Review of Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) by Craigb — 23 Oct 2005

Okay, this is not a film for everyone. However, it stikes me that most of the negative comments that I have read here seem to be more a reaction to the characters and their lifesyle than to the elements of filmmaking.

These are not necessarily people you want to hang out with in real life, but likable characters are not necessarily interesting characters to watch. I suppose one could fairly criticize the film as lacking in plot but that is precisely one aspect of the film that I find appealing.

By not following the conventions of Hollywood storytelling, the film creates an atmosphere in which one feels that anything could happen. I found the camera work to be engaging and creative. The characters were completely original and all fairly well developed.

In fact, I would defy anyone to say that these characters are ones that we have seen anywhere else in any other movie. I believe the quality of the acting was superb and very convincing (especially after seeing an interview with the actor who played the title character; he's not the dimwit that he played in the film).

This film provides an interesting glimpse into a culture that is worth examining.