Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(March 2009)

Directed by: Fred Durst
Starring: Jason Ritter, Jesse Eisenberg, Sebastian Stan, Eva Amurri, Chris Marquette, Gloria Votsis

In Fred Durst's directorial debut, Charlie Banks, portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg, is a less-than-athletic academic, while Jason Ritter's Mick is the toughest guy in the neighborhood - not so much by size, but by attitude. Mick is the guy who fights without borders, without moral boundaries, without reserve. Mick's the guy who takes an argument a step too far. And, despite the title of the film, it is Mick upon whom this movie is made.

Jesse Eisenberg threatened to explode onto the scene following Noah Baumbach's embracing ensemble flick, The Squid and the Whale. Eisenberg's awkwardness positioned him as the serious Michael Cera before Cera and a host of others (Jay Baruchel, Jason Segal, Jonah Hill, Jamie Bell), comics and non-comedians alike, stole the spotlight. 2009 is Eisenberg's year, however, with seven additional film credits due to find their way to the screen. He is, as he was in Squid, perfectly appropriate for this role, and would be the one to watch if Jason Ritter weren't so damn good in Durst's flick.

After opening scenes set in the 1970s, Durst shifts us to the '80s by bringing to screen dorm rooms adorned with posters for, appropriately, Raging Bull. Ritter's Mick has come to his friends' college campus to get away from his lot in life, and strikes a match to the social scene of the otherwise preppy provocateurs-in-training. Ritter's tough-but-lonely persona onscreen bubbles with a sense of the more brooding side of Christian Bale. And we worry for Eisenberg's Charlie, whose fudging and fidgeting show off his uncomfortability within his own skin - and his uncomfortability with Mick's move on the objects of Charlie's affection. Ritter really breathes a palpable sense of danger to the role, turning the tables on his offscreen nice-guy persona.

It's hard to imagine that Durst knew this New England/East Coast collegiate world growing up in North Carolina and fronting the band Limp Bizkit, but the setting is ideal, the set production beguiling, and each of the performances is simply spot on. Stan (Leo) and Marquette (Danny) are simply great in their supporting roles, and each of the kids stands with a solid sense of their individual spirits.

Durst, who shot the film at Brown University and on Rhode Island generally, keeps the whole piece progressing on a slow burn, the hard-rocker imbuing the situation with grace, class and a sense of daring. The film is unlikely to get the attention it deserves in the current marketplace, and its title doesn't help distinguish it from other flicks of the past couple of years, but you'll be well served with a view of future stars if you put in the effort to hunt it down. Durst has delivered a film of pedigree. -MPM

Photos copyright Anchor Bay Entertainment.