As a fan of Korine's work that I have viewed so far (Gummo, Spring Breakers), I have been looking forward to viewing JDB for quite some time now. Finding a copy of the film was the toughest part, but I eventually did come across one, and the viewing certainly did live up to expectation. Julien Donkey-Boy is Harmony Korine's second feature film, and follows the lives of a dysfunctional family. The father (Werner Herzog) is mean, brutish, tough, and creepy. He is hard on his children; a pregnant girl (Chloe Sevigny), a wannabe wrestler son (Evan Neumann) and a schizophrenic son, Julien. The film essentially has no real plot. Instead, we follow this family around for a few weeks or so. Time feels irrelevant. We see the family get up to many things. The father is constantly pushing his wrestling son to be tough, and doesn't appear to have a care for Julien, who clearly needs love and kindness around him. Various events happen. As I said, it is hardly plot driven. More so just an insight into their vastly interesting and obscure lives. What connected with me the most with this film was the realism. JDB is easily one of the most real, honest, most human films I have ever seen, and I would also say that for Korine's other films. What Korine does so incredibly well in his work is creating a world. The film genuinely feels like a documentary. With the combination of the filming style, to the characters, to the events, to the performances - this film genuinely feels like real life. Quite an obscure and uncomfortable atmosphere is felt, and it comes very naturally. The film feels as though Korine has got his old video camera out and filmed this random family for days. We maybe don't know people like this personally, but we know there are people exactly like this out there in the world. We are taken on a journey by the filmmaker and delve into these peoples lifestyle for a period of time, and it is utterly fascinating. The approach to the film is in no way insulting or degrading these people, it is an honest and fair depiction of their lifestyle. That is something that I cannot praise Korine enough for. He looks at these people with such care and emotion and honesty, that we connect with them as human beings. We do not look down upon them, with walk along side them and become part of their lifestyle for the duration of the film. As we watch disabled people enjoy themselves, we get a feeling of real happiness within us. A real humanity. This film oozes with realness. It's hard to believe it's fiction.As I mentioned, this is helped massively by two things: the visuals and the acting. The visual style of this film is what will divide viewers. With extremely rough, grainy, pixelated, blurry visuals, some may watch it and feel as though it is headache inducing. For me, however, this visual style that Korine loves so much simply adds to the films realism. It feels as though this is home footage. As if there is actually someone down there with these people, filming them with an old video camera. Again, as I said, it feels like a documentary. As if I am watching real people, real lives, real events. And there is something emotionally engaging about that. The camera moves so naturally, as if it were handled by someone who was sitting right there with these people. It doesn't feel like a film, the camera doesn't flow smoothly like a Kubrick film. It isn't mapped out like a PTA long take. It just moves and observes, as if by freehand. Once again, adding to the realistic feeling of this film. If anything, the visual style may be a bit too much at times. The performances are out of this world. Herzog, believe it or not, is outstanding and infuriating, as the father. Sevigny is enchanting and likable and caring as the sister. But the absolute stand out (and I might go as far as to say one of the best performances I've ever seen) is Ewen Bremner as Julien. Whilst watching this film I genuinely believed that this actor had all of the disabilities that the character had. His line (actually I think it was improvised) delivery, speech, actions were so believable that I didn't know if it was an act or not. Absolutely astounding. So, I've rambled about this film. I've been rather repetitive, but I don't know what else to say? This film is genuinely one of the realest film experiences I've ever had. The study of these peoples lives is simply fascinating, and I adored this film. It is honest, true, raw, real, heartfelt, sympathetic, heartbreaking. The film delved into these people's lives with such confidence and honesty, and the final product was an incredibly well crafted study of human life. We don't need to follow a complex plot, we just look at these peoples lives, and watch on as they go about their everyday lives. To them it is normality, to us it is obscure, but ultimately fascinating. I don't think I've ever experienced a film quite as down to earth and as real as this one, and I may never again? Honestly? I'm shocked. 9.5/10

