I just saw this at Sundance, and I sincerely hope this film ends up with distributor and a good marketing campaign, because it is worthy of a wider audience. What was particularly interesting was listening to the director's comments after the film. He pointed out that his biggest challenge in working with this extremely talented ensemble cast was making sure everyone was on the same page in terms of mood. "It's not exactly a drama and it's not exactly a comedy," he said. "We didn't want them playing for laughs, although there are some comedic moments, obviously." Now, usually when movies can't figure out their tone, it's a kiss of death. But this film succeeded because of, not despite, it's delving into the gray area between drama and comedy. The result was a movie about teens that didn't play like a "teen movie," at all. It doesn't exploit and it doesn't play down to any sort of perceived teen audience. Part of that was due to the excellent cast. Jamie Bell was sensational. The adults were equally solid, particularly Glenn Close. I'm interested in seeing how this film is marketed. Some comments I've seen have been critical of the title, but it makes perfect sense once you know the story. All in all, this is one of those movies that obviously started with a great story full of dramatic tension and social satire and built from there. All too rare these days.
141 Reviews
Surprisingly surprised.
gonzo3333200216 January 2006
I was caught off guard with this movie. I had heard great things about it and knew it was gonna be pretty good but I didn't expect it to actually deliver so well. All of the (young) cast are really great actors and am looking forward to more of their work. Glenn Close was good in it and so were most of the other adults. I've heard a lot of people compare this movie to Donnie Darko and I don't really get that. Although DD is a really good movie it's totally about two different things. I thought that Rory Culkin was underused and should have had at least one more scene in the movie. Billy (Justin Chatwin) who at first didn't seem really believable as the school bully(he seemed too pretty boy) ended growing on me and I actually started to have a strong dislike for the kid. Crystal (Camilla Belle) did a great job as well. Dean (Jamie Bell) has really gotten my interest too. He's a great actor and I look forward to whatever it is he does next. I highly recommend watching this movie and in fact have already told about 10 people about it.
Intellectually interesting.
luke-34622 September 2007
If you are a fan of Independent American Cinema then this film is a must as it is a beautiful and clever criticism of modern suburban (American) life and its effect on the family structure. It has themes of social alienation, which are pre-eminent, as are the themes of artificial happiness and self absorption. Many of the performances are top drawer as are the unexpected cameos and all of these aspects culminate to a cult dark comedy.
Some will be pre-emptive as the film is about drugs, teenagers, high school, bullying and well-worn characters with a cool soundtrack thrown in for good measure. Yet through utilising some inventiveness the film re-tells the clichés of the classic dramatic traditions of tragedy and comedy via a funeral and a wedding and rewards the viewer with the questioning and re-evaluation of such tragedy and comedy.
Some will be pre-emptive as the film is about drugs, teenagers, high school, bullying and well-worn characters with a cool soundtrack thrown in for good measure. Yet through utilising some inventiveness the film re-tells the clichés of the classic dramatic traditions of tragedy and comedy via a funeral and a wedding and rewards the viewer with the questioning and re-evaluation of such tragedy and comedy.
Pretentious and Derivative
ds190912 July 2005
This movie (please don't call it a "film") is a mish-mosh of styles, themes and techniques lifted from the library of films these dudes must have adored in their short lives (movies like Heathers and Edward Scissorhands). All of these wishful elements that hope to become a film never gel. It really can be summed up in one word: boring. It tries way too hard but ultimately says nothing. Do we need another movie about disaffected teens in a twisted, exaggerated suburbia with crazy Danny Elfmanesque music? Yeah, there's a lot of "hype" about the movie. That's what you get when people spend $ advertising and realize they made a mistake in financing this project. A few performances are good but most are two dimensional. The whole film is two dimensional and superficial, which is ironic because if you try real hard to piece together a theme for this project I think the kids who made it were trying to make a statement against such superficiality. If you find yourself noticing the blue eyeliner on "Crystal's" eyes so much you have to draw only one conclusion -- the story is SO boring, that I'm watching the chick's eyeliner.
We saw this movie at the academy and most in the audience were 70+ years old. But these folks have worked in the business their whole lives and know movies. Guess what they did at the end of the movie? They hissed! The auditorium was full of hissing seniors. Never once have I been to a screening at the academy and heard grandma and grandpa hissing. That was the most entertaining part of the entire evening.
If you want to see an artful film about teenagers go rent "The Virgin Suicides". There's a film where technique exists as a storytelling device as opposed to the technique used in Chumscrubbers which merely exists as a mechanism for the filmmakers to show how "cool" they are.
We saw this movie at the academy and most in the audience were 70+ years old. But these folks have worked in the business their whole lives and know movies. Guess what they did at the end of the movie? They hissed! The auditorium was full of hissing seniors. Never once have I been to a screening at the academy and heard grandma and grandpa hissing. That was the most entertaining part of the entire evening.
If you want to see an artful film about teenagers go rent "The Virgin Suicides". There's a film where technique exists as a storytelling device as opposed to the technique used in Chumscrubbers which merely exists as a mechanism for the filmmakers to show how "cool" they are.
What's the Alternative?
RARubin20 February 2006
Having grown up in a 1960's suburb outside of Philadelphia with it's same-same split-levels and colonials, I can grasp the loneliness angle of a teen-angst film. Not as successful or lighthearted as Thumbsucker or honered as the silly and "way" overrated American Beauty, The Chumscrubber has charm. Teens are lonely. They do tend to rebel like James Dean. Their parents work hard and acquire materialistic items such as homes, patio pools, and furniture, a stage of their life that emphasizes materialism and social status. Suburbanites play hard and work hard, but teenager offspring are neither adults nor children. The Chumscrubber world wheels in turn, humor and darkness.
Jamie Bell somehow subdues his Scottish accent and plays the American teen with solemn seriousness. Maybe that's a fault in his portrayal, but after all, there is not much fun in popping pills and having a best friend hang himself. The parents, the kids, they seem to be whirling in separate orbits, coming close as the moon is large in a winter sky, but then the luminous returns to a distant trajectory. They talk to each other, or rather past each other. The humorous scenes where the teens tell parents they are kidnapping a little boy so they can buy drugs compel laughs because the parents think the kids are attempting precocious satire. The mother planning a wedding is oblivious. She is the prototype suburban striver. Where's your kid? Oh, he's in his room, er.. out with friends on a school project. "It's for school" is teen code for "perfectly innocent." That's a laugh.
In the end, the world of white, middle to upper-class citizen is almost too easy to satire, but what's the alternative, a Stalinist State? Think about it.
