Review of The Education of Charlie Banks (2007) by Sebastian J — 29 Mar 2009

Granted , it is difficult not to snicker during the opening credits when "A Fred Durst Film" flickers on the screen. But the Limp Bizkit front man may have the last laugh, because this is actually a decent film.

To further defy your expectations, this is not a moronic frat boy comedy, but a clever and sincere coming of age prep school drama. To be fair, he struck gold with this dream cast of young up-and-comers.

I started to consider the fact that this film would never work without this talented ensemble of actors. Jesse Eisenberg has the sensitive nebbish market cornered. But he vividly captures the awkwardness of adolescence, you can't help feeling intense sympathy for the guy.

His expressive face registers jealousy, admiration and fear, sometimes in the same shot. Jason Ritter nails the challenging part of the bully with a heart of gold by channeling a young Matt Dillon . The real surprise is Sebastian Stan, who seems to have stumbled in from a Brett Easton Ellis script, playing the lovable preppie scoundrel.

The pace is slow and the tone is uneven, but I was genuinely moved at the end of this movie. For somebody with such a brash public persona, it is hard to believe that Mr. Durst has delivered such a surprisingly quiet, introspective picture.