Following the untimely death of his mother, a youngster(age 13) begins to exhibit signs of social disconnection and unbalance. Gradually, his disordered mental state mounts, bolstered by various unfortunate factors(excessive solitude, schoolmate cruelty, and a cold, neglectful stepfather). With his "elan vital" quietly shattering, the boy's future looks quite bleak and uncertain.
This is a highly incongruous public-awareness film, and substandard in most technical departments. It does, however, manage to succeed surprisingly well in adducing its grievous message. Deeply dispiriting, even borderline surreal at times, AGE 13 is a film which exists in a strange gray area between underfunded filmtrash and visceral outsider art. A troubling espial on society's miscreant and maladroit, and the heartbreaking ways they are "made". Stylistically, it's obviously quite dated, but there's certainly an eternal relevance and urgency to this story.
Memorable, rather moving, and recommended...warts and all. 6.5/10