Jamie Bell somehow subdues his Scottish accent and plays the American teen with solemn seriousness. Maybe that's a fault in his portrayal, but after all, there is not much fun in popping pills and having a best friend hang himself. The parents, the kids, they seem to be whirling in separate orbits, coming close as the moon is large in a winter sky, but then the luminous returns to a distant trajectory. They talk to each other, or rather past each other. The humorous scenes where the teens tell parents they are kidnapping a little boy so they can buy drugs compel laughs because the parents think the kids are attempting precocious satire. The mother planning a wedding is oblivious. She is the prototype suburban striver. Where's your kid? Oh, he's in his room, er.. out with friends on a school project. "It's for school" is teen code for "perfectly innocent." That's a laugh.
In the end, the world of white, middle to upper-class citizen is almost too easy to satire, but what's the alternative, a Stalinist State? Think about it.
Great Movie
Derek2u21 January 2006
When does an indie movie have so many mainline actors that its no longer indie? I don't know. With Glenn Close & Ray Finnes & John Heard -- and that other guy on Invasion -- well, the cast is deep. This movie keeps surprising you & you will NOT be bored or let down. I suggest you see it & forget about the drugs & suburbia & see how eventually "you get what you give." The soundtrack includes 1 track from Snow Patrol & 1 from Placebo -- both very great choices. It's not a pure comedy but the parents are truly real life caricatures. I live in NYC & I have truly met some parents who ARE these movie characters. Laughable, but unbelievable, yet real. There are no sudden endings that spring from nowhere. The movie unfolds & the characters always stay true to their parts. Please, check it out.
Totally unique and captivating
alee51313 August 2005
Many people will hate this movie because it is so off the wall, but I didn't want it to end. It was full of surprises, interesting characters, strong emotions, and bizarre twists. I left the theater in a daze that lasted a couple of hours as "reality" intruded again. The cast is great and stars like Glenn Close and Ralph Fiennes show their talent by underplaying their roles or playing offbeat characters like they never have before. The director did a great job with continuity; the chumscrubber shows up early on before we even know who he is. There is a lot of humor amid the tragedy and it would probably take a second watching to catch it all. Probably the 15 to 25 crowd will like it the best, but I'm almost 60 and I loved it. Great job by the director and writer.
A healthy helping of suburban teen angst
dilbertsuperman19 December 2005
This script brings up an important facet of the drug use of kids today- they have become a bunch of little pill poppers because of the massive push from our new drug dealers- the pharmaceutical companies with their psychiatrist drug pushers.
OK, it's cool to bash suburbia and how lame it is. How out of touch the parents are with reality and how wonderfully hypocritical they all can be. That part of the movie is fun but it can't cover up the lack of a cohesive story that becomes painfully evident after a while. This script has the feel that it was written by different writers writing different scenes and then the scenes were stitched together in no apparent order.
The plot is about a kid who is blackmailed into stealing drugs but what makes no sense is he is threatened by the gang holding a kid he has no emotional ties to whatsoever. Why he would care whether this kid lives or dies makes no sense in light of him being on heavy meds to the point of not caring about much of anything.
One thing I really like about this movie is the expose on ineffective parenting approaches. Anyone that has seen this idiotic crap attitude towards kids in action and the damage it causes on a kid's life can identify.
What I hate about this movie is the implausible tie ups to the plot. Some of the acting moments are forgettable for sure. At certain points in the film it will become completely farcical. By the end of this movie it has really entered after-school special territory and lost all credibility whatsoever.
The name of this movie is based on a video game but that tie-in was poorly executed and inessential.
I didn't think this movie was all that great but it did cover some topics that tend to be all of the areas where suburban people tend to be hypocritical failures.
If you wanna get down with your teen angst and hate some suburbanites with your gonads and strife for a while, this is your movie. If you want any kind of realism or true edginess.. forget it- this movie stumbles a lot in the plot and isn't' exactly sure what it is trying to say. I think the Hollywood J-men must have smelt Donnie Darko here and were shooting for a hit with that audience. What they got is worth a look but as a whole, it only rhymes with hit.
BETTER MOVIES TO SEE: Donnie Darko
OK, it's cool to bash suburbia and how lame it is. How out of touch the parents are with reality and how wonderfully hypocritical they all can be. That part of the movie is fun but it can't cover up the lack of a cohesive story that becomes painfully evident after a while. This script has the feel that it was written by different writers writing different scenes and then the scenes were stitched together in no apparent order.
The plot is about a kid who is blackmailed into stealing drugs but what makes no sense is he is threatened by the gang holding a kid he has no emotional ties to whatsoever. Why he would care whether this kid lives or dies makes no sense in light of him being on heavy meds to the point of not caring about much of anything.
One thing I really like about this movie is the expose on ineffective parenting approaches. Anyone that has seen this idiotic crap attitude towards kids in action and the damage it causes on a kid's life can identify.
What I hate about this movie is the implausible tie ups to the plot. Some of the acting moments are forgettable for sure. At certain points in the film it will become completely farcical. By the end of this movie it has really entered after-school special territory and lost all credibility whatsoever.
The name of this movie is based on a video game but that tie-in was poorly executed and inessential.
I didn't think this movie was all that great but it did cover some topics that tend to be all of the areas where suburban people tend to be hypocritical failures.
If you wanna get down with your teen angst and hate some suburbanites with your gonads and strife for a while, this is your movie. If you want any kind of realism or true edginess.. forget it- this movie stumbles a lot in the plot and isn't' exactly sure what it is trying to say. I think the Hollywood J-men must have smelt Donnie Darko here and were shooting for a hit with that audience. What they got is worth a look but as a whole, it only rhymes with hit.
BETTER MOVIES TO SEE: Donnie Darko
The Oblivion of Suburbia: A Dark Comedy
gradyharp14 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Few films have polarized audiences (fortunate enough to have experienced this little film) as much as THE CHUMSCRUBBER, a film that is unique in its brave depiction of American suburbia, a place where 'things' have absorbed our attention and 'people' have all but melted into the woodwork. It is a dark comedy, and even while it is very funny in parts, the humor is always attached to black vignettes that are so truthful they can become terrifying.
Taking place in some manufactured instant suburb in sunny California, the story (by director and co-writer Arie Posin with Zak Stanford) is framed around one Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell - think of the meaning of the word stifle!), a lad who seemingly is alone among the hollow shells of high school kids who live through drugs/pills to alter their perception of a boring meaningless world. The source of their pills is Troy Johnson (Josh Janowicz) who in the first frames of the movie is discovered by Dean after Troy has hanged himself in suicide. Dean, though terrified at the horror of what he discovers, decides to not tell anyone 'because who would care anyway'. Life just goes on among the parents of the teenagers, not allowing anything to disturb their shallow lives: Troy's mother (Glenn Close) appears oblivious to her loss; Dean's mother (Allison Janney) is more concerned with cooking and is clueless as to interpersonal relationships with anyone including her author/psychologist husband William Fichtner whose world begins and ends in his latest book; Terry Bratley (Rita Wilson) whose time is consumed by her incipient wedding to the mayor (Ralph Fiennes) who has delusional behavior while fending off maladaptive behavior by her recently divorced spouse Officer Lou (John Heard); Mrs. Falls (Carrie-Anne Moss) who seduces even teenagers and any other man who comes into her gaze. These shells of parents have no clue or communication with their aimless kids, but the kids when discovering the source of their pills is dead, decide to go after psycho Dean to get the stash. In doing so they kidnap Charley whom they think is Dean's brother to convince Dean to raid Troy's stash. The manner in which all of this plays out is a veritable horror story of the amoral mindset of teenagers coping alone in the world with parents who elect to remain oblivious to their plights.
