Review of Twelve and Holding

Introduction

They say that you should never work with children in showbiz, but that would make movies about children impossible. There once was a time when childlike adults were cast in children`s parts, and actors like Melvyn Hayes and Richard O`Sullivan remained in school uniform into their thirties. Audiences aren`t so forgiving now, and decent child actors, while still few, are certainly more abundant than they were twenty years ago. But audience sensibilities have to be taken into account. It`s easy to make the Harry Potters and the Narnias of this world, but if we inject a dose of reality into a film about children, then we are skating on thin ice. The real world is nowhere near as forgiving as the fantasies we spin, and confronting children with sex, drugs and mortality can cause accusations of exploitation on the part of filmmakers. It`s something that we tend to brush under the carpet, to put out of mind so we can extend a golden age of innocence that never really existed. A drama about children can be just as harsh and harrowing as an adult drama, and with the right cast and director, you can get classics like Stand By Me. Get the balance wrong and you wind up courting controversy with films like Kids. Twelve and Holding from director Michael Cuesta takes a forthright look at the lives of some pre-teens following a major trauma in their lives.

Jacob and Rudy are typical twin brothers, having fun with their friends Leonard and Malee during the holidays, while avoiding torment from the neighbourhood bullies Jeff and Kenny. When the argument escalates, the bullies threaten to destroy their tree house, so Rudy and Leonard decide to protect their HQ during the night. Only Jeff and Kenny decide to firebomb the tree house instead. Leonard escapes with a head injury, but Rudy dies in the fire. Now the three friends must come to terms with what has happened, but the adults around them can offer no guidance. Worse, Jeff and Kenny receive light custodial sentences, prompting Jacob to swear revenge.

Video

Lionsgate present this film on a single layer disc, but given its running time and the barebones nature of the release, this isn`t detrimental to the image. The transfer is a 1.85:1 anamorphic one, and the image is clear if a little grainy. It`s very much an indie feel, with a naturalistic look throughout.

Audio

A fairly standard DD 5.1 English track that does what it is meant too. This isn`t a film with aural flourish, and the dialogue is clear throughout, which is the important thing. English subtitles are provided should you need them.

Features

The disc autoplays with trailers for Right At Your Door and Wah-Wah. You can`t skip them, but they are fast-forward-able.

Conclusion

The BBFC do it again! This is a film about twelve year olds that you have to be fifteen to watch. Far be it for me to contradict the advice of my betters, but there are themes in this film that are relevant to children of that age, and I would consider letting them watch it, after watching it myself of course. Twelve and Holding is uncompromising and unstinting in presenting an unvarnished and emotionally honest depiction of childhood. What may cause some concern is that there is no explicit moral compass to the film. It`s left to the viewer to judge right from wrong, and interpret the film. These are characters that make mistakes, and have to live with the consequences of those mistakes. There is no Hollywood coda where those deserving of punishment get their just rewards, and those requiring absolution get forgiveness. It`s also painfully, and darkly comic at times.

Children and sex do not mix, children and violence do not mix, these are the cardinal rules of cinema, and rules that Twelve and Holding ignores completely. After all, how old were you when you first had a crush, and just what lengths did you go to fulfil that crush? Malee decides to live life to the fullest, and in the process develops an attraction to one of her mother`s psychiatric patients that spirals out of control. Jacob is spurred to torment and take revenge on Jeff and Kenny, while obese Leonard loses his sense of taste after the fire, and switches to a diet of apples and exercise. Soon he`s exhorting his overweight family to make a similar lifestyle change.

In the case of Malee and Leonard these are initially positive choices that they make following the death of their friend, but each subsequent decision they make just worsens their situations. Of course while moral outrage is justifiable, there is no way to condone what Jacob does. All this leaves the question begging, just where are the parents in all this? It turns out that they are just as messed up as their kids. Jacob`s parents are too wrapped up in their own grief to realise what their son is going through. Leonard`s parents are seriously fond of their food, and when his mother sees him eating an apple, she berates it as `unhealthy`. Malee`s mother, while a qualified psychiatrist, has no idea what her daughter is going through. When their children need guidance and support the most, all that they get is indifference and silence. It`s a breakdown in communication that seems indicative of modern society.

I realised that this was a good movie when I found myself wishing there were extra features on the disc. It really does deserve a commentary at least. Good performances from the child cast, backed up with a strong adult cast give this film an honesty and believability that lift it up. Add to that sensitive direction from Michael Cuesta makes this film easy to recommend. Twelve and Holding offers a slice of life that is bleak, while wryly funny. It probably isn`t for all tastes, and there are a couple of scenes that will have the moral majority up in arms. But if you can separate the idyllic childhood that we were supposed to have, from the reality that most of us experienced, then this film has much to offer that is positive.