Review of River's Edge (1986) by Jennifer A — 18 May 2008

Yes I remember the eighties!

[img]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/riversedge.jpg[/img][img]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/sayanything.jpg[/img].

[b]The River's Edge (1987) - 7.5/10[/b].

Director - Tim Hunter.

Starring - Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye, Dennis Hopper, Daniel Roebuck, Roxana Zal, Joshua Miller, Josh Richman.

Based on a real life incident, John (Daniel Roebuck) murders his girlfriend and leaves her nude body on the banks of a river. He shows his friends the body, but no one bothers to turn him in. Most of them are too alienated, apathetic and drugged out to care. One of John's friend's Layne (Crispin Glover) decides to hide him with a local drug-dealer Feck (Dennis Hopper). Eventually two of the teens, Matt (Keanu Reeves) and Clarissa (Ione Skye) develop a conscience, and an attraction to each other.

[i]The River's Edge [/i]is one of the most disturbing teen films I've ever seen. The teens depicted are disaffected, disconnected and dysfunctional. They are throwaway kids from a small town with seemingly no future. Most of them are not very likable, but somehow director Tim Hunter makes us sympathize with these teens despite the horrendous crime and unfathomable response. How does he do it? Well he offers us a glimmer of hope with a couple of the characters. Maybe they do have a conscience afterall. Maybe there is hope for the future. I remember seeing this film way back when and I was quite disturbed by it all. Whether you like the film or not, it's one that definitely sticks in your memory long after the credits have rolled. The cast does a fine job, especially Crispin Glover as the whacked out and paranoid leader of the group.

[b]Say Anything (1989) - 7.5/10[/b].

Director - Cameron Crowe.

Starring - John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor, Joan Cusack, Amy Brooks.

Diane Cort (Ione Skye) is the beautiful High School valedictorian, headed to a prestigious college in England. Lloyd Dobbler (John Cusack) is an underachiever with no idea on what he wants to achieve in life. In fact his only goal is to date Diane before she heads off to Europe for school. Diane, who has immersed herself in studies, as well as working at her devoted father's (John Mahoney) nursing home, hasn't had time to have any social life. Lloyd is a muge needed escape for her, but soon her protective father disapproves of the relationship.

Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, [i]Say Anything [/i]is probably one of the most-loved teen flicks ever made. The film is actually a simple love story about two teens but it works because Crowe keeps the characters real and the story believable. The scene in which Lloyd blasts Peter Gabriel from his boombox in an attempt to win Diane's love has become iconic, kind of an ode to a generation. I wouldn't call [i]Say Anything[/i] a great film, but it's about as good as this type of film can get.