Harmony Korine is no ordinary filmmaker. If you've seen any of his films, you would know that. This is his second feature following Gummo (1997) and Harmony continues to bring a group of underprivileged and disturbed characters to the screen. He has an apparent fascination with the part of society that we tend to not think about or simply forget. In Julien Donkey-Boy, the film follows a schizophrenic teenager and his family, and it all takes place within a day or two. Those of you who are familiar with Korine's work know that its not about the plot, so don't worry about where the story goes or how it ends. Worry only about what you're viewing, scene by scene, and how it makes you feel.The film is impressively shot and edited. Korine had a specific vision with his film and utilized his technique in creating a distorted and fragmented feature, which we can't help but wonder must resemble the thought process of its main character, Julien (Ewen Bremner). Bremner has transformed himself and creates a fully fleshed out character, even in quiet moments when he's bonding with friends or in the disturbing confines of his household when he succumbs to the voices in his head. He's sensitive but quite damaged and Bremner does not hold back in being honest and completely dedicated to the character.Julien lives at home with his pregnant sister (Chloe Sevigny), his tough father (Werner Herzog) and his little brother (Evan Neumann). The sister is perhaps the purest character in the film, and certain shots linger on her which makes us speculate that Julien holds her in high regard. She may or may not also be pregnant with his child. She shows nothing but compassion towards everyone she interacts with and even pretends to be her dead mother on the phone with Julien. In a scene where the two are talking on the house phone together, the inner child in Julien is brought out like no other moment we witness and he acknowledges that she's dead, but he talks to her any way. "Remember when Chris was just a little baby and he killed you in the hospital? Remember, Ma?" Its quite effective.Herzog is entertaining as the father of the household (as he usually is, both on and off the screen). His favorite film is Dirty Harry. He loathes how his daughter plays the harp because he hates that artsy crap. He wants Julien to be normal and he always pushes Chris to be better. Chris hates the pressure he's under and though its hardly touched upon, we know that Chris is at the very least depressed and quite frustrated, and he takes it out on Julian after the two try to wrestle. And when Julien can't take it seriously enough, Chris gets angry. "I'm sorry Chris, I didn't wanna hurt you!" Julien shouts as he follows him outside, once again the innocence of a child being brought of him. And Chris yells at him to act normal for just once.There are a handful of powerful scenes and shots that make this film stand out. Korine not only provides us with fascinating and insightful dialog which the actors breath such life and depth into, he also utilizes a brilliant visual technique to both represent the viewpoint of the main character and as a means to tell the story. Julien Donkey-Boy is another masterful outing from Harmony Korine, its filled with enough visuals and scenes to to make it unforgettable. Its honest and unsettling in the best way. Its not here to entertain you or to allow you to 'escape' in the traditional sense. Its raw and disturbing and if you view it as art, it can make you feel something. And that's really what filmmakers like Harmony Korine go for.

Every so often a "new style of cinema" comes along that is totally original and innovative and which can influence a horde of followers and imitators. Julien Donkey-Boy is Harmony Korine's attempt to follow in the footsteps of filmmakers Vinterburg and Von Triers and make a film according to the guidelines they set in their "Dogme '95". However, while this approach served a film like Vinterburg's "Festen" incredibly well by giving a sense of reality to the narrative through improvisation and the use of hand-held camera, in this film the Dogme guidelines are used for very self-indulgent purposes (e.g. the over-use of Herzog's improvisational turns and the dead fetus theft incident at the end of the film, which has no moral purpose or message but is used, IMO, as a means of mimicking the "bad taste" elements of the previous Dogme films "The Idiots" and "Festen"). The narrative is also not very coherent, with many inconsequential and unnecessary scenes (e.g. the therapy-session and the "Foot drummer" scenes). As a result, this film comes off as a cheap imitation of the previous Dogme films; more obsessed with style than the accompanying narrative.To add insult to injury, Julien Donkey-Boy is also one in a long line of films that gives a completely inaccurate portrayal of a person suffering from the psychological disorder schizophrenia (other examples: Me, Myself and Irene, The Cell......). Although this may sound like a nitpicking point for film buffs (since accurate portrayal does not necessarily equate to a great film), the problem with the inaccurate portrayal in this case is that the central character (Julien Donkey-Boy) is reduced to a series of mannerisms performed by Ewen Bremner. The result of this reductionist approach to the central character means that the audience never really gets to grips with the character and can never truly understand what is going on inside his mind; instead we get an actorly mimic of a genuinely schizophrenic person (apparently, this character was modeled on Korine's uncle).To conclude, this film is, IMO, a gross example of style over content with many examples of bad taste and self-indulgence.

Julien Donkey Boy is a profoundly heartening anomaly in American cinema. It lacks the ubiquitous gunshots, explosions, and requited love that are so hideously redundant in the vast cesspool of Hollywood-style movies. This movie represents a step FORWARD. This is a step towards DEPTH and towards quality. Among other reasons, this is why it is a FINE film.This movie is something of a pastiche. Many people simply do not or can not handle the fact that it is not 'plot-driven' or that Ms. Julia Roberts is nowhere to be found, forever grinning like a wax doll. (Haven't we seen enough of her teeth anyway?). That is fine. Perhaps the more patient of that group could stand to see this movie a second time.In the traditions of the finest ART, this movie presents more questions than it does answers. What will come of Julian? Is he in fact incestuously involved with his sister? What is up with the curiously fascistic relationship between the German father and his athletic son? The casting of Herr Herzog and Ms. Sevigny, however, with a score of Puccini, amounts to nothing less than an amazing aesthetic experience worthy of the audiences of Claude SAUTET or Pier Paolo PASOLINI. Bravo to Mr. KORINE. I hope that there is more work of this caliber coming down the pike. As a fervent snob (how could you tell?), I take pleasure in making exception for this extraordinary achievement. FIVE STARS! I would not recommend this movie to young children or Republicans. ENCORE! ENCORE TUTTI! Until the day I die, my brother and I will always be shouting, 'DON'T SHIVER, BE A WINNER!' Thank you, maestri Herzog e Korine.