Review: The Dangerous Lives…

“Risk leads to greatness.”     

What’s it all about? At a Catholic school in the 1970s, four friends indulge in a series of pranks and general mischief while collaborating on their comic book, The Atomic Trinity. 

Throughout “Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys”, the main character, Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch), isn’t much more than a vehicle to demonstrate the emotions the audience cultivates toward the better-developed secondary characters of Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) and Margie Flynn (Jena Malone). 

Adding fire to the already scalding-hot anticipation for “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”, Kieran Culkin proves again that he’s the crowned prince of independent cinema. His turn as Francis’ best friend Tim in “Altar Boys” is heart-breaking in his restraint. Every scene is underplayed and acted so well that his inevitable breakdown under the pressure he receives from his home, school and friends strikes the audience to the core. Just wait for the moment he finds the dog. If you’re not bawling your eyes out by the end of this scene, I genuinely fear for your soul. (Or maybe I’m too attached to Kieran Culkin.)

And Jena Malone, the Queen of Indie. Her character, Margie, is what all Manic Pixie Dream Girls aspire to be. You know what MPDGs are — Natalie Portman in “Garden State”, Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and Kirsten Dunst in, well, every movie she’s ever been in. These are the quirky, “different” girls that fall into the laps of twenty-something, depressed hipsters and change their lives forever (apparently). If you don’t like the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl, I’ll substitute it with another: the Zooey Deschanel Syndrome.  Yes, Margie is quirky and “different” — but she’s actually a fully-realized character whose past traumas are not just endearing defects but, rather, significant to the development of the film. Margie has the depth of character that seems to pass by MPDGs, and it’s because of this that Margie is a breath of fresh air throughout the film. The audience understands why Francis is pulled out of his boy-world toward her. It’s not just because she’s a pretty girl — she’s an intriguing one as well. 

 I quite enjoyed the animated intermissions of Francis’ animated series, The Atomic Trinity. Here the plot events of the film are commented on in cartoon form. Each of the four altar boys and Margie are represented in a fictional universe as a different superhero. The strength of the characters Tim and Margie even permeate this section. Tim’s lonely and seemingly-depressed state of mind is represented through the avatar of a skeleton. As a skeleton, Tim is indestructible and without fear. He is untouchable as his avatar — a trait he adamantly desires in his real life. Similarly, Margie is represented as a proactive, sword-wielding princess. She is able to take charge of her own life and fight against the evil “nunvillas”, where she is unable to speak up for herself in reality.    

Notes: Directed by Peter Care; Produced by Jodie Foster, Jay Shapiro; Written by Chris Fuhrman, Jeff Stockwell, Michael Petroni; Starring Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jodie Foster.