{"id":1922,"date":"2012-03-03T09:51:29","date_gmt":"2012-03-03T09:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=1922"},"modified":"2012-03-03T09:51:30","modified_gmt":"2012-03-03T09:51:30","slug":"project-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/comedy\/project-x\/","title":{"rendered":"Project X ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Imagine throwing the party you\u2019ve always dreamed of in a venue primed for purpose \u2013 pesky neighbours and law enforcement aside. Imagine all the coolest people attending and dancing to some kick-ass tunes. It\u2019s the stuff of decadent dreams that this out-of-control juggernaut feeds off, tapping into a real deep-rooted deviance from our days of youthful carefree living. After all, someone else can pay later; it\u2019s all about tonight and now. And for The Hangover<\/em> fans \u2013 director Todd Phillips<\/a> produces this time \u2013 there is an even greater sense of the party boys being plunged into the virtual unknown that\u2019s vibrant to watch. It\u2019s also a stark lesson in the perils of social media \u2013\u00a0phone hacking aside.<\/p>\n

Three \u2018invisible\u2019 High School seniors, Thomas, Costa and JB \u2013 acting unknowns Thomas Mann<\/a>, Oliver Cooper<\/a> and Jonathan Daniel Brown<\/a> respectably \u2013 get Thomas\u2019s family home to themselves for a weekend while his parents are away. They plan to celebrate Thomas\u2019s 17th <\/sup>birthday in style with a \u2018few\u2019 people over. Trouble is no one knows (or cares) that they really exist \u2013 expect perhaps Thomas\u2019s female childhood friend, Kirby (Kirby Bliss Blanton<\/a>). Cocksure Costa decides to spread the word around the school, all caught on first-person camera by mysterious operator Dax (played by Dax Flame<\/a> who we hear rather than see for most of he film). However, what starts out as a few people turns into an absolute riot as things spiral out of control and word of the party spreads, the likes of which the quiet, family suburb of Pasadena has never seen before.<\/p>\n

If you enter into this film\u2019s environment shirking all grown-up inhibitions and mundane responsibilities at the door you\u2019ll get the most out of it. Curiously, as a result, there is a nagging sense of conscience that develops as things escalate. Birthday boy Thomas is our prompter of this throughout the film and our link with some form of order, before he\u2019s sucked into the chaos that grows. Project X<\/em><\/a> does start out like any other high school \u2018loser\u2019 flick where we\u2019re expected to rally behind the misfits \u2013 however misogynistic and revolting they may appear, purely because everyone likes an underdog to triumph and gain popularity.<\/p>\n

Like a YouTube video that can be watched only once for full, fresh effect, Project X<\/em> is a collective experience, and is not trying to be another American Pie<\/em> or Superbad<\/em>, contrary to critics: There are no clever gags from the latter or slapstick, coming-of-age set-pieces. This film attempts to deliver a feasible self-documenting style favoured by a lot of cult films at the moment \u2013\u00a0like Chronicle<\/em>, adding plausible scenarios to the mix like a rampant party virus. Thankfully, there is no migraine inducing 88-minutes worth of shaky hand-held footage either for those still reeling from their Cloverfield<\/em> experience.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s abundantly clear to see debut feature director Nima Nourizadeh<\/a>\u2019s pedigree in pop videos and commercials from its style, with some scenes of nubile young ladies jigging up and down in slow-mo like on some continuous MTV rap-video playlist \u2013\u00a0and bad boy Eminen plays out the end credits. Nourizadeh actually mixes and matches a variety of filmic styles to portray different emotions within a first-person view. As for plot, it attempts at mini subplots and does suffer from the unavoidable genre clich\u00e9s. There is also a gnawing sense of what\u2019s happened to the rest of the neighbourhood; have they all gone deaf when the law fails to curb the revellers\u2019 enthusiasm after an earlier warning? The film also has its token nutty oddballs, like a security measure.<\/p>\n

That said Mann, Cooper and Brown are excellent as newcomers in different ways: Cooper is blessed with great comic delivery sure to get him noticed by the extended Apatow gang for future projects. Mann is reminiscent of some vulnerable, gangly, guilt-ridden Michael Cera or Jesse Eisenberg, but devoid of clever retorts in this and simply tasked with \u2018playing your average na\u00efve kid\u2019 in an escalating situation.<\/p>\n

As for the music, any clubber will be downloading the soundtrack as soon as it becomes available, as true to his music video roots, Nourizadeh makes sure the visuals match the tracks, and the beat like some war cry for a \u2018forgotten generation\u2019 carries on pulsing like a life force, growing in size and fearlessness. This dramatically energises events more, and is a big part of the film\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

Overall Project X<\/em> is one guilty pleasure, mindless escapism that offers some mixed \u2013 and some unexpected \u2013 messages at the end that make for alarming but intriguing post-viewing debate. Naturally, some will question the responsibility of the filmmakers themselves. Not sure if the \u2018what happens next\u2019 histories are necessary, as well as the soggy \u2018after-party\u2019 souvenir. But you\u2019ll be glad you got the invite and had the time of your life \u2013\u00a0without suffering the hangover from hell – watching a film that will divide opinion.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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