Bully (2001)

Bully (2001)

Directed by: Larry Clark
Screenplay by: David McKenna and Roger Pullis

Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 113 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Viewed: Owned DVD

It's 4 AM. Do you know where your kids are?

[IMDb]

Comments: The first time I saw Larry Clark's Bully was late on IFC one night when I was channel surfing. I missed the first half of the film, and as a general rule I don't watch movies from the middle if I've never seen it before. But something about Bully entranced me, and I couldn't turn the channel. The final half of the film is amazingly good. Since then, I've caught only bits and pieces of the movie, so last night I finally watched the film the entire way through. I was convinced that Bully could have been a five star film. However, the beginning feels overly rushed. While Bobby certainly is a prick and he did rape Lisa, they jump to the "let's kill him" aspect remarkably quick, without a lot of build-up. But the second half of the film is so damn good it definitely makes up for it. I really enjoyed Michael Pitt as Donny. Pitt's at his best when he's playing characters that are off-centered (or else he comes off as a bit wooden), such as Funny Games. But I loved how he portrayed Donny in Bully, as he adds a bit of humor into the serious proceedings. I definitely recommend Bully if you've never seen it.