There are some lapses in continuity with the story, some editing problems, and some weak moments, but the overall message is a very dark, very real microscopic examination of our society. Jamie Bell is particularly outstanding as Dean, the only character who appears to have a remnant of conscience and soul. But the cameos by the wide range of stars are splendid. James Horner has once again managed to gel the story with his musical score, ending the credits with a rendition of the Graham Nash song "Our House'. As said before, the audience is polarized between love and hate/tolerance for this film. This viewer happened to love it. Recommended for all people concerned with our youth today - and their inadequate parents. Grady Harp
Taking place in some manufactured instant suburb in sunny California, the story (by director and co-writer Arie Posin with Zak Stanford) is framed around one Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell - think of the meaning of the word stifle!), a lad who seemingly is alone among the hollow shells of high school kids who live through drugs/pills to alter their perception of a boring meaningless world. The source of their pills is Troy Johnson (Josh Janowicz) who in the first frames of the movie is discovered by Dean after Troy has hanged himself in suicide. Dean, though terrified at the horror of what he discovers, decides to not tell anyone 'because who would care anyway'. Life just goes on among the parents of the teenagers, not allowing anything to disturb their shallow lives: Troy's mother (Glenn Close) appears oblivious to her loss; Dean's mother (Allison Janney) is more concerned with cooking and is clueless as to interpersonal relationships with anyone including her author/psychologist husband William Fichtner whose world begins and ends in his latest book; Terry Bratley (Rita Wilson) whose time is consumed by her incipient wedding to the mayor (Ralph Fiennes) who has delusional behavior while fending off maladaptive behavior by her recently divorced spouse Officer Lou (John Heard); Mrs. Falls (Carrie-Anne Moss) who seduces even teenagers and any other man who comes into her gaze. These shells of parents have no clue or communication with their aimless kids, but the kids when discovering the source of their pills is dead, decide to go after psycho Dean to get the stash. In doing so they kidnap Charley whom they think is Dean's brother to convince Dean to raid Troy's stash. The manner in which all of this plays out is a veritable horror story of the amoral mindset of teenagers coping alone in the world with parents who elect to remain oblivious to their plights.
There are some lapses in continuity with the story, some editing problems, and some weak moments, but the overall message is a very dark, very real microscopic examination of our society. Jamie Bell is particularly outstanding as Dean, the only character who appears to have a remnant of conscience and soul. But the cameos by the wide range of stars are splendid. James Horner has once again managed to gel the story with his musical score, ending the credits with a rendition of the Graham Nash song "Our House'. As said before, the audience is polarized between love and hate/tolerance for this film. This viewer happened to love it. Recommended for all people concerned with our youth today - and their inadequate parents. Grady Harp
Heads Up
wes-connors22 November 2009
"Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell) discovers the body of his best friend, Troy, and doesn't bother telling any of the parents in his postcard-perfect California neighborhood. He knows that these families prefer to go about their lives by ignoring reality entirely. But, when this scandal hits home, will they take notice, or will they continue along their merry, self-medicated way?" asks to the DVD sleeve description.
A very large cast of disaffected and alienated individuals populate pretty suburban "Hillside". Most of them pop pills. "The Chumscrubber" video game has about as much to do with the storyline as The Blue Dolphins in Ralph Fiennes' mind. The film gets weird too late, and too little. Its soundtrack music is good, though - and, director Arie Posin manages the very capable and engaging cast well.
****** The Chumscrubber (1/25/05) Arie Posin ~ Jamie Bell, Camilla Belle, Glenn Close, Justin Chatwin
A very large cast of disaffected and alienated individuals populate pretty suburban "Hillside". Most of them pop pills. "The Chumscrubber" video game has about as much to do with the storyline as The Blue Dolphins in Ralph Fiennes' mind. The film gets weird too late, and too little. Its soundtrack music is good, though - and, director Arie Posin manages the very capable and engaging cast well.
****** The Chumscrubber (1/25/05) Arie Posin ~ Jamie Bell, Camilla Belle, Glenn Close, Justin Chatwin
WOW--This film sucked!
CleanGunsInfo2 December 2006
I've read a bunch of reviews for this movie and can't believe these people are serious.
If you are over the age of 17 and have a fully functioning brain, I can't imagine what you would enjoy about this movie.
The all-star cast is squandered on a tired story that doesn't go anywhere. The dialogue is weak, as it fails to be clever, memorable, funny or informative. The cinematography is completely vanilla. The characters are annoying and overdrawn. The plot is a joke, as we are repeatedly hit over the head with the "original" and "impressive" idea that parents just don't pay attention to their darn kids anymore!?!
And The soundtrack is stolen from your local 14 year old's iPod.
Calling this movie a "dark comedy" is like calling Paris Hilton a serious actress.
If you are over the age of 17 and have a fully functioning brain, I can't imagine what you would enjoy about this movie.
The all-star cast is squandered on a tired story that doesn't go anywhere. The dialogue is weak, as it fails to be clever, memorable, funny or informative. The cinematography is completely vanilla. The characters are annoying and overdrawn. The plot is a joke, as we are repeatedly hit over the head with the "original" and "impressive" idea that parents just don't pay attention to their darn kids anymore!?!
And The soundtrack is stolen from your local 14 year old's iPod.
Calling this movie a "dark comedy" is like calling Paris Hilton a serious actress.
A fresh, fun, and moving examination of crazy people (us) in suburbia.
TheAscender27 January 2005
I was able to see a screening of this film at Sundance tonight (1/26/05) and I just wanted to let anyone who was curious about this movie that it is definitely worth seeing. Some lucky distributor is going to make bank off of this great film by a skilled director and soulful screenwriter.
Although I was pleasantly surprised as famous face after famous face came on the screen, Jamie Bell (main character Dean) is without equal. In the Q&A session after the screening, the Director talked a little about wanting to make a movie that examined the hypocrisy and muted subjects of our culture. I think he hit the nail right on the head. He also talked about how they removed all pop culture references in the movie so that they could create their own archetype of pop culture-- the Chumscrubber. The characteristics of this comic book/video game hero are an allegory that can help you decode the messages of the movie. (On a comic note, he also said that once you see this movie you will see dolphins EVERYWHERE. When you see it, you'll know what I mean.) Screenwriter Zak Stanford said that a Chubscrubber is the worst job in the fishing village he grew up in. It's the person that has to mop the floor clean after everyone else has gutted and processed the fish. This movie, in part, discussed "what it would be like to have someone do that for you."
