Larry Clark has been saddled with the dirty old man' tag since his breakthrough film, 'Kids'. With his follow up, 'Bully', it's perhaps somewhat warranted. An uneven, violent and vulgar film, it's not necessarily bad just not very good. The performances range from generally good (Brad Renfro, Michael Pitt, Nick Stahl, Rachel Miner at times) to the poor (Bijou Phillips and Leo Fitzpatrick) , which gives the film a varied feel. Some of Clark's shots seem to err on the side of bad taste (e.g. the close up of Phillip's crotch), but thankfully he doesn't sensationalise the sex scenes as much as had the power to do. Some of these scenes are brief, some painful to watch Stahl's raping of Phillips, but they generally stay on the tasteful side (or as tasteful as Clark's ever going to get). Renfro and Miner, sick of the abuse Stahl's character has heaped on them plot to kill Stahl, and this is where the film seems to spiral into a long, violent and manic state, with Miner getting more and more histrionic and losing most of the credibility she held from the beginning. A film that, like the superior 'Boys Don't Cry', leaves a bad aftertaste. Not recommended unless you happen to be a fan of Clark or the subject matter.
