After School Special with Guns

  What happens when you have a few good actors that try and make it big in adult roles when all they’ve been play is age appropriate roles?  You get Havoc which has been renamed “Movie in which Anne Hathaway Gets Naked.”  If you watch this film for that reason and only that reason, go find a clip because the rest of the film is just bearable.  Essentially you have a film that tries to connect with the audience and provide a message that gangs can be bad, but you end up with a film that misses its point and goes the distance to make stereotypes even more obvious.

Havoc was another one of those IFC channel accidental viewings that intrigued me enough not to change the channel.  The story is fairly simple, white wannabe gangsters get in over their heads one night and one girl sees another side of life that seems interesting so she abandons her friends to investigate deeper.  Eventually her life becomes a horror story as she sees the real side of gangster life.  Now by real I mean a Hollywood version of the gangster that plays more on stereotypes and adds just enough glamor to make someone like Anne Hathaway a potential member, which is humorous.  We should take this film for what it is, a chance for a young actor to break the mold of age appropriate roles.

That’s not to say that Havoc did not have a few bright moments.  While many of the actors are forgettable in their roles (even Bijou Phillips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are lackluster), there are some nice moments for other actors.  Allison Lang (Anne Hathaway) may be a bit unbelievable as a wannabe gangster, but she does exude sexuality and innocence when its needed.  Hathaway certainly breaks from a typical teen actor by going beyond the story.  Even though it would appear that she is not the bit scared of a Mexican gang, she plays it more as a deer in the headlights at times which gives her character a personality beyond the rest of the assemblage of teen actors.  Her performance at least takes into account her family background and gives reasons for her search for family.  I also have to admit that she certainly can captivate a viewer with her movements and eye contact.  Just wait a few years until she takes on a Diane Lane role.  Another bright spot was Hector (Freddy Rodríguez), the rough and tumble gang member that catches Allison’s eye.  It’s nice to see Rodríguez in this role even if it is playing a stereotype.  He begins as the gangster with a heart, until we see the real character emerge.  Even though his looks may be more Romeo that Hector the drug dealer, he at least turns his character into something that rises above the film.  The relationship between Hector and Allison is the highlight of the film.

Then you get the gang initiation scene that leads to the after school special part of the film.  Allison’s friend Emily (Bijou Phillips) joins Allison in a drunken drug filled evening where the girls ask to become members.  Of course the initiation is sex related, the girls rolling a die to see how many gang members get to have sex with them.  Allison gets a one and is paired off with Hector, while Emily rolls a three.  Before it even gets going for Allison, she jets leaving Emily in the bedroom as three gang members begin the initiation.  Yep, she leaves her there, however Emily is not portrayed as wanting to leave.  Then the next day all hell breaks loose as Emily tries to get the gangsters arrested for rape.  Of course this is where the entire stereotypical story fully is recognized and we are left with a very stupid scene of both the gangs trying to get revenge.  At a stop sign, the gangs are on opposite sides and nothing happens.  And then the film ends.

Aside from a few moments of acting, the film was just a let down.  The message is muddled in stereotypes and the ending resolves nothing.  Even I’m getting a bit bored with my review since the film just does not have the tangible qualities that allow for a delving into.  Havoc is what it is, which isn’t much.

Since Anne Hathaway is quickly becoming a very good actress, some pictures.