Overlooked Film of the Week- #55
The Dirties
Whether we realize it or not, we are shaped by the
popular culture we intake. Our favorite films, our favorite books, our favorite
games, our favorite songs help mold us into the people we become. Sure, parents
are a big part of that process, and so are teachers and friends and enemies and
everybody else that comes into our orbit. But to overlook popular culture as irrelevant
is completely insane. Everybody is affected by what they intake. Since I was
around the 5th grade, I began to teach myself how to navigate
the internet. From that day forward, there has not been a single day where I did not read up about
movies. There has not been a single day where I have not discussed a movie, or
an actor or a director or an upcoming project or anything of the sort. Sometimes
when I am discussing film, people seem to look as if I speak my own language.
But there are those who know that language too, and we speak it well. You can
say that I have soaked myself in film or perhaps I am a little over-saturated
by it. But there have been many lessons in life that I have learned through
movies, which is why they are a big part of my life.
This popular culture stuff does not always affect
people in positive ways. I feel like I have always veered away from being
negative simply by writing. If I get something on paper or something into the
ears of somebody else, I can end up okay. Sometimes people don’t always have
that safeguard, they don’t have somebody to talk to. That can lead to very bad
things. When the Columbine shooting occurred back in 1999, it not only changed
the country, it changed the way people absorbed their daily popular culture.
People lashed out against Hollywood, against the music business and against the
video game business. They blamed them, and they somewhat won the battle. The
war for more strict censorship in our popular culture is nothing new and I don’t
think it will go away anytime soon. We could debate the importance of that
censorship all night if we wanted to, with or without getting sheer prevalence.
“The Dirites” is bitter but strong look at how two
teenagers are affected by the people in their lives and the popular culture
they intake. It’s a film you’ll be able to predict correctly within the first
twenty minutes of running time, but the powerful impact will be all the same.
This is the case where a predictable plot feels fresh, and it gives insight to
a subject that is still relevant today and something that should be further
debated everywhere. There is also a slick humor that undercuts the film that I
found absolutely spot-on. To throw humor at such a serious subject could collapse
easily, but director and star Matt Johnson is smart enough to create a
well-balanced story that remains important throughout.
Matt Johnson plays Matt, a version of himself. Matt
is best friends with Owen (Owen Williams) and they spend all their free time
making movies. They love movies so much that they have posters that cover every
inch of their walls, they belong to a broadcasting club at their high school
and they are constantly coming up with new ideas for movies. I immediately
connected with Matt and Owen on a very personal level. When I was in grade
school, I had a friend who used to make movies. I remember that I used to star
in them and they were always fun to make. My friend would come to me with a
crazy idea, and he’d write a adlib script, and we’d shoot it, we’d reshoot some
things, we’d come up with even more ideas and shoot those, then he’d edited
them together. It was always a blast and I couldn’t help but see me and my old
friend in Matt and Owen. I do not know how long Matt Johnson and Owen Williams
have known each other in real life, but they create a bold relationship with their
acting, and it is superb work. Also listening to Matt and Owen speak was tons
of fun for me on a personal level. As I analyzed every scene in the movie,
listened to every piece of dialogue shared by Matt and Owen, I knew they had
their own language based on their pop culture intake. I know what they digested
and what they have been paying attention too and it was half the fun for me.
The movie focuses on a documentary Matt and Owen are
making about bullies, which turns into a revenge movie where Matt and Owen kill
all the jerks that pester them at school. I think the film accurately portrays
just much bullying has changed over the years. I will happily admit that I was
not the most popular person at my high school, but I was never subjected to any
kind of torment by another student. What I will say is that I did witness some
incidents that burned the sad truth into my head, bullying is very real and it
really affects the people it is inflicted upon. It is very easy to relate to
Matt and Owen and justify their need to get a movie made about this matter.
What eventually molds out of these characters is two different yearnings. Matt
need to take revenge on these bullies becomes a real goal, while Owen just
wants to be accepted. Those feelings will eventually tear them apart.
Not only does “The Dirties” have something very
important to say, it is also a very good found footage movie. Yes, I know many
of you are probably tired of the device by now. I know many of you are thinking
it has been used to death. The found footage movie does not have to be limited
to the horror genre. In fact, with the amount of found footage that I have
seen, I have come to learn that it works better in other genres, and “The
Dirties” is a perfect example of it. The movie makes it clear about who “finds”
the found footage, and the story around the video tapping is authentic and
realistic.
I hope that Matt Johnson and Owen Williams move onto
big careers, because they are both talented actors. Matt Johnson in particular proves
that he has a real voice, and it desperately needs to be heard. I have a lot of
admiration for people who not only direct, but act, produce and edit their own
movies. I do not know from experience, but there is no way that that is an easy
job, and Johnson made it all look effortless. I also liked the small but
detailed work by Krista Madison who plays Chrissy, the popular girl Owen wants
to date badly. Once again, I was nodding my head at how realistic Johnson plays
out the scenes between Owen and Chrissy. I definitely know what it feels like
to want to date the popular girl bad, but to be so shy that it’s hard to stand
next to them. Williams nails all of those emotions and feelings into a nice
performance.
“The Dirties” has a lot on its mind. It’s a movie
about how we are affected by the popular culture we intake. I am even a shining
example of someone who processes life through the popular culture I intake.
Come to my apartment and you’ll see my walls littered in posters and my shelves
filled with comics, books, games, music, TV shows, and yes, lots and lots of
movies. What we must learn is how to use all of that to build a positive life
and I feel I have done that. “The Dirties” is also a smart look at the world of
bullying and how popular culture can help turn people into something different.
I remained surprised that something so important was created through a
movie-crazed, humorous filter and still remained relevant in the end. “The
Dirties” is an important movie, absolutely worth checking out.
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