I'm still trying to figure out why this film left such a weird taste in my mouth. It's odd, coming out of a film and having NOTHING to say about it. Possibly, it's because almost nothing happens. They throw a party. It goes bananas. Stuff gets set on fire. Nothing you can't divine from the trailer.
It took me a while to realize why. There was a gaping whole at the center of this film. The message - nothing really matters, everyone should do whatever it takes to be cool, skinny, popular, etc. And there are no consequences. Self-destruction presented as empowerment.
This is nothing new, and I'm too young to be seriously offended by this sentiment, but Project X takes it to a higher pitch than ever before. It's like watching a stream of Facebook threads, links and comments fly past for 90 minutes. Intercut with whoops and heavy bass-lines. It doesn't feel like a music video. It is a music video. And about as satisfying.
It's made in the image of John Hughes films, updated for the Ritalin generation, but it moves too fast. I found myself wanting to say 'How about that scene where ... ' but realized that there were no scenes I found funny enough to bother recounting.
I know how this all sounds. Like a hater. But it's not. I just didn't care. There was nothing to care about. Nothing I hadn't seen in a dozen music videos a dozen times, but now, with a couple of fat kids thrown in. The only thing that leaves me wincing is the overtness of the film's nihilism. Screw everything. And everyone. This is the image of themselves these Socal kids are getting presented with. If it plays well at the box office - which it will, and nothing I can say will change that - it's the kind of thing we'll see more of. And more of. And more of. The same thing. Over. And over. Again.
It took me a while to realize why. There was a gaping whole at the center of this film. The message - nothing really matters, everyone should do whatever it takes to be cool, skinny, popular, etc. And there are no consequences. Self-destruction presented as empowerment.
This is nothing new, and I'm too young to be seriously offended by this sentiment, but Project X takes it to a higher pitch than ever before. It's like watching a stream of Facebook threads, links and comments fly past for 90 minutes. Intercut with whoops and heavy bass-lines. It doesn't feel like a music video. It is a music video. And about as satisfying.
It's made in the image of John Hughes films, updated for the Ritalin generation, but it moves too fast. I found myself wanting to say 'How about that scene where ... ' but realized that there were no scenes I found funny enough to bother recounting.
I know how this all sounds. Like a hater. But it's not. I just didn't care. There was nothing to care about. Nothing I hadn't seen in a dozen music videos a dozen times, but now, with a couple of fat kids thrown in. The only thing that leaves me wincing is the overtness of the film's nihilism. Screw everything. And everyone. This is the image of themselves these Socal kids are getting presented with. If it plays well at the box office - which it will, and nothing I can say will change that - it's the kind of thing we'll see more of. And more of. And more of. The same thing. Over. And over. Again.