For this installment of Tom's Corner, Tom reviews another film about the twisted underbelly of high school called "Assassination of a High School President." You can tell Tom had some less than glamorous high school experiences, can't you? Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to turn them into an award winning screenplay or stand-up routine as of yet. Enjoy!
Assassination of a High School President (2008)
Brett Simon, Dir.
“No one's misunderstood. That's just something people say when they don't like themselves.”
This was the best film noir I've seen in ages, all due to the acting, and those wonderful people who cast said actors. Yes, it is about high school. The entire movie takes place in a catholic high school called St. Donovan's, which is lorded over by ex-military man principal Kirkpatrick (a role brought to humorous and somewhat frightening life by Bruce Willis). Yes, the students are the main focus. But this film lives and breathes noir from the over-narration provided by lead character Bobby Funke (Reece Thompson, who also starred in 2007's “Rocket Science”) to the clever turns of phrase provided by each character.
Bobby Funke writes for the Donovan Daily, the school paper. Well, he likes to say he does, but he's never actually finished an article. This is an impediment to his getting into a Northwestern Summer writing program. Assigned to write a puff piece on the high school president, Paul Moore (Patrick Taylor, doing his best seemingly oblivious popular jock), Bobby finds very little depth. The next day, he's rounded up with the “usual suspects” (John Magaro, Joseph Perrino, Vincent Piazza, and Tanya Fischer, the four of whom steal the movie at times) and accused of stealing SAT tests out of the principal's office. After being asked by Paul's smoldering hot girlfriend Francesca (brilliantly played by Mischa Barton) to solve the case, Bobby seemingly finds evidence that president Paul is to blame. Bobby's the most popular kid in school...but evidence surfaces that he may have the wrong man.
From here, the movie takes a bunch of very memorable twists and turns as Bobby tries to find out who did take the tests and uncovers a conspiracy that will rock the school. But will Bobby survive to report it?
This was the best film noir I've seen in ages, all due to the acting, and those wonderful people who cast said actors. Yes, it is about high school. The entire movie takes place in a catholic high school called St. Donovan's, which is lorded over by ex-military man principal Kirkpatrick (a role brought to humorous and somewhat frightening life by Bruce Willis). Yes, the students are the main focus. But this film lives and breathes noir from the over-narration provided by lead character Bobby Funke (Reece Thompson, who also starred in 2007's “Rocket Science”) to the clever turns of phrase provided by each character.
Bobby Funke writes for the Donovan Daily, the school paper. Well, he likes to say he does, but he's never actually finished an article. This is an impediment to his getting into a Northwestern Summer writing program. Assigned to write a puff piece on the high school president, Paul Moore (Patrick Taylor, doing his best seemingly oblivious popular jock), Bobby finds very little depth. The next day, he's rounded up with the “usual suspects” (John Magaro, Joseph Perrino, Vincent Piazza, and Tanya Fischer, the four of whom steal the movie at times) and accused of stealing SAT tests out of the principal's office. After being asked by Paul's smoldering hot girlfriend Francesca (brilliantly played by Mischa Barton) to solve the case, Bobby seemingly finds evidence that president Paul is to blame. Bobby's the most popular kid in school...but evidence surfaces that he may have the wrong man.
From here, the movie takes a bunch of very memorable twists and turns as Bobby tries to find out who did take the tests and uncovers a conspiracy that will rock the school. But will Bobby survive to report it?
- Tom Trombley
Heres the trailer:
For more about the film check out the official site.
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