Health & Fitness
Dare (2009) Review
My review of the Sundance 09' selection Dare, a powerful and interesting take on teenage experimentation and social reinvention.
Dare, one of the films selected for Sundance Film Festival 09', portrays teenage angst and sexuality like I've never seen in a movie before. I like the fact that the sexual nature of the film is not exploitative, but raw in its emotional scope and resonance.
The film is split into three interconnected parts, each centered around one of three high school seniors who each find themselves questioning their inner selves in their last semester of high school. Alexa, a overachieving virginal goody two shoes, decides to undergo a vast transformation modeled after her best friend, the sexy, care-free Courtney. Ben, Alexa's best friend, decides to come out of the closet after having a sexual experience with Johnny, a popular bad boy who realizes that the first love he has ever felt was from Ben. The story is quite interesting; it dives into the subjects of sexual experimentation, social exploration, and personal reinvention-- all of which are subjects that are difficult to convey in any form of media, but it's handled well here.
If I could complain about any aspect in the film, it would be two things: it starts off pretty slow and uninteresting, and the direction is stale enough to make you think that the film is actually a TV program. I can get over the slow start, as by the end of the film I realized that the build-up was for a specific reason-- the tense and sociologically fascinating climax. As for the director's work, I just personally think that there is not enough style. I can imagine this film being utterly fantastic if someone like David Fincher (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) directed the movie. It would have definitely added to the story.
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I think what makes me appreciate this film so much is just the way the subject matter is presented; and the writing and and acting jobs are pretty solid as well (especially Emmy Rossum as Alexa and Zach Gilford as Johnny). I randomly decided to watch this on Netflix Instant, and I'm glad I did-- it's definitely a hidden gem. I give Dare an 8.3/10.
