Review of Thirteen (2003) by Candace C — 29 Jul 2012

Oh my god. This is one hell of a movie. It is very tough to watch. You see the characters going through so much emotional torture the entire film. It only increases as the film progresses. What is memorable about the movie are two things. The stylishness, and the message are these two things.

First I will address the style. It has a semi-independent film feel to it. The camera is often very shaky, and at odd angles. This adds to the realism, making it a more powerful experience. It feels so god damn real. That is the magic of cinema, I absolutely love this renaissance of independent films.

The second thing is the message the film carries. The youth generations have always had outcasts, who have been taught how to live their lives, but have not yet found their individuality. There have been films made showing the tragedy that ensues when a youth has not yet found individuality, and in a desperate act to fit in and find themselves, get themselves involved in the wrong crowd. This is a perfect example of a lost youth who made that fatal mistake.

It is painful to watch. Nevertheless, this is because that is the point. The film has to be good to be hard to watch. If it wasn't hard to watch, it would have not reached it's goal. But it most certainly has. The acting in phenomenal. Every scene in the film is penetrating, and extremely heavy with emotional depth and meaning.

The film is told with confidence. This is essential to making the story believable. What adds to this is the fact that it is a true story, based upon the life and events of Nikki Reed, who wrote this when she was 13 herself, just two years before the film was made. It just goes to show what people go through while trying to find themselves. Some people make the wrong choices while trying to discover individuality.

The thing I take away from this film is the feeling of horror. This is truly the definition of a horror movie. This poor girl lived a year filled with unspeakable horrors and torture, and utter misery. The film is just here to show her downfall, and nothing more. That is why the film is hard to watch, because it is unrelentingly brutal in its depiction of a tortured soul. We just see her going into a downward spiral, and it becomes agonizing to watch.

This film is potent, powerful, and heavy. Make no mistake, this one of the hardest-to-watch films I have ever sat through. But it is a great film. It starts off a little predictable, but once it gets rolling it is unstoppable. Truly a film above standards, I would not recommend it to anyone wanting to see an inspiring film.