By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Michael Mabbott
Starring: Alberta Watson | Devon Bostick | Douglas Smith | Vivica A. Fox
Country: canada
Year: 2006
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478994/
Beth says: “A Canadian misfit in high school comedy. I hadn’t read too much about it; it was a late switch alternative when I decided I didn’t want to start the day on a dark note (which my original choice definitely had). So I went with my usual ‘when in doubt, go Canadian’, since so few of them get decent US distribution. Anyhoo, Duane is a bright kid constantly the victim of, and obsessed with getting back at, his high school nemesis, the frat jerk scion of the town’s most powerful family. He drags
his sad-eyed younger brother around with him, and exasperates his mother (Alberta Watson, excellent as always) and girlfriend, with his escalating attempts at revenge, until he finally hits on the ultimate scheme, to unseat the mayor (aka, the bully’s grandmother). It had more heart and pathos to it than I expected, and Douglas Smith, the young actor playing Duane
was winningly charismatic. Good thing, too, because otherwise Duane might have come off as more of a narcissistic jerk who absolutely is undeserving of his cool girlfriend. But Smith redeemed him enough to want to cheer Duane on. 3 1/2 cats”
This film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.