There are parts of this movie that are definitely funny. However, I didn't find myself laughing at all them because I couldn't shake the feeling that I would have been laughing at myself. I guess I'm saying that for those of us who find themselves seeking escape in a world that finds us trivial, there is a lot of truth in this movie. But don't worry... it also shows us the power a single human connection can have.
SEE/BUY/DISCUSS/ANTICIPATE/DEVOUR THIS MOVIE!!
Ascender
P.S.- Don't be put off by trite descriptions of this film as a "tale of a young boy fending off the evils of suburbia." It really doesn't do it justice. It's fresh, fun, and moving.
Although I was pleasantly surprised as famous face after famous face came on the screen, Jamie Bell (main character Dean) is without equal. In the Q&A session after the screening, the Director talked a little about wanting to make a movie that examined the hypocrisy and muted subjects of our culture. I think he hit the nail right on the head. He also talked about how they removed all pop culture references in the movie so that they could create their own archetype of pop culture-- the Chumscrubber. The characteristics of this comic book/video game hero are an allegory that can help you decode the messages of the movie. (On a comic note, he also said that once you see this movie you will see dolphins EVERYWHERE. When you see it, you'll know what I mean.) Screenwriter Zak Stanford said that a Chubscrubber is the worst job in the fishing village he grew up in. It's the person that has to mop the floor clean after everyone else has gutted and processed the fish. This movie, in part, discussed "what it would be like to have someone do that for you."
There are parts of this movie that are definitely funny. However, I didn't find myself laughing at all them because I couldn't shake the feeling that I would have been laughing at myself. I guess I'm saying that for those of us who find themselves seeking escape in a world that finds us trivial, there is a lot of truth in this movie. But don't worry... it also shows us the power a single human connection can have.
SEE/BUY/DISCUSS/ANTICIPATE/DEVOUR THIS MOVIE!!
Ascender
P.S.- Don't be put off by trite descriptions of this film as a "tale of a young boy fending off the evils of suburbia." It really doesn't do it justice. It's fresh, fun, and moving.
Scathing attack on American suburban living, with an interesting and quite frightening undercurrent of young adult-infused noir sees The Chumscrubber make the grade.
johnnyboyz3 June 2010
The Chumscrubber unfolds in a rather beautiful suburban locale somewhere in America, the kind with good hot weather and large detached whitewashed houses in which your bog standard family units operate amidst their impeccable lawns and smiley-smiley relationships with other neighbours. The very final shot of the film is a violent pull out of one the suburban streets, in which this sort of set up is established to exist, so as to reveal a specific shape of something all these streets and towns form when looking at it from afar. The idea that the whole set up is conforming to form a shape; an item no one living down there has any knowledge of and yet is technically right under their noses is apparent, that idea of lots of different traits and attitudes combining in order to manifest into an unnatural form. Such is the way in The Chumscrubber, a 2005 film from Israeli-born writer/director Arie Posin exploring the shallowness and vacuity of contemporary living in a warm, sunny American locale as people with successful jobs and promising kids are placed under a microscope of bleak comedy twinned with an aesthetic of realism blurred with surrealism.
The film centres around a young, disillusioned male named Dean (Bell) and his relationship with his distanced family on one strand with his dangerous and temperamental relationship with a small gang of other youths, lead by the drug-dealing sociopath Billy (Chatwin), on the other. Dean's family are initially presented to us by way of some interestingly alienating camera work, creating an entrenched sense on the audience's behalf that we're meant to share with the lead and how he views these people. Dean's father, a successful author and psychiatric doctor named Bill (Fichtner), has his back to us in a relatively long and unbroken take as we waltz around the family's kitchen and living room area; the little brother fixated on a shallow and vacuous computer game, the wife/mother on the phone speaking about whatever suggesting whiffs of domesticisation; while Bill weaves in and out of the place with his back to the camera, it's the closest we get to a form of identification of him.
The film has that disconnected sensibility about it, that parents and their children are never quite on the same plain, indeed a police officer's son is essentially kidnapped very early on but doesn't quite realise until much later; other parents allow their problems, trivial things such as making sure order amidst who is in ownership of various pots and pans amongst neighbours is intact furthering that sense of depressing domesticisation as the vacuous gushing over the purchasing of dresses in locals stores hammer home the point. When we observe the self-obsessed and self-indulgent attitudes these adults possess, we realise this sort of disconnection and emptiness can, supposedly, lead only to bullying; drug-dealing and knife play amongst kids as the one relationship between young and old family members of any note sees Dean's father exploit him and his psychological situation in drawing on example of him in his books and experimenting through him the effects of certain pills. But around all of this, we are invited into looking at this interesting, intrinsic little narrative Posin has weaved linked to Dean and his ongoing feud with Billy plus his cohorts: a deputy in Lee (Taylor-Pucci) and the teenage femme-fatale of sorts Crystal (Belle), of whom have brought into their possession young Charlie (Curtis) whom they have mistaken for Dean's brother, who's also called Charlie and played by Macaulay's younger brother, Rory Culkin.
Posin's integrating of this plot around all of this substance is well crafted, here's a film that renders most of the adults childish and infantile in their actions and behaviours but the manner in which the adolescents behave see them strut around as if they were fully grown men and women living a life of potential sleaze, crime and terror. The comparison calls to mind a grossly underwhelming 2006 independent American film named Brick, a film that fed off similar ideas not purely limited to genre, in its providing us with child leads and adult supporting characters but arriving with one too many frustrations to truly get involved. The reason for the gang of three doing what they did in abducting Charlie was with the assumption he was related to Dean and would be used as an item of threat to force Dean into attaining a stash of drugs in a young man named Troy's room. Troy was a recent victim of suicide and Dean's only friend; himself occupying a room or living quarter significantly cut off from the rest of his parents' house enforcing that alienated feel. From here, a narrative of intrigue and pot boiling unravels around these youths as sub-plots to do with adults played by a pretty meaty supporting cast and their own issues unravel as well.
Posin's direction of the cast he's overseeing is wonderful, getting the best out of his predominantly young string of acting talent playing some rather tough roles wonderfully well as the elder members of the cast succeed in essentially 'dumbing-down' their characters so as to enhance that prominent distinction between younger and elder. The Chumscrubber is not a shallow film, it is a film about shallow people living a shallow existence and the hollowness of life in this would-be idyllic set up, the kind of which turns out to be truly ugly once on the inside; and I shall watch out for further projects from the man in the future.
