#Levi Sochet

[akwardlyuncool]

What Goes Up Up (2009) - Review

The misfits find one teacher they can trust and when that teacher dies and a new figure appears in his wake, will they too trust him in that same fashion? Campbell Babbit (Steve Coogan) is put on a newspaper assignment, to get off of writing about the woman he obsessively writes about at current and onto more world news, like the Challenger Space Shuttle launch. He ends up slipping into the life of an old college buddy that has passed away, thinking he can figure out the students his friend left behind and maybe tell someone else’s story for a change.

While out for Record Store day yesterday, I came across this movie that had both Hilary Duff and Josh Peck in it, so I had to pick it up, not many questions asked. Now after watching the ish, I got a whole bunch of questions. The beginning of the film makes it seem like there’s just this group of misunderstood, outcast students who found solace in a classroom, run by a teacher who instead of becoming a priest, decided to put that care into students who needed a little extra, however, and I think this is the goal of the movie, I spent most of it questioning what was happening in that town and really in that classroom.

Now I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that I spent a good chunk of the movie with what the kids today call “the ick.” You don’t really know what did or did not happen so you make up your own assumptions, good or bad, until the end when things start to unravel and even then no one truly knows the truth or they do, just not the entirety of that truth. They let some people be heroes and others accept the story they’ve been given.

Had I seen this movie back in 2009 when I was an “edgy” teenager watching and reading all of the stories about misfit, outcast teenagers with identity issues and drug problems and cool art hobbies, I probably would have saw the story they were trying to tell with this one. I don’t know if I would have agreed, probably would of still had some ick, but I might have saw something redeeming in the hour and 44 minutes of run time. Now as an adult I’m left feeling uncomfortable and wondering if what I watched was worth the 3 dollars I spent on the DVD? I will say that some of the ick gets cleared it up which did ultimately help me feel a little less like I wanted to puke, but I’m still unsure about the whole thing.

I don’t think I can really recommend the movie to anyone outside of completionists, die-hard fans or those of y’all who can sit through  fairly dark films and be relatively okay at the end. There was just so much sketch up in the air for the majority of the film and I don’t know that I could recommend someone else sit with that much uncertainty for over an hour. Basically watch at your own discretion.

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TW/CW Plus Some SPOILER-Esk Content Below:

Note on TW’s and CW’s: I’ve recently read something about the usefulness of Trigger Warnings and Content Warnings and how they may not actually be working as intended and don’t offer the help or protection that we think they do or did. That being said, as someone who at least likes to know when the overall subject or content of something may not sit right with me, I’ve decided to put them and other bonus content under a “READ MORE” or “Keep Reading” line, when I have them.

If you have feelings or insight on this please let me know, as this is something I’m testing out and would love further feedback on.

TW/CW: This movie talks about subjects of suicide and inappropriate relationships between adults and minors.

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The Actual Somewhat Spoiler Commentary:

Steve Coogan’s character is a stranger to these kids and the role that he let them lead him into was inappropriate to say the least. I feel like because he is a stranger, no less an adult, even if he was trying to figure out what happened to his old friend, he should have put up some boundaries real quick. It seems like he’d tow that line to “protect” the heart of a teenage girl all in the name of the story. I think however, part of him wrote about heroes so much that he let himself slip into the villain role rather easily. He claims he’s not “that guy,” but I was not truly convinced. There were too many closed doors and making sure the girl knew she was loved by her teacher, for me to just accepts his grey area. I’m not saying I believe he’s “that guy” either but he is not the good or clean one in this situation, like at all.

Also I feel like the meaning of Josh Peck’s character (Jim Lement) was so confusing. Like is he in love with Hillary Duff’s character (Lucy) or just trying to protect her himself. Is he one of the “bad” guys who trips into heroism every once in a while, but knows they only partly deserve the compliments. Is he supposed to be the “teacher” in the end?

[blutarsky]

The Mess He Made from Matthew Puccini on Vimeo.

A man waits for the results of a rapid HIV test in a small-town strip mall.

World Premiere: 2017 SXSW Film Festival Short of The Week: shortoftheweek.com/2017/09/29/the-mess-he-made/ Winner: Best Drama & Best Performance, 2017 NoBudge Awards Winner: Best Actor, 2017 Tacoma Film Festival Winner: Best Actor, 2017 24FPS International Film Festival Special Jury Mention: 2017 NewFest Film Festival Top 3 Finalist: 2017 Iris Prize Film Festival

Official Selection:

Palm Springs International ShortFest Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival BFI Future Film Festival HollyShorts Frameline Film Festival Toronto Inside Out Film Festival NewFest Sarasota Film Festival New York No Limits Film Festival Denver Film Society Cinema Q Film Festival North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival Tacoma Film Festival TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival Miami Short Film Festival image+nation, Montreal's LGBTQ Film Festival. 24FPS International Short Film Festival Mezipatra Film Festival Out on Film, Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival YES Film Festival

CAST

Jude - Max Jenkins April - Maya Piel Meter Maid - Zenzi Williams College Kid - Andrew Raia Nurse - Will Krisanda Man - Jack Sochet Male Voice - Sean Higgins

CREW

Written & Directed By - Matthew Puccini Produced By - Tyler Rabinowitz, Matthew Puccini Director of Photography - Brandon Roots Editor - Henry Hayes Casting Director - Freya Krasnow Production Designer - Christina O’Neil

Assistant Director - Edgar Nevarez Unit Production Manager - Chloe Jury-Fogel Gaffer - Robert Newman 1st Assistant Camera - Renee Mao 2nd Assistant Camera - John Carges Key Grip - Levi Sherman Sound Mixer - Brian Blum Boom Operator - Nick Dalessio, Brian Ryu Art Assistant - Andrew Harvey On Set Photographer - Jacqueline Harriet Sound Design & Mix - Will Mayo, Arjun Sheth Foley - Joanna Fang Color - Brandon Roots Featuring - “Dancer” Written & Performed by Emma Kate Used with Permission

Poster by Natalie Shaw

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