Review of Kaboom (2010) by John B — 07 Apr 2012
A hipster's American Pie, or an Ellis book without the self-awareness.
The acting is spotty to say the least, with the lead being particularly annoying to watch. Actors picked very much for looks over talent. On the whole, they perform competently though.
Soundtrack is what really lets it down. Whereas one of Roger Avary's saving graces in his adaptation of Ellis' Rules of Attraction was the kick-ass soundtrack, that is not a lifeline provided here.
Luckily, the story of this movie meanders in and out of hipster relationship problems and into crazy cult thriller. This actually does work, purely because the characters are so self-obsessed and vapid, without Araki in any way sneering at them, that a character drama would be impossible to sustain. It's almost like Araki was making a film for the characters in the film.
Rules of Attraction is the closest film to this in terms of subject matter, if you ignore the thriller part, and Kaboom pales in comparison. But it is maybe worth seeing due to it's offbeat humour, pop culture references, and Araki's quirky visual style. Or you could just watch Rules of Attraction...
This review of Kaboom (2010) was written by John B on 07 Apr 2012.
Kaboom has generally received mixed reviews.
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