The film centres around a young, disillusioned male named Dean (Bell) and his relationship with his distanced family on one strand with his dangerous and temperamental relationship with a small gang of other youths, lead by the drug-dealing sociopath Billy (Chatwin), on the other. Dean's family are initially presented to us by way of some interestingly alienating camera work, creating an entrenched sense on the audience's behalf that we're meant to share with the lead and how he views these people. Dean's father, a successful author and psychiatric doctor named Bill (Fichtner), has his back to us in a relatively long and unbroken take as we waltz around the family's kitchen and living room area; the little brother fixated on a shallow and vacuous computer game, the wife/mother on the phone speaking about whatever suggesting whiffs of domesticisation; while Bill weaves in and out of the place with his back to the camera, it's the closest we get to a form of identification of him.
The film has that disconnected sensibility about it, that parents and their children are never quite on the same plain, indeed a police officer's son is essentially kidnapped very early on but doesn't quite realise until much later; other parents allow their problems, trivial things such as making sure order amidst who is in ownership of various pots and pans amongst neighbours is intact furthering that sense of depressing domesticisation as the vacuous gushing over the purchasing of dresses in locals stores hammer home the point. When we observe the self-obsessed and self-indulgent attitudes these adults possess, we realise this sort of disconnection and emptiness can, supposedly, lead only to bullying; drug-dealing and knife play amongst kids as the one relationship between young and old family members of any note sees Dean's father exploit him and his psychological situation in drawing on example of him in his books and experimenting through him the effects of certain pills. But around all of this, we are invited into looking at this interesting, intrinsic little narrative Posin has weaved linked to Dean and his ongoing feud with Billy plus his cohorts: a deputy in Lee (Taylor-Pucci) and the teenage femme-fatale of sorts Crystal (Belle), of whom have brought into their possession young Charlie (Curtis) whom they have mistaken for Dean's brother, who's also called Charlie and played by Macaulay's younger brother, Rory Culkin.
Posin's integrating of this plot around all of this substance is well crafted, here's a film that renders most of the adults childish and infantile in their actions and behaviours but the manner in which the adolescents behave see them strut around as if they were fully grown men and women living a life of potential sleaze, crime and terror. The comparison calls to mind a grossly underwhelming 2006 independent American film named Brick, a film that fed off similar ideas not purely limited to genre, in its providing us with child leads and adult supporting characters but arriving with one too many frustrations to truly get involved. The reason for the gang of three doing what they did in abducting Charlie was with the assumption he was related to Dean and would be used as an item of threat to force Dean into attaining a stash of drugs in a young man named Troy's room. Troy was a recent victim of suicide and Dean's only friend; himself occupying a room or living quarter significantly cut off from the rest of his parents' house enforcing that alienated feel. From here, a narrative of intrigue and pot boiling unravels around these youths as sub-plots to do with adults played by a pretty meaty supporting cast and their own issues unravel as well.
Posin's direction of the cast he's overseeing is wonderful, getting the best out of his predominantly young string of acting talent playing some rather tough roles wonderfully well as the elder members of the cast succeed in essentially 'dumbing-down' their characters so as to enhance that prominent distinction between younger and elder. The Chumscrubber is not a shallow film, it is a film about shallow people living a shallow existence and the hollowness of life in this would-be idyllic set up, the kind of which turns out to be truly ugly once on the inside; and I shall watch out for further projects from the man in the future.
Okay, We Get It
srepsher5 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This seems to be one of those movies L.A. actors like to do, possibly because they don't have to commute very far to the shoot during filming. Whatever the reason, the result is an ensemble cast that includes some really high quality actors (Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, William Fichtner, John Heard, Rita Wilson), essentially spinning their thespian wheels in a film that's not really bad, but just adds nothing new or redeeming to what was already a pretty shallow subgenre.
Yes, okay, the L.A. suburbs are full of vapid, narcissistic, and most importantly--or at least, most conspicuously--over-medicated tools so starved for genuine human interaction and so beaten down by the lack of it that they have no recourse but to swallow a handful of the pink ones and join the zombie masses themselves, thereby (ironically) perpetuating the cycle.
It's a great conceit, but for the love of Jeff, it's been done to death. Watch Rian Johnson's "Brick" from 2005 instead. Much more edifying, entertaining, and original.
Yes, okay, the L.A. suburbs are full of vapid, narcissistic, and most importantly--or at least, most conspicuously--over-medicated tools so starved for genuine human interaction and so beaten down by the lack of it that they have no recourse but to swallow a handful of the pink ones and join the zombie masses themselves, thereby (ironically) perpetuating the cycle.
It's a great conceit, but for the love of Jeff, it's been done to death. Watch Rian Johnson's "Brick" from 2005 instead. Much more edifying, entertaining, and original.
Great Movie
kmac-1031 January 2005
I saw this movie at Sundance and just loved it. The director introduced it and sort of nailed it on the head. The movie cannot really be easily explained - it's a sort of dark comedy. It has a lot of society commentary that if you paid attention was really great. It also had a bit of a teen type of movie theme but was also very adult. The actors were great. Everybody seemed to steal the show and you really got into their characters. Also there was a lot of symbolism/themes that were very nicely inserted in the movie. I hope it gets a lot of exposure as it is my favorite movie right now. The whole audience was laughing during the movie as well as gasping at certain moments.
Dark Coming-of-age and Crime Story
TroyeEvans5 March 2012
The Chumscrubber seems like another love-or-hate flick. Luckily, I am the one of the fans of this certain style, and I enjoyed every moment of it. If you happen to appreciate this, it is the no doubt that the distinctive way that appeals to you and touches you in a way that does not really work the other type of audience.
For me, I think a great job is done by making what originally should be a serious drama about drugs and crimes less serious, noticeably by adding a dark comedic sense to the storyline. Though hilarious at times, the movie still deals with a very serious issue which exceeds the limits of any typical coming-of-age films. In fact, it is more proper to call this a coming-of-age story within a crime story.
It is surprising to see this seemingly little movie has such famous cast members. Nevertheless, there is no need to worry and whine about wasted talents. Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Jamie Bell, they all deliver excitingly captivating performances and the overall cast is a great ensemble that easily grasps attention from the viewers.
For me, I think a great job is done by making what originally should be a serious drama about drugs and crimes less serious, noticeably by adding a dark comedic sense to the storyline. Though hilarious at times, the movie still deals with a very serious issue which exceeds the limits of any typical coming-of-age films. In fact, it is more proper to call this a coming-of-age story within a crime story.
It is surprising to see this seemingly little movie has such famous cast members. Nevertheless, there is no need to worry and whine about wasted talents. Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes and Jamie Bell, they all deliver excitingly captivating performances and the overall cast is a great ensemble that easily grasps attention from the viewers.
Lack of communication.
pmdawn3 April 2008
This movie is a study on the lack of communication between people in a micro-scale (in this case a small town). It's like a radical view of today's pharmaceutically-enhanced society (particularly America). The adults are self-obsessed, superficial and completely ignore each other and specially their kids, who are kept from being anarchists by pills.
