "Life With Dad", "A Death In The Family", "Guilt", and "Surrender". I didn't approve of any of their values, but I understood where they were coming from, and I guess that what the film was aiming for. Grade: 7/10 B