Review of Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006) by Brandon V — 11 Jul 2009

Filmed and edited with a detached, dream-like style, "Wild Tigers I Have Known" is one of the more unique films I've seen in a long time; even when compared to other, similar indie flicks. Its sense of style never comes across as pretentious - only honest.

This is because the bizarre lighting, unusual coloration, low-key score, and at times silent soundtrack can only be seen as appropriate in light of its story. The story features an introspective and daydreaming 13 year-old boy on the cusp of puberty, Logan, who finds himself attracted to the stud of the junior high school - Rodeo. He is so attracted, in fact, that he dons an on-the-phone female persona to lure his crush in. When they meet in person, and Rodeo sees that it is not a girl, but that strange Logan kid who he's been hanging out with, well...

How ELSE should a director logically treat such awkwardness, other than how Cam Archer treats it here?

I suppose Archer could have tamed his curious eye and gone for cheap laughs, potty humor, bright lighting, a feel-good soundtrack, and farcical contrivances with regards to Logan's female persona and the big reveal to Rodeo, but that would have placed him in danger of winning distribution offers from Hollywood.

Such unique and daring choices on the technical aspects of the film combine to create an atmosphere of isolation and loneliness, as well as highlight the boredom which comes from being different in middle school. A couple of scenes use wry humor to show how out of touch the faculty is with kids like Logan, and these moments succeed wonderfully, as does a heartbreaking scene between Logan and his mother over spilled groceries.

Some people in the audience could be as bored and confused at the end of the day as the main characters, no doubt, but those who would are probably not the type to seek out films like this in the first place.