But what happens when there are no more pills? Reality kicks in, and the movie goes on to expose the "interaction" between the residents of this small town amidst a bigger plot, the grief of a shy teenager who is forced to face the truth.
I was specially surprised with Lou Taylor Pucci's performance after watching Thumbsucker (a somewhat similar movie, but IMHO a superior one), showing he has a bright future ahead of him. The cast here is very good and does its job superbly. The direction is very subtle and if you're not paying attention you might miss some of the most fun little details.
This is not a particularly disturbing film, though, because there is a sense of naivety and superficiality throughout the whole thing. In some places it reminded me of "Bully" and in others, "American Beauty". If you're looking for an off-beat, weird little film with a good cast and a message, this is not a bad option at all.
But what happens when there are no more pills? Reality kicks in, and the movie goes on to expose the "interaction" between the residents of this small town amidst a bigger plot, the grief of a shy teenager who is forced to face the truth.
I was specially surprised with Lou Taylor Pucci's performance after watching Thumbsucker (a somewhat similar movie, but IMHO a superior one), showing he has a bright future ahead of him. The cast here is very good and does its job superbly. The direction is very subtle and if you're not paying attention you might miss some of the most fun little details.
This is not a particularly disturbing film, though, because there is a sense of naivety and superficiality throughout the whole thing. In some places it reminded me of "Bully" and in others, "American Beauty". If you're looking for an off-beat, weird little film with a good cast and a message, this is not a bad option at all.
Austin Movie Show review
leilapostgrad6 August 2005
Suburbia pops up on the screen, one house at a time, and it's the most beautiful and peaceful neighborhood you've ever seen
until five minutes later when Dean (Jamie Bell) walks into a room and finds his best friend's dead body hanging by a rope. Chumscrubber writer/director Arie Posin's illustration of suburbia and alienation is as heart breaking as it is hilarious. Kids bury emotion under Prozac, Zantacs, Ritalin, and any other "happiness pills" they can find, while their parents drown their sorrows in one glass of wine after another. In this surreal depiction of life in the 'burbs, every individual is completely self-absorbed and numb to the outside world. A child is kidnapped and his parents never even realize it! So why did I laugh so much? Because every moment of Chumscrubber is either painfully shocking or absurdly hilarious. Posin has created a world where people are completely consumed with drugs, appearances, and "top-tier schools," and the brilliance of it is that he actually makes you want to go back and visit again. And the soundtrack (Placebo, Snow Patrol, The Like) kicks ass!!!
A bitter pill with cherry flavor
sacul11389 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
How does one write a review for a movie with that kind of title? A title that people asking for a ticket are going to mispronounce nine times out of ten. I know I did. "I'm here for the screening of Cumscrubber:" Luckily the guy at the door had heard this variation a few times and just laughed handing me the booklet and ticket so I got in the doors just in time as Lawrence Bender was on stage saying a few words about the movie and his part in producing. Can't remember exactly what he said since I was busy making the decision of "ass or crotch" while scooting to my seat.
Personally I can see the comparisons to American Beauty if only in a slight sense, the Donnie Darko part I don't really get at all. I had read the review from Moriarty that afternoon before leaving and I had to admit my curiosity was peaked. Movies like Donnie Darko and American Beauty are tough to pull off and it's rare Hollywood even tries. That said; The Chumscrubber is not as dark as either of those movies instead it plays more with the cynical humor of the situation presented. It deals with the drug use in the film as more of a slap to the face then a punch to the back of the head like Trainspotting. It doesn't relentlessly pound you with the evils of drug use or get overly preachy.
The message isn't lost however it's there in your face as the parents run about their various busy bee lifestyles planning weddings, selling vitamins, seducing every piece of man meat that comes within arms reach, while they grieve, while they hock their books, and while they dream about aquatic animals. These are the parents who find their kids huddled in a closet sniffing paint thinner and wonder whose fault it is. These are the parents of the kind of kids who end up hospitalized after an attempt at erotic asphyxiation that turn around and wonder if late night cable is to blame. The parents of every drug dealing violent little turd who blames the video game industry and Eminem for their failure. Watching these people go about it I could place someone I know into each one of these parts (with the exception of the Mayor, he was pretty out there) and I wish I couldn't. These people are more roommates then families, everyone is doing their own thing and nobody cares about anyone but themselves. You nearly expect to see Mom writing her name on the Orange Juice.
Dean (Jamie Bell) is the one person in the film who actually proclaims his distaste at the life around him and yet at the same time he's the only person doing something for someone besides himself. Jamie is great in this movie, and with a cast like this movie has it's not an easy crowd to be seen in even if you're the star of the movie. He plays Dean like a kid whose life is just stalled out and just wants to be left to enjoy the free fall in a haze of pills while he mutes everyone and everything else out. Unfortunately some of the other pill heads need him to get their hands on the stash left behind after Dean's pal Troy kills himself. It's left to Dean to try and save some poor hapless kid who is being held hostage for pills.
The plot isn't terribly complex and I don't think it strives to be more then the sum of its parts. It's not nearly as head scratching as Donnie Darko and doesn't focus solely on Dean instead choosing to show this quit little suburban community as it's main character. I don't mean this as a negative rather it's just an interesting chose to paint in broad strokes rather then be a spot light on just Dean's life and teen drug use. It works well for the point of this story and if I had to compare it to something I'd compare it to cherry flavored Nyquil; it's a bitter and nasty but somehow it's got that entirely nice all too tasty sugar flavor to make it easier to digest.
I think the movie is going to find its cult status, and who knows a Chumscrubber action figure with head flinging action would go nicely next to my Frank the Bunny figure.
Personally I can see the comparisons to American Beauty if only in a slight sense, the Donnie Darko part I don't really get at all. I had read the review from Moriarty that afternoon before leaving and I had to admit my curiosity was peaked. Movies like Donnie Darko and American Beauty are tough to pull off and it's rare Hollywood even tries. That said; The Chumscrubber is not as dark as either of those movies instead it plays more with the cynical humor of the situation presented. It deals with the drug use in the film as more of a slap to the face then a punch to the back of the head like Trainspotting. It doesn't relentlessly pound you with the evils of drug use or get overly preachy.
The message isn't lost however it's there in your face as the parents run about their various busy bee lifestyles planning weddings, selling vitamins, seducing every piece of man meat that comes within arms reach, while they grieve, while they hock their books, and while they dream about aquatic animals. These are the parents who find their kids huddled in a closet sniffing paint thinner and wonder whose fault it is. These are the parents of the kind of kids who end up hospitalized after an attempt at erotic asphyxiation that turn around and wonder if late night cable is to blame. The parents of every drug dealing violent little turd who blames the video game industry and Eminem for their failure. Watching these people go about it I could place someone I know into each one of these parts (with the exception of the Mayor, he was pretty out there) and I wish I couldn't. These people are more roommates then families, everyone is doing their own thing and nobody cares about anyone but themselves. You nearly expect to see Mom writing her name on the Orange Juice.
