Review of Havoc (2005) by Tiffany K — 27 Apr 2010

Upon reflection, Havoc seems more of an urban fantasy than an urban reality, largely because the audience finds itself going "really?" on many occasions throughout it. It just doesn't seem plausible that two gorgeous spoiled suburban teenage girls could decide on a whim to slum it in East L.A. because they're bored, and get away with it to the degree they do without being robbed, raped and/or killed as a result. But that's actually what happens in Havoc. Don't get me wrong, the girls do end up hitting some tough consequences for their actions, and the film leaves a potential gunfight between a gang and the girls' suburban boyfriends somewhat open-ended, but by and large things pretty much end up okay for its two protagonists, and I'm not sure I bought that. I like a happy ending as much as (or probably more than) the next guy, but in Havoc it seemed somehow out of place.

That said, I found a lot in Havoc that was very gripping and even believable despite its somewhat shaky premise. I know little about gang culture in Los Angeles, but I do know the spoiled suburban teenage mentality and Havoc is one of the few films I've ever seen (Brick is another) that explored that culture in any context other than a comedic one. The fact that teens with money to burn and little or no parental presence/influence are becoming increasingly bored with their perfect lives, and routinely seeking increasingly high levels of danger and illegality to cure that boredom, Havoc shows not as an overblown speculation but a stark, matter-of-fact reality. Anne Hathaway's character admits to it, with some pride, in the first frames, and the whole movie takes off from there. It hits, and it hits hard.

One of the most interesting and captivating part of Havoc is Hathaway herself. If you look at her filmography, you will notice that between 2001 and 2004 she starred in The Princess Diaries (1&2) and Ella Enchanted. Between 2005 and 2008 she appeared in Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, and Rachel Getting Married, for which she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Right between those two periods, she filmed Havoc. It is clear, to me at least, that this film was her first step into the world of serious acting, and it is a complete 180 from anything she did previously. I have no doubt that taking on the lead in Havoc prepared her for every hard-hitting role she's had since. Even if you find the rest of the film obnoxious (as other reviewers did), seeing Anne in this role is worth it.

Bijou Phillips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also do well in their roles, and Freddy Rodriguez would steal all of his scenes if it weren't Hathaway he'd be stealing them from. (Apparently Channing Tatum is in this film too...but I didn't remember him in it, so apparently he doesn't do much of note.).

In sum, I got a lot to think about out of this film, and on that basis I think it's worth seeing.