Project X (2012)

Project X is CRAZY. I’m sure there are a number of ways I could describe this film that would sound more elaborate and adverbially overloaded but I think crazy, or perhaps “BATSHIT crazy!” pretty much covers it. For a film with next to no plot and limited character development it does a pretty good job of keeping the audience on their toes and guarantees a reaction. It will either be an extremely positive reaction or an extremely negative one…but let’s face it, that’s what first-time director Nima Nurazadeh is going for. As for my reaction, even though the film defies the level of standards I have come to expect as a loyal cinephile, I won’t lie, it was pretty positive. If your one of those rare few who hasn't heard of this film then I’ll give you a brief rundown of the films plot: three awkward high school seniors (Thomas, Costa and JB) throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves and earn a reputation that isn't “nerd” or “loser”. As the night progresses though things spiral out of control and what was supposed to be a medium-sized “get-together” turns into the coolest party of the year with some jaw-dropping repercussions.

As a teenager it is my unwritten obligation to see this film and enjoy it. I have heard many my age admire the films scope and express a desire to imitate the shenanigans of Project X. Now while I have fulfilled my obligations to enjoy the film, any desire to imitate its events or even be present for such events is next-to-none. Why any teenager would put their bodies through the physical torture of excessive alcohol (I’m talking to the point where you lose consciousness) and drug-abuse just so they can say they did it is beyond me. Nevertheless the characters of this film do, and with an eagerness that clearly isn't outside the realms of possibility (the film is in fact based on a party thrown by Aussie teen Corey Worthington in 2008). As the film progresses its craziness increases and just as you think the crew behind this film can’t top the previous act, they do and with some serious panache. The highlights of this craziness include a scene in which we see some pissed-off and extremely intoxicated partygoers throw a dwarf into an oven, we then see said dwarf drive house-owner Thomas’ car into the family pool for revenge and one particularly memorable moment involving a flamethrower. This film should come with one of those “DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME” warnings.

I think these 3 may have over-delivered in there plans to throw the best and most memorable party of the year. Unless infamy is the new popular?!

The purpose of the party is like any other which is hosted by 3 geeks – to get drunk and have sex. That’s the motivational pull of the film and in this sense it resembles any other teen-centric cast such as cult-favourite Superbad, as well as the British TV shows The Inbetweeners and Skins. I've heard many resemble the film to The Hangover but on this front I would have to disagree, not only because both films show a completely different perspective of the dangers and pleasures of alcohol, but also because of both films’ respective cast and setting. Project X has one central location (the birthday boy, Thomas’ house) which increases the intensity of the situation and heightens the audience’s increasing-bewilderment. The Hangover, however, jumps from one location to the next and keeps us in the dark for much of its plot which means all of our reaction is pinned on its ending. I’m not passing judgment on either approach because at the end of the day both films achieve the goals they set out to achieve. I will say this though - Project X surpasses The Hangover in its shock factor and its impressive ability to draw out the events of a single party (believe me, “boring” is one word which will never be used to describe this film), however The Hangover is more enjoyable overall and doesn't require as much effort on the senses.

Now to address (or elaborate) on the positives and negatives of the film… Let’s start with the positives, shall we? First of all the 3 protagonists of the film, particularly Thomas (played by Thomas Mann whom some may recognise from Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) and Costa (Oliver Cooper) who are extremely funny in their roles as disillusioned and absurdly-naïve high school teenagers. One thing the film manages to do, despite the lack of a plot, is portray a convincing relationship between these three characters. I don’t know if I’d call it character development because none of them seem to learn from the events of the film, but we certainly see a sense of camaraderie play-out which is endearing amidst the drunken-chaos of the films events. The second positive is the style with which the film was made. Each shot is taken on a hand-held camcorder (the cast and extras were handed camcorders during filming and accumulated 10 hours’ worth of footage!) which heightens the films realism and places the audience within the party, to the point that when one character jumps in the pool so do we, the audience. I’m actually a big fan of this style after seeing its success from previous films such as Tonight You’re Mine and End of Watch, though it’s been a popular method since the 1999 horror The Blair Witch Project. What also heightens the realism of the film is the opening credits in which the audience read this text from the screen:

“WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND THE PRODUCERS OF THIS FILM WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED FOOTAGE TO THE MAKING OF THIS FILM.

THEY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO APOLOGISE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF NORTH PASADENA, CA FOR THE EVENTS YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE.”

This is a very crafty tool in perhaps duping some of the more gullible members of the audience into believing that this film is a genuine documentary (I doubt anyone did, but you never know…), but alas it is not. The fact that the film features a cast of unknown actors increases this pseudo-realism and, in my opinion, increases the intensity and visceral quality of the film.

Now onto the negatives of the film. I’m not going to go too in-depth with this because if I do then it will turn into a tirade and this post is becoming long enough. So, short and sweet – the treatment of the family pet at the start of the film from some of the party-goers is anger-inducing. Seriously, I was shouting at the screen for parts of it. Also, the lack of an actual plot is frustrating and at points I was sat wondering if anything other than shots of half-naked women, puking teenagers and happy-partygoers was all we were going to get but, alas, that’s what you sign up for with this film so I shouldn't have expected much more.

All-in-all though this film was pretty entertaining and left me satisfied for what it was (believe me, it ain't about to receive a bevy of Oscar nominations. But it does do a good job of entertaining the teenage contingency). I won’t lie, it’s a bit of a one-hit-wonder, but an extremely impressive one as one-hit-wonders go. The cast are funny and convincing (I've always thought it must be hard to portray a convincing paralytic-drunk, but these guys do it. In fact the whole cast does it, and it’s a big-ass cast), the set is impressive and the ending is one of the most jaw-dropping I've seen of this films genre.

To cut a long story short…Would I recommend this film? If you’re looking for a plot, then look elsewhere. If you’re looking for something to shock and entertain though, then you should give it a go.
A film ramblers star rating?

That's it for now folks...