Dean (Jamie Bell) is the one person in the film who actually proclaims his distaste at the life around him and yet at the same time he's the only person doing something for someone besides himself. Jamie is great in this movie, and with a cast like this movie has it's not an easy crowd to be seen in even if you're the star of the movie. He plays Dean like a kid whose life is just stalled out and just wants to be left to enjoy the free fall in a haze of pills while he mutes everyone and everything else out. Unfortunately some of the other pill heads need him to get their hands on the stash left behind after Dean's pal Troy kills himself. It's left to Dean to try and save some poor hapless kid who is being held hostage for pills.
The plot isn't terribly complex and I don't think it strives to be more then the sum of its parts. It's not nearly as head scratching as Donnie Darko and doesn't focus solely on Dean instead choosing to show this quit little suburban community as it's main character. I don't mean this as a negative rather it's just an interesting chose to paint in broad strokes rather then be a spot light on just Dean's life and teen drug use. It works well for the point of this story and if I had to compare it to something I'd compare it to cherry flavored Nyquil; it's a bitter and nasty but somehow it's got that entirely nice all too tasty sugar flavor to make it easier to digest.
I think the movie is going to find its cult status, and who knows a Chumscrubber action figure with head flinging action would go nicely next to my Frank the Bunny figure.
I don't know about you, but I liked it.
linniesync15 January 2006
I just watched this movie last night, and I can see this movie as being one you either really like, or you really hate. I personally found it very interesting, especially in the portrayal of suburbia being "perfect," but when you look closer everyone has just as many flaws as any other person. The performances are solid as well as the soundtrack, but sometimes the movie moves a little slow, but then again what movie doesn't? If you are not tired of the typical teen angst movie, then I suggest this movie. Although some people gave this a very bad review, I suggest you to just keep an open mind while watching it, you probably won't be disappointed. There are only a few flaws throughout the movie, and also it exaggerates parents not paying attention to their kids very much and has a few unbelievable moments, but some of it is just because of the satire. I really liked this movie and I hope you do too!
Poop on a Wall
jhayden-226 January 2006
Contrived. It's "Donnie Darko" plus "American Beauty" plus "Stepford Wives" as seen through the filter of EVERY TEEN ANGST MOVIE EVER MADE. To say it's completely unique and original is to be very forgiving. Oddball characters, doing oddball things, making oddball, out-of-place comments can be entertaining if executed properly, but it has to have a point. What's the point here? Parents don't listen to their kids. It seems to me Colombine cleared that up just fine. What you are left with after that is performance art. You know those edgy artists that smear poop on a canvas and sell it for $250,000.00 to deep, edgy, art connoisseurs? If you happen to mention that this "artwork" is nothing more than pointless poop-on-a-wall, then you must be a fool who "doesn't get it", right? Poop on a wall. The upside is that the performances are very engaging, it had effective tempo, great editing and Camilla Belle is hot. This movie wasn't bad. It just wasn't new either. It didn't take the risks of Napolean Dynamite or have the resonance of Eternal Sunshine, so let's not get all uppity. See it, don't smear it.
Biggest Mess of the Year -- Wow.
hype212018 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
POSSIBLE SPOILER - eventually I am going to give you "the message of the film" in one line. So if you haven't seen it -- and actually feel compelled to watch it -- don't read any farther.
"Wow" is the first thought that comes to mind. And it isn't a good "Wow." It's an OMG, how embarrassing, 'I can't believe he did that' -- kind of "Wow." Arie Posin creates a true classic: an incredibly pretentious MESS of a film that tries so very hard to be original, soulful and heroic...and oh, how Posin, and the entire film fails. He fails at satire. He fails at the dark comedic moments. He fails at storytelling. He fails at originality. He just plain fails at everything (with the one exception of casting.) It seems Posin just falls over himself (and the movie) trying to deliver a message we have seen at least a hundred times in the past 4-5 years.
It is such a disaster -- and the most horrifying thing is that Posin fails miserably EVEN with the likes of Glenn Close, Carrie-Anne Moss, Ralph Fiennes, John Heard and Allison Janney, some of the most gifted actors of a generation. How can you make such a mess with those talented actors?!
Do not assume I didn't "get" it. Oh, I got it. And do not assume I am too out of touch to "get" the message. How could I possibly miss the message. It is shoved down our throats, courtesy of Posin, and some help from a headless character who occasionally takes on the voice of a video game character. Drumroll please. And the uber-important message is this: We have all become disconnected and alienated from each other!
Oh my. Alert the presses. This is newsworthy, indeed. We hadn't realized this. Thank goodness for THE CHUMSCRUBBER to bring us all to our senses.
THE CHUMSCRUBBER lays blame for our alienation and our disconnection. Blame it on suburbia. Blame it on Dr. Feel Good. Blame it on video games. Blame it on divorce. Blame it on drugs. Blame it on the pressure we put on teens to succeed. Blame it on our obsession with perception and appearances. Who else can we blame? Blame the parents. Blame the bullies. Blame the self-absorbed people. Blame New Age crap. Blame everyone and everything -- because THAT is just so easy to do.
I "get" the message. I have "gotten" the message in similar films, better executed films with lesser casts: American BEAUTY, GARDEN STATE, BULLY, UNITED STATES OF LELAND, THIRTEEN, PROZAC NATION, ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, ELEPHANT, WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, THE GOOD GIRL, heck even go all the way back to HEATHERS; I could list more but why bother? If you haven't seen those, you'll believe THE CHUMSCRUBBER is earth- shattering and groundbreaking. But then I ask: Who is really "out of touch?" At least out of touch as it pertains to entertainment and film.
Enough already. Please. We have done this newly invented genre to death. The producers and the director of THE CHUMSCRUBBER deserve a big industry TIMEOUT for this mess.
If you make a movie about alienation and disconnection from each other -- don't blame everything! If you must lay blame, pick simply one thing. (And if you disagree, rent yourself a copy of LAND OF PLENTY by a true master, Wim Wenders. Now that is a great movie, which was coincidentally, originally titled "Angst and Alienation in America." There is a beautiful, lovely film about alienation and our feelings of disconnection. And Wenders chooses to blame one thing. Just one. Even a master does not take on everything.) When will film makers learn that simple is better. Actually, simple is best.
You cannot blame everything. It's silly. It's stupid. It's childish. It's a cop-out. But most of all -- it is redundant because we have seen it all before.
CFB Casting should be the ONLY people congratulated -- for enticing such acclaimed actors to place themselves into this horrific car wreck of a film!
