I had just seen a bunch of the summer "blockbusters" and feeling a bit ripped off when I decided to check out this "little" film and was so surprised. It is wonderfully made and the acting by the mostly young cast is excellent - with majestic work by Hirsch, Culkin and Malone. The film has so many wonderful, real moments of those awful teenage years where you are trying to figure out who you are and what is important to you. Powerful, strong adaptation of a good novel - my only complaint is with Jodie Foster. She's a terrific actress but I just felt she was miscast. I know it's her name and production company that gotthis film made, so good for her - but she really didn't seem to understand the character, so she was just "acting" as opposed to what she usually does - which is totally inhabit her characters and make them three-dimensional people - I just think a Louise Fletcher or Ellen Burstyn would have made a much more powerful figure as the boys' nemesis. Jodie's nun never seemed that mean or cruel or threatening (And I'm not talking about making her into a one note crazy, hitting nun either). But, as I said, Foster got the movie made and this is a simple, sweet, tragic film about growing up. Well worth seeing.
Review of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
