Innovative, provocative, deep, and thought provoking. Just let it sink in.
It's interesting to read the reviews and realizing that probably, everyone has different thoughts about what was really meant. Also, different people seem to be offended by completely different aspects.
My first thoughts (before reading the reviews) were that probably, the director wanted to make the point that just because a person is female, white and healthy, this does not mean that the person is really likable, morally grounded or to be trusted. When the girls sit in prison, cramped together tightly, all of the girls seem to be vulnerable, likable and you just have to feel pity for them. All that they wanted was a little fun and excitement and a break from the boring daily life, and now they are in prison. So you hope the best for them. At least I did, because up to this point, they didn't seem to be really evil. Of course, it was not normal or acceptable to rob a restaurant, but on the other hand, they didn't really injure or kill anyone, so that was not pitch black, just a minor crime.
Enter the tough guy ("Alien") that smells like danger big time, so you can more than understand that one of the girls decides to abort the spring break and head home. It probably was what I had done, had I been one of them. For moral reasons and my own good.
But during the progress, I felt growing sympathy for "Alien", since at heart, he seems to be lonely, unfulfilled and empty. In German, we have the nice word "Ersatzbefriedigung" which means that a person feels lack of something important, which is hard to get for him/her, so other enjoyable things are amassed (excessively) to distract from the lack. And he lacked a lot in life, like: close friends, a girlfriend, a purpose in life, a religion, pets, a soul mate, or whatever fills his soul. All his bling and toughness can't distract from this void (and his lack of mental maturity and education).
Just as he has (possibly) found soul mates, his life turns to the worse. His ex-best friend is now his enemy, climaxing into a scene where he even tries to kill him, just to get killed himself.
But what I found much more shocking and disturbing is that the two girls that stayed by his side, attracted by the bling, easy money, and sex appeal of his lifestyle, switch from somewhat sociopathic but still harmless to cold blooded killers that mow down about a dozen of gangsters (or gangster wannabees) without any hesitation, not questioning any aspects of their killing spree. For me, these girls are the real "bad guys". Not only do they kill violently, they don't even have a real reason. They could have left Alien just like their two friends did, but they seemed to be much more ready to commit murder that Alien ever was. Actually, they seemed to be looking forward to it, enjoying the feeling of power that comes with loaded weapons.
So I think this is one point of the film: Who seems tough and plain evil may still have a very human and vulnerable side, and individuals with a sexy body, pretty face and caring parents still may have a soul so dark they are ready for everything, just to get what they want.
Also interesting was that many reviewers find the nudity and sexual innuendo really offensive. I didn't, because no one was forced into any kinds of sexual acts or harmed, and there weren't minors present. So I didn't consider it as morally wrong, but it sure was much more wild and exhibitionistic that what most people would be comfortable doing.
Just one of the "Ersatzbefriedigungen" that the girls try out. They feel such boredom and dullness in their daily lives that they need all the sex, drugs and booze that they can get just to feel a bit less bored and monotonous. If one goes to such lengths, risking health and control over oneself for extended periods of time, wasting lots of money and risking jail time, just to feel less bored and somewhat happy, that's a fat alarm sign.
I think that the choreography is being done in a very subtle but effective way. Watching scenes of nudity and excess, you just feel that the characters are not in for a _little_ fun, they need the most extreme dose of everything just to feel ... anything. At the surface, you see a lot of naked skin, and may like it in some way. But the feeling that something's not right, that the fun is more illusion than reality is so strong that you just know it can't end well. This (intentionally) makes these scenes somewhat uncomfortable to watch: You'd like to enjoy them just like the characters try to enjoy their holiday, but that's overshadowed by the overwhelming feeling of sadness and despair at the core of the superficial fun.
But if one is more offended by the nudity than by the cruelty of the girls, this should make one question their own morals. Mine tell me that I condemn every act where individuals are unnecessarily hurt, killed, robbed, or forced into something. Consensual sexual acts between grown ups are IHMO not immoral as long as no one is forced or tricked into anything. But that is probably one of the many points of the flick: It makes you think about what you regard as moral, immoral or downright evil, and for whom you feel sympathy or pity. Or how far you would go for a little fun.
It's on the surface a film with superficial feel to it, 'music video vs. video game vs. softcore erotic vs. situation comedy'. But beneath, it can make you think deeply, raising questions, but without giving definitive answers. Everyone has to think for oneself.
