Review of Vulgar (2002) by Tyson S — 14 Oct 2009

Unpolished. Unpleasant. Unforgettable.

In a standard "Hollywood" film, one might imagine that the first 80% of this film might be told primarily in flashback, and the remainder would be stretched to the 90 plus minute mark. That would have been unfortunate. As it stands, first time director Bryan Johnson has crafted a fascinating charachter study that many people might not be able to stomach. I do not wish to draw direct comparisons, but I felt, viscerally at least, that I was peeking into a world informed by David Lynch and Larry Clark. The sad thing is that many people may view certain portions of this story as blatant satire rather than the heart-attack seriousness it evokes to people who may have been through similar circumstances - clown makeup notwithstanding.

As with a film like, say...Blue Velvet...there are genuinely funny moments. Subltle charachter work from the supporting cast is accented and ultimately dominated by Brian Christopher O'Halloran's performance as an everyman faced with every-other man's greatest personal nightmare.

This is not a comfortable film to watch. I don't think it was meant to be. It is, however, riveting and deserves more attention than it seems to have received.

It would also be nice to see another film from Writer/Director Bryan Johnson. I think he has more to say.