"Wow" is the first thought that comes to mind. And it isn't a good "Wow." It's an OMG, how embarrassing, 'I can't believe he did that' -- kind of "Wow." Arie Posin creates a true classic: an incredibly pretentious MESS of a film that tries so very hard to be original, soulful and heroic...and oh, how Posin, and the entire film fails. He fails at satire. He fails at the dark comedic moments. He fails at storytelling. He fails at originality. He just plain fails at everything (with the one exception of casting.) It seems Posin just falls over himself (and the movie) trying to deliver a message we have seen at least a hundred times in the past 4-5 years.
It is such a disaster -- and the most horrifying thing is that Posin fails miserably EVEN with the likes of Glenn Close, Carrie-Anne Moss, Ralph Fiennes, John Heard and Allison Janney, some of the most gifted actors of a generation. How can you make such a mess with those talented actors?!
Do not assume I didn't "get" it. Oh, I got it. And do not assume I am too out of touch to "get" the message. How could I possibly miss the message. It is shoved down our throats, courtesy of Posin, and some help from a headless character who occasionally takes on the voice of a video game character. Drumroll please. And the uber-important message is this: We have all become disconnected and alienated from each other!
Oh my. Alert the presses. This is newsworthy, indeed. We hadn't realized this. Thank goodness for THE CHUMSCRUBBER to bring us all to our senses.
THE CHUMSCRUBBER lays blame for our alienation and our disconnection. Blame it on suburbia. Blame it on Dr. Feel Good. Blame it on video games. Blame it on divorce. Blame it on drugs. Blame it on the pressure we put on teens to succeed. Blame it on our obsession with perception and appearances. Who else can we blame? Blame the parents. Blame the bullies. Blame the self-absorbed people. Blame New Age crap. Blame everyone and everything -- because THAT is just so easy to do.
I "get" the message. I have "gotten" the message in similar films, better executed films with lesser casts: American BEAUTY, GARDEN STATE, BULLY, UNITED STATES OF LELAND, THIRTEEN, PROZAC NATION, ME YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, ELEPHANT, WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, THE GOOD GIRL, heck even go all the way back to HEATHERS; I could list more but why bother? If you haven't seen those, you'll believe THE CHUMSCRUBBER is earth- shattering and groundbreaking. But then I ask: Who is really "out of touch?" At least out of touch as it pertains to entertainment and film.
Enough already. Please. We have done this newly invented genre to death. The producers and the director of THE CHUMSCRUBBER deserve a big industry TIMEOUT for this mess.
If you make a movie about alienation and disconnection from each other -- don't blame everything! If you must lay blame, pick simply one thing. (And if you disagree, rent yourself a copy of LAND OF PLENTY by a true master, Wim Wenders. Now that is a great movie, which was coincidentally, originally titled "Angst and Alienation in America." There is a beautiful, lovely film about alienation and our feelings of disconnection. And Wenders chooses to blame one thing. Just one. Even a master does not take on everything.) When will film makers learn that simple is better. Actually, simple is best.
You cannot blame everything. It's silly. It's stupid. It's childish. It's a cop-out. But most of all -- it is redundant because we have seen it all before.
CFB Casting should be the ONLY people congratulated -- for enticing such acclaimed actors to place themselves into this horrific car wreck of a film!
Wow, a movie that gives teens their due!
irianchick7 June 2006
This movie really impressed me by how realistically it treated teenagers and their capabilities. A lot of movies regard teens as immature or ignorant of "grown up" problems, but we aren't. Age doesn't dictate maturity or knowledge, it's just the amount of time you've lived on earth. Another thing that I really enjoyed was seeing parents' mistakes blown up instead. It's crazy to think about, but a lot of homes really are like that and I think it's horrible. The Chumscrubber was amazing in that it accented real problems with today's society openly, without buffers to appease the audience. The director had a message, and he said it, without reference to anyone else, or to how well the movie would do. I find that kind of honesty in a movie refreshing. Plus, the movie was brilliant anyways.
Thrills and Pills
blade5-117 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Any movie of a teen suicide is so sad to begin with, but this one was unbelievable. It still slays me how actors can cry like that when they're just acting. But in the end Jamie Bell and Glen Close talking about his best friend's (and her son's) suicide killed me. I particularly like Rory Culkin, I saw "Down In The Valley" with him and he was tremendously touching as the little brother in that...it's a classic "L.A. fruity" film, with people acting in that movie like NOBODY down here in the south would act. Many, many very funny scenes. The woman obsessed with making casseroles was a crack-up and the recurring vision of Jamie Bell seeing his best friend hanging was pretty frightening. Thrills and pills! You get it all. "L.A. Fruity".
A Heartless and Humorless Film
mikewelch727 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I had the opportunity to attend the opening screening of "The Chumscrubber" at the Sundance Festival. Given the hype surrounding this picture, and its very talented cast, this film was a great disappointment.
The film centers on the life of Dean Stiffle, a high school student growing up in the suburbs of California. His father, played by William Fitchner, is the author of self help books. When Dean walks in to discover that his best friend has killed himself, he does not bother reporting this to the friend's parents, who are hosting a party. He later explains that he thought that no one would care.
Dean's reaction to the suicide sets the tone for this deeply cynical, yet unfunny, satire. As the convoluted plot continues to develop, a group of local thugs tries to coerce Dean to reclaim the drug stash of his dead friend. They do so by kidnapping a boy who they believe to be Dean's brother. However, they kidnap the wrong boy, leading to a confusion of identities, and many opportunities for humor that are quickly lost in this dense film.
The reaction at Sundance to this film was mixed, with perhaps half of the audience reacting as I did, and the other half claiming to have enjoyed it.
My take on this film is that is was entirely devoid of heart and humor, and failed in its attempts to entertain.
One scene that does work comes at the end of the film, between Dean (Jamie Bell) and the mother of his dead friend (played by Glenn Close). Dean is the only person to show up for his friend's memorial service, and he consoles the boy's mother.
The film centers on the life of Dean Stiffle, a high school student growing up in the suburbs of California. His father, played by William Fitchner, is the author of self help books. When Dean walks in to discover that his best friend has killed himself, he does not bother reporting this to the friend's parents, who are hosting a party. He later explains that he thought that no one would care.
Dean's reaction to the suicide sets the tone for this deeply cynical, yet unfunny, satire. As the convoluted plot continues to develop, a group of local thugs tries to coerce Dean to reclaim the drug stash of his dead friend. They do so by kidnapping a boy who they believe to be Dean's brother. However, they kidnap the wrong boy, leading to a confusion of identities, and many opportunities for humor that are quickly lost in this dense film.
The reaction at Sundance to this film was mixed, with perhaps half of the audience reacting as I did, and the other half claiming to have enjoyed it.
My take on this film is that is was entirely devoid of heart and humor, and failed in its attempts to entertain.
One scene that does work comes at the end of the film, between Dean (Jamie Bell) and the mother of his dead friend (played by Glenn Close). Dean is the only person to show up for his friend's memorial service, and he consoles the boy's mother.
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