I've gone on the record as loving this film. And so does this fella, so onto his enthusiasm...
It's Calvin again, from the great white Toronto North!!!! Anyways, I thankfully saw "APT PUPIL" today, I have been looking forward to this movie for almost a year now. I'm a huge Bryan Singer fan, and I think Brad Renfro is really cool.
Anyways, on to the review. It was an incredible, yet horrifying movie. The plot revolves around a teenage boy named Todd Bowden (Renfro) who is obsessed with the Holocaust. He finds out that a neighbour of his, and elderly man named Arthur Denker portrayed excellently by Ian McKlennan (I probably spelled the name wrong) is a former Nazi War criminal. It turns out that Arthur Denker's real name is Dussander and he was a SS soldier in such horrifying camps as Aushwitz, and Bergin Belsen. Todd blackmails Denker into telling him stories about what he did to the Jews. Anyways, to make a great story short, Todd and Denker both go through a pysichological transformation so some sort. Todd starts failing school, and angers easily. Denker finds himself transfixed with the Nazi uniform that Todd has forced him to wear. I'll just say that some of the things that these two do are horrifying. Denker attempts to burn a cat in his oven, and Todd murders a helpless bird. I won't rest the wreck of the plot for anyone, cause I hate when people do that!!!!!
Both lead actors did an incredible job in keeping you transfixed in the plot. Renfro and McKlennan were completely believable in their roles and did an excellent job of making the audience feel horrifyed at their actions. David Schwimmer was kind of laughable as Todd's guidance counsellor, just because he is "Ross" and friends, and that is all we'll ever see him as.
Bryan Singer did another incredible directing job, but I'm finding one problem. He is employing the same techniques in Apt Pupil as he did in The Usual Suspects. He employs the voice overs, the quick scene switches and the fading shots in the EXACT same way he did with The Usual Suspects.
The score was haunting and an integral part in setting the mood of the film.
Well, it was a chilling great movie, and I would definitly recommend it.
Calvin
