I just got back from a test screening of Havoc directed by Barbara Kopple (2 time Academy Award winner for Best Documentary), written by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic) and Jessica Kaplan, and starring Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Mike Vogul, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Biehn.

The Premise:

Teens from Pacific Palisades are caught up in their own fantasy "Gang", but Allison (Anne Hathaway) decides to be "real" and heads to East LA with some of her friends. The meet up with some real Latino gang members. Drama ensues.

My personal opinion:

This movie was really not my kind of movie. Lucky for me I didn't have to pay for it. I don't really watch any movies that involve gang themes, aside from gangster movies, but that isn't the same thing. And I especially don't like the whole "rich teen who dresses and talks like he's a gang member because its cool" thing, which is what this movie is full of. But, disregarding the fact that I didn't like the genre of this film, it still isn't very good. The acting was ok, but the story was a bit weak. Without giving anything away, the morale is basically "Be Yourself". A lot of stereotypes are used from the Latino gang members and teen "gang members" both... now the teens are supposed to be incredibly stereotypical because that is what that particular group is like, but I think they went a bit overboard on the Latino side.

Technically:

Acting: The acting in this movie was decent, and both Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips gave strong performances. The other actors were all adequate as well.

Visual Style: The director has 2 Academy Awards for Best Documentary and it shows. This was a work print, so it wasn't the best quality, but I think they will keep the grainy, handheld look for the final product... like Traffic when they were in... was it Mexico or South America? I can't remember.

Sound: There really isn't a lot of action or anything requiring superb sound, and again this was a work print and some of the music was temporary. And with the whole gang scenario, all the music was rap, both American and Latino. Just about the only genre of music I don't listen to at all, so I wasn't too impressed.

Final Thoughts:

I don't plan on seeing this again, and I don't plan on getting the DVD. I also don't want to recommend a particular group to go see it because I don't want to seem stereotypical... aside from the rich white teens who think they are gang members. Perhaps if some of them go see it they will realize just how stupid they look and sound. Sorry, just a personal thing with me, I don't mean to offend anyone.

Oh, as some people will undoubtedly ask, this movie has both Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips topless. Funny thing though, I was walking out of the theater and I saw a poster for Ella Enchanted, with Anne Hathaway in a princess costume or something. Having just seen her in gansta wear and topless, I busted up laughing.

I just saw this (for one reason, actually).

Sorry, but I was extremely disappointed. Not with the film, though: I somehow knew it would be a shitbox from the get go, but the publicity for the whole 'Disney girl no more' was such a marketing ploy.

Not only is the film deathly clichéd, poorly written, horribly directed, and garishly acted - the hotly publicized vibrator scene (which really isn't that gratuitous from what I read) isn't even in the film.

I laughed at all the wrong moments, winced at all the wrong moments, and felt nothing for each and every character in the film. And the horrible hipster ending doesn't even deserve to be called pretentious.

this movie was crap. I thought it tried too hard to be street but it came off as phony. I also thought that the complete third act was rushed beyond rushed.

Richard Roeper said it would have been one of his top 10 of 2005, had it been released in theaters. i rented it, haven't watched it yet.

I know Anne Hathaway gets topless in it, but that's about it.

i couldn't get past the malibu's most wanted gangsta talk. works in a comedy, not so much in a drama.

but hathaway was good lookin'

Interesting. Definitely will have to read why he liked this, because I was, as Anne Hathaway says, 'totally...fuckin'...booorrred.' (which is one of the many unintenionally funny lines in the film).

I will only rent it to see Anne's tits, and thats it, then turn it off.

That probably sums it up for most people

Richard Roeper was hailing this movie like the second coming on his tv show the other night. He said that if it got a theatrical release, it would have made his Top 10 list for the year. He even talked Ebert into watching it.

Me too! I watched it last weekend. Grade: */****.

Hmm. Opinion appears to be divided. What about opinion regarding this H.A.V.O.C.?

I think i had that when i was a kid. Can't say the same for Anne Hathaway though.

One description I heard that I liked was that Havoc is an update on all those corny '50s cautionary "mind your children!" movies where a kid skips a day of school and winds up in a murderous biker gang or something.

I really didn't like it either. I think Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips did the best they could with the material, but there just isn't any substance to the movie at all. The Malibu's Most Wanted dialogue made me want to curl up in a ball and sob. I'm sure that was the point, to show how ridiculous and artificial their act is, but it's agonizing to watch.

I had never heard of the movie until Roeper raved about it this past weekend.

i am watching this now and it is the biggest piece of turd i have ever seen. every scene is cliched and badly atthat.

this movie is like Larry Clark's "KIDS", but worse, far, far worse!

Ok, there better be screenshots in the Adult forum.

I just got through watching this and I must say it was one of the worst films I have ever seen. I really can't even believe it got made.

I know they were trying to capture a particular lifestyle, but seriously, it could have been done more tastefully and serious, and maybe it would have more of an impact rather than being the unintentional paraody that it is.

I don't know. I always worried about the lack of armor -- I mean, where would you rather sit? In an open-topped flying thingy, that top-mounted lawn chair, or behind the huge glass canopy? Plus, no Hathaway tits. Not good.

It might at least be bullet-proof glass. For whatever that's worth. But I can't remember if you sat behind the glass or had to lie down on your stomach. That's not exactly compfortable. I think I'd choose the flying thing. You're in the back and can always jet away at the sign of trouble.

I watched this yesterday, I tried to give it a fair chance, but it was really bad. I agree that Hathaway did the best she could, but this just wasn't good at all. I didn't buy Freddy Rodriguez's cholo accent either.

It's stupid crap...