Julien Donkey-Boy

Julien Donkey-Boy

**

Reviewed by: Angus Wolfe Murray

For all its innovative cinematic non-style and Ewen Bremner's out-there killer performance, Julien Donkey-Boy is extremely difficult to watch.

Shot without a script under the rules of Dogme 95, Kids writer Harmony Korine and Festen cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, who uses hand-held portable digital video cameras, made the film on location in New York in 25 days. It looks like a botched home movie.

Copy picture

Julien is schizophrenic, which means that he behaves in an odd way, babbling to himself, fondling the feet of a blind child skater or being verbally abused by his father (Werner Herzog) - "I don't want a coward in the family."

His brother (Evan Neumann) is a high school keep fit fanatic and his sister (Chloe Sevigny) is pregnant. She plays a game with him in which she acts the role of their dead mother on the telephone.

There is enough material here to make an emotionally disturbing film about mental illness. Korine's pretentious approach to art and truth ensures that chaos rules.

Reviewed on: 24 Jan 2001
Share this with others on...
Julien Donkey-Boy packshot
A potrait of a young schizophrenic.
Amazon link

Read more Julien Donkey-Boy reviews:

Nicholas Dawson *****
Keith Hennessey Brown ***1/2

Director: Harmony Korine

Writer: Harmony Korine

Starring: Ewen Bremner, Brian Fisk, Chloë Sevigny, Werner Herzog, Joyce Korine, Evan Neumann, Miriam Martínez, Edgar Erikkson, James Moix, Victor Varnado, Oliver A. Bueno

Year: 1999

Runtime: 94 minutes

BBFC: 18 - Age Restricted

Country: US

Festivals:


Search database: