Project X

Immediately after watching "Project X", if asked to define it, we would say that it is a combination of "Superbad" and "The Hangover"; a definition that not only does not seem to be opposed by its producers, but that they even seem to like.

This is a film that may discourage some, especially if they are looking for something completely original. The good news, of course, is that "Project X" is not a simple mixture of these two films. Mostly because it uses a style that lately seems to be the most common one on the big screen: the "cinéma vérité", which builds up the story  through real footage captured by the characters, with the constant use of hand held cameras and a sloppy impression that seeks to reinforce the illusion of realism.

"Project X" basically deals with an uncontrolled party that owes much to the 80’s films that have addressed the same issue (starting with the John Hughes ones). However, it states the things and facts of the story with particular aesthetic choices, in accordance with the YouTube generation, reminding us how this is a new global trend that is able to summon thousands of people: thanks to the simple use of social networks, the consequences of this trend will be recorded by countless portable devices and spread around, becoming a perfect excuse to use illegal substances and doing dangerous things to show around.

In tune with this idea, “Project X” shows a group of friends that do not take the most responsible decisions for the chaos that is to come.

Thomas, Costa and JB, played by Thomas Mann, Daniel Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Brown are friends from school who are just not lucky in the disputes of popularity. Thomas' parents leave for a trip and this becomes an excuse for a party that initially promises to be a failure because the organizers normally go unnoticed, but gradually becomes a celebration in the most disproportionate way.

The most important, of course, is that the film has really hilarious moments, and its creators have taken time enough to ensure that the fun comes not only from the side of the dialogues, but is also expressed in effective visual jokes.

Of course, it also has th usual huge amount of semi-naked girls, a grown up man punching a security officer at least twice his age, and a long series of images of debauchery and they even show a scene in which they put a person suffering from dwarfism in an oven, scene that, at least for me was not fun at all.

Without spoiling too much, we can say that the film's ending scenes point to a kind of social revolution resulting in a riot against the police. This scene, for someone, could recall events related to the Occupy movement, but others would reject this interpretation instinctively. The reason of this rejection is that the teenagers of this film are not protesting in the streets for lack of working opportunities and the abuses of the banks or the economics bad situation, but they are doing it purely and simply to defend what the Beastie Boys called "the right to party", which is the right to celebrate.

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Writers: Matt Drake (screenplay), Michael Bacall (screenplay)

Stars: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown