Review of Elephant (2003) by Davey M — 13 Jun 2012
The teenagers don't seem quite enough like actual teenagers to me in the first half of the movie (although the age-appropriate casting is certainly appreciated), which might have been perhaps more appropriately entitled "Steadicams & Teens: The Movie".
This makes the otherwise powerful second half lose some of its punch; the very end (as in, the shot before the credits roll) is a bit too sensationalistic for me as well. Still, there's a lot that's pretty great here--Van Sant wisely chooses not to supply many motives or psychological portraits, and instead goes for an approach that's somewhere between documentary-esque naturalism and formal expressionism.
It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's pretty incredible, and pretty sobering.
This review of Elephant (2003) was written by Davey M on 13 Jun 2012.
Elephant has generally received positive reviews.
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