Other than his Batman flicks, Schumacher is relatively dependable for delivering something that, at the very least, does the job. Watch A Time To Kill, 8MM, Bad Company, Phone Booth(OK, that one is arguably downright good), or The Number 23(the ones I've seen of his). Know what I mean? They sorta stay with you somewhat, but you don't find yourself calling them "great". This is another addition to that. I'll start by addressing complaints I've heard about this; it's said to be excessively 80's, and I basically get what they mean(not growing up in the decade, being 4 years old when it ended, I have no recollection of it), and if that is likely to bother you, then yeah(the man often does not know when to say stop to the designers; I refer you to his short stint at superhero movies... you know, the ones that nearly killed the genre, with the murder weapons being neon and camp), you may wish to steer clear. Another is that these characters, credible and well-written though they are, are spoiled, selfish, superficial, and at times empty-headed, brats. Yes. They are. The film is aware of this(which always makes it considerably easier to tolerate), and it doesn't pretend that those are attractive traits. No, they are not necessarily likable; however, they are relatively interesting to follow. Think Election. And the things they go through are quite easy to recognize. Life after high school, love vs. obsession, relationship issues and dealing with various problems that young people face are dealt with, and it comes across pretty convincing and genuine. It can be funny here and there, when it goes for it, a little of that being black comedy. This is fairly engaging, and there is some tension. There are a few stereotypes in this, such as the presentation of a gay man; meanwhile, when you look at how the straight people in this are, it would have stood out more(as Joel points out in the informative and amusing director's commentary on the DVD; it also comes with theatrical trailers for About Last Night and Mortal Thoughts) if it had been toned down. There's the prostitute and the Jews, as well, I suppose. The acting tends to be spot-on. There is a bit of sexuality(not graphic, only brief nudity) and strong language in this. I recommend this to anyone looking for pictures about the troubles of growing up. 6/10
Review of St. Elmo's Fire