It's interesting to read the reviews and realizing that probably, everyone has different thoughts about what was really meant. Also, different people seem to be offended by completely different aspects.
My first thoughts (before reading the reviews) were that probably, the director wanted to make the point that just because a person is female, white and healthy, this does not mean that the person is really likable, morally grounded or to be trusted. When the girls sit in prison, cramped together tightly, all of the girls seem to be vulnerable, likable and you just have to feel pity for them. All that they wanted was a little fun and excitement and a break from the boring daily life, and now they are in prison. So you hope the best for them. At least I did, because up to this point, they didn't seem to be really evil. Of course, it was not normal or acceptable to rob a restaurant, but on the other hand, they didn't really injure or kill anyone, so that was not pitch black, just a minor crime.
Enter the tough guy ("Alien") that smells like danger big time, so you can more than understand that one of the girls decides to abort the spring break and head home. It probably was what I had done, had I been one of them. For moral reasons and my own good.
But during the progress, I felt growing sympathy for "Alien", since at heart, he seems to be lonely, unfulfilled and empty. In German, we have the nice word "Ersatzbefriedigung" which means that a person feels lack of something important, which is hard to get for him/her, so other enjoyable things are amassed (excessively) to distract from the lack. And he lacked a lot in life, like: close friends, a girlfriend, a purpose in life, a religion, pets, a soul mate, or whatever fills his soul. All his bling and toughness can't distract from this void (and his lack of mental maturity and education).
Just as he has (possibly) found soul mates, his life turns to the worse. His ex-best friend is now his enemy, climaxing into a scene where he even tries to kill him, just to get killed himself.
But what I found much more shocking and disturbing is that the two girls that stayed by his side, attracted by the bling, easy money, and sex appeal of his lifestyle, switch from somewhat sociopathic but still harmless to cold blooded killers that mow down about a dozen of gangsters (or gangster wannabees) without any hesitation, not questioning any aspects of their killing spree. For me, these girls are the real "bad guys". Not only do they kill violently, they don't even have a real reason. They could have left Alien just like their two friends did, but they seemed to be much more ready to commit murder that Alien ever was. Actually, they seemed to be looking forward to it, enjoying the feeling of power that comes with loaded weapons.
So I think this is one point of the film: Who seems tough and plain evil may still have a very human and vulnerable side, and individuals with a sexy body, pretty face and caring parents still may have a soul so dark they are ready for everything, just to get what they want.
Also interesting was that many reviewers find the nudity and sexual innuendo really offensive. I didn't, because no one was forced into any kinds of sexual acts or harmed, and there weren't minors present. So I didn't consider it as morally wrong, but it sure was much more wild and exhibitionistic that what most people would be comfortable doing.
Just one of the "Ersatzbefriedigungen" that the girls try out. They feel such boredom and dullness in their daily lives that they need all the sex, drugs and booze that they can get just to feel a bit less bored and monotonous. If one goes to such lengths, risking health and control over oneself for extended periods of time, wasting lots of money and risking jail time, just to feel less bored and somewhat happy, that's a fat alarm sign.
I think that the choreography is being done in a very subtle but effective way. Watching scenes of nudity and excess, you just feel that the characters are not in for a _little_ fun, they need the most extreme dose of everything just to feel ... anything. At the surface, you see a lot of naked skin, and may like it in some way. But the feeling that something's not right, that the fun is more illusion than reality is so strong that you just know it can't end well. This (intentionally) makes these scenes somewhat uncomfortable to watch: You'd like to enjoy them just like the characters try to enjoy their holiday, but that's overshadowed by the overwhelming feeling of sadness and despair at the core of the superficial fun.
But if one is more offended by the nudity than by the cruelty of the girls, this should make one question their own morals. Mine tell me that I condemn every act where individuals are unnecessarily hurt, killed, robbed, or forced into something. Consensual sexual acts between grown ups are IHMO not immoral as long as no one is forced or tricked into anything. But that is probably one of the many points of the flick: It makes you think about what you regard as moral, immoral or downright evil, and for whom you feel sympathy or pity. Or how far you would go for a little fun.
It's on the surface a film with superficial feel to it, 'music video vs. video game vs. softcore erotic vs. situation comedy'. But beneath, it can make you think deeply, raising questions, but without giving definitive answers. Everyone has to think for oneself.
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