Review of The Wackness (2008) by Private U — 21 Sep 2009
"Summer 1994. The girls were fly. The music was dope. And Luke was just trying to deal.".
A psychiatrist (Ben Kingsley) is put into a moral quandary when a young drug dealer who's been supplying him with pot in exchange for clinical treatment ends up dating his daughter in this comedy from All the Boys Love Mandy Lane's writer/director Jonathan Levine. Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Method Man co-star in the Occupant Films production.
Review.
A movie that hit so close to home, The Wackness is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a hot, dreary summer in NYC of 1994. Every kid out there in some way can relate to Shapiro's dope summer of '94, from the parents always fighting to the steamy first love affair, you can't help but reminisce the things that defined your childhood and the memories that will stay with you forever. Every aspect of the film is remarkable. The directing is top notch, the writing, not a word was wasted and the acting was pretty impressive. Josh Peck, that kid from the Nickelodeon show made a complete 360 from cracking jokes to doing crack. That kid is going places I can tell you that. He took a big risk by doing the role and the payoff was grand. No more stupid humor and toilet jokes for this kid. Olivia Thirlby is delightful as the object of Luke's affection and Ben Kingsley, always the great actor transforms himself into a hippie therapist suffering in a mid-life crisis and well, its Ben Kingsley, an Oscar award winning actor and three-time nominee, need I say more?
One notable aspect of the film is the excellent use of 90's music that defined the teen generation of that decade. All thanks to the film scorer of course, David Torn. Without him, The Wackness wouldn't be as memorable to the audience as it would have been. Ultimately, The Wackness is a character driven piece beautifully crafted by the director and showcasing some impressive acting by the cast most notably Kingsley and Peck. This film is a must-see.
This review of The Wackness (2008) was written by Private U on 21 Sep 2009.
The Wackness has generally received positive reviews.
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