Movie Reviews for 12 and Holding

12 and Holding

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Movie Reviews of 12 and Holding

Movie Review: Suprise
Summary: 5 Stars

This movie was really good. Can't believe a movie this good from a cast of children. The plot, the acting, everything. I recommend.

Movie Review: Very powerful film that slowly gets to you
Summary: 4 Stars

Michael Cuesta's 12 and Holding isn't a particularly showy film. It's shot very basically and obviously on a small budget. There's a small amount of fairly big-name talent among the adult cast but most of the kids are relatively unknown actors. Everyone though does an excellent job in bringing the viewer into this world and this situation. (aside from the occasionally over-acted line or 2.)

Two twins, one with a major birthmark covering half his face who lives in his brother's shadow, defend their treehouse from bullies, who decide to burn it down, which accidentally kills the popular brother. The movie's about a group of 3 friends who spend most of the movie apart, and over the span of several months, each deal with their lives in their own ways. Jake, the surviving brother, has the only story that seems to be specifically about him grieving over his brother; he deals with his depressed parents, frequently goes to juvenile hall to visit his brother's killers, who he taunts with pictures of his dead brother, and dealing with his parents' decision to adopt a kid.

The other 2 kids, though, (one a fat kid named Leonard and a girl named Malee) say they have moved on, and sure enough, their plots deal very little with the death. Leonard, who lost his ability to taste food since the incident, decides to desperately begin losing weight. He attempts to force his very overweight family to join him. Malee, meanwhile, reveals herself to be a very lonely girl who clings to an adult construction worker she has a thing for. He's probably the best character in the movie, and is acted extremely well. This plot turns out to resonate the most. Although neither of these two friends seem to be openly grieving over the death, these plots and their actions reveal somewhat disturbed and sad characters, who have been clearly messed up by the death, even though they (and the movie) never specifies this.

The movie, although the actual death is early in the film and many of the funeral proceedings happen offscreen, makes EXCELLENT use of songs that are both ambient and eerie. These are sprinkled throughout the film and always served to somehow remind me of the tragedy early on in the film and they keep an otherworldly air flowing throughout.

The movie's not perfect. I found many of the adults to be pretty irritating (except for the construction worker, who'se the only adult in the movie who doesn't seem to be a cliche) and I also thought the fat kid's story seemed to be extremely reminiscent of a bad sitcom. It just didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the movie. Aside from the excellent licensed music, the actual soundtrack that was COMPOSED for the film's extremely week. The same song plays frequently, and other music just seems to further bring to light the feel of a bad sitcom.

But this is all completely forgotten by the time the film reaches its very powerful ending...which has definitely divided the opinions of several people who have seen it. Some may call it "out of nowhere," but it all made complete sense to me. This kid was NOT alright, and getting closure was important to him and that was what he felt he had to do....and it all just sort of clicked at the end. It was these final scenes that left the biggest impression on me.

It's not flawless but it's a very powerful film that's definitely worth a viewing for anyone whose into indie films or into "human" stories.

Movie Review: A Haunting and Gripping Tale
Summary: 4 Stars

To say that TWELVE AND HOLDING is a haunting film is an understatement. At the beginning we meet four twelve year olds: twins Jacob and Rudy Carges (both played by Conor Donovan), Malee (Zoe Weizenbaum) and Leonard (Jesse Comacho). We soon realize that the four are friends not so much because of what they share in common as much as the fact they are four people who have no one else. Jacob is disfigured and Rudy reluctantly comes to his rescue. His attempts to protect his brother, which may be due as much to pride as brotherly love angers some bullies who set his tree house ablaze not realizing he's in it. The remainder of the film focuses on the life the three remaining friends live after Rudy's death. Jacob becomes fixed on revenge and visits his brother's killers in prison without his parents' knowledge. His parents adopt a child as a replacement which is obvious to Jacob though not to the parents. Jesse becomes obsessed with losing weight because a coach feels sorry for him because he's the most overweight child he's ever seen. Malee falls in love with a construction worker who is a patient of her psychoanalyst mother. The film has a number of surprising plot twists which make it anything but predictable and we seem to get inside the world of some loners we all know exits but most of us never get to know.

There are many positive aspects of the film. The actors are convincing and the world created seems plausible. The story may seem too far fetched for some viewers, as some critics claimed when it was released and this would be true for most typical adolescents and even some who are not so typical, but we're talking about twelve year olds reacting to grief with no one to reach out to them. There are a few scenes that while interesting, don't quite connect to the larger story, but it is well paced, well acted, and certainly one that will remain with a viewer for a while.

Movie Review: Distrubing yet thought provoking.
Summary: 4 Stars

This is generally not a family movie about adolescence. Although it is tame in comparison to other thought provoking adolescent movies. The movies has many characters of varying ages. Most of the acting is very good and the parts played seem very realistic. You aren't going to be thrown on a ride of precoscious drug and alcohol abuse with sexual expermentation. This movie plays a realistic role of what many preteens experience on a daily basis. The constant battle to be known and wanted. Self awareness seems to be a very important stage of these young characters lives and getting to know them makes this movie all that better. One character works to battle his being overweight while another becomes aware of her sexuality and uses it to flirt. Although the main character has to battle demons that knowone would wish on a child that young. His twin brother was killed in a terrible event and he faces those demons by confronting the two who killed him. This movie is chilling at points and can make you feel good at others. Just when you think it's going in one direction it throws you for a curve and puts you somewhere else. I think if you watch this movie you will be plestantly surprised...I was.