Party Monster
3/4
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Dylan McDermott, Wilmer Valderrama, Chole Sevigny, Mia Kirshner, Natasha Lyonne
The version being reviewed is the unrated version. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Pervasive Drug Use, Language and Some Violence
When it comes to movies, I have a high tolerance for what a movie will show. I deeply admire "The War Zone," my favorite movie of all time shows a corpse with a huge chunk of her side missing, and I own both "Once Were Warriors" and "Boys Don't Cry." When it comes to content, I'll watch anything provided the offending scenes are earned.
It's a rare movie that makes me feel like taking a shower after watching it. The only movie off the top of my head that I can think of that made me feel dirty is "The Believer" with Ryan Gosling. In many cases, that should be seen as a criticism. Not with "Party Monster." If anyone identifies with any of these characters, they need to seek immediate psychological help and check into a drug rehab facility.
The film details the exploits of Michael Alig, the famous Club Kid who ended up murdering his drug dealer while high on drugs. There's not much more to the movie than that, which is fine, I suppose, since this is more of a character study than a plot-based narrative. Alig is superficial to the extreme, and he knows it. So is his "friend," James St. James (Green), but not to the extent that Michael is. To him, human relationships are a mystery. Since he doesn't understand them, he views them as jobs or assignments. "You'll be my best friend," he tells James early on. "How can we be best friends I if I don't even like you?" James asks (later, not in the same conversation). Michael is superficial and a narcissist, but not quite a sociopath. He craves human connection but doesn't know how to get it. His extravagance is an escape from being himself.
Michael Alig was Macaulay Culkin's first film after 9 years of retirement. Few actors have made a jump from child to adult actor like this (the 9 years notwithstanding). Anyone seeking to revisit the adorable kid who became famous for slapping aftershave on his face and screaming hilariously is in for a truly nasty shock. This is a deeply disturbing and often unpleasant movie featuring generally despicable characters subject themselves to all sorts of degradation. Kids should stay far away.
The only other actor with significant screen time besides Culkin is Seth Green. Known primarily as a funny geek, Green portrays James St. James as someone who is almost as shallow as Michael, but has enough humanity to watch in astonishment at the way his "friend" views other people. Dylan McDermott plays Peter Gatien, the club owner who becomes, in Michael's view, the father he never had (although Michael is certainly wrong about their relationship even though it is in some ways paternal). McDermott, a low-key character actor, is miscast and fades into the background against a force of nature like Alig, but he's not on screen for very long. Solid support is provided by other members of the cast as well.
"Party Monster" was directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who made the documentary of the same name in 1998. They are successful in sucking us into this warped and disturbing existence. For all it's flaws (the timeline is shaky and there are a few plotholes), it retains an almost hypnotic quality. I wondered how much farther these characters could go.
This movie isn't for everyone. A lot of people who watch this movie may turn it off in disgust. I wouldn't be one to blame them. After all, no normal person would want to spend a lot of time with these animals. But it is well acted (apart from a few stiff moments on Culkin's and Green's parts early in the movie) and it is consistently compelling. The decision whether or not you want to see it is up to you.
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Dylan McDermott, Wilmer Valderrama, Chole Sevigny, Mia Kirshner, Natasha Lyonne
The version being reviewed is the unrated version. For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Pervasive Drug Use, Language and Some Violence
When it comes to movies, I have a high tolerance for what a movie will show. I deeply admire "The War Zone," my favorite movie of all time shows a corpse with a huge chunk of her side missing, and I own both "Once Were Warriors" and "Boys Don't Cry." When it comes to content, I'll watch anything provided the offending scenes are earned.
It's a rare movie that makes me feel like taking a shower after watching it. The only movie off the top of my head that I can think of that made me feel dirty is "The Believer" with Ryan Gosling. In many cases, that should be seen as a criticism. Not with "Party Monster." If anyone identifies with any of these characters, they need to seek immediate psychological help and check into a drug rehab facility.
The film details the exploits of Michael Alig, the famous Club Kid who ended up murdering his drug dealer while high on drugs. There's not much more to the movie than that, which is fine, I suppose, since this is more of a character study than a plot-based narrative. Alig is superficial to the extreme, and he knows it. So is his "friend," James St. James (Green), but not to the extent that Michael is. To him, human relationships are a mystery. Since he doesn't understand them, he views them as jobs or assignments. "You'll be my best friend," he tells James early on. "How can we be best friends I if I don't even like you?" James asks (later, not in the same conversation). Michael is superficial and a narcissist, but not quite a sociopath. He craves human connection but doesn't know how to get it. His extravagance is an escape from being himself.
Michael Alig was Macaulay Culkin's first film after 9 years of retirement. Few actors have made a jump from child to adult actor like this (the 9 years notwithstanding). Anyone seeking to revisit the adorable kid who became famous for slapping aftershave on his face and screaming hilariously is in for a truly nasty shock. This is a deeply disturbing and often unpleasant movie featuring generally despicable characters subject themselves to all sorts of degradation. Kids should stay far away.
The only other actor with significant screen time besides Culkin is Seth Green. Known primarily as a funny geek, Green portrays James St. James as someone who is almost as shallow as Michael, but has enough humanity to watch in astonishment at the way his "friend" views other people. Dylan McDermott plays Peter Gatien, the club owner who becomes, in Michael's view, the father he never had (although Michael is certainly wrong about their relationship even though it is in some ways paternal). McDermott, a low-key character actor, is miscast and fades into the background against a force of nature like Alig, but he's not on screen for very long. Solid support is provided by other members of the cast as well.
"Party Monster" was directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who made the documentary of the same name in 1998. They are successful in sucking us into this warped and disturbing existence. For all it's flaws (the timeline is shaky and there are a few plotholes), it retains an almost hypnotic quality. I wondered how much farther these characters could go.
This movie isn't for everyone. A lot of people who watch this movie may turn it off in disgust. I wouldn't be one to blame them. After all, no normal person would want to spend a lot of time with these animals. But it is well acted (apart from a few stiff moments on Culkin's and Green's parts early in the movie) and it is consistently compelling. The decision whether or not you want to see it is up to you.
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