The Babysitters (2008)

The ONLY reason I watched this was to see John Leguizamo. But as an uptight, suburban white guy? No. Didn't make the cut for me. How Lauren Birkell's character went from OCD to PIMP was really ridiculous. Then she goes from nerd to violent street thug? This was a infomercial for pedophiles. Only Cynthia Nixon's uptight suburban character was plausible because she played the same role in Sex in the City. I would have been happier if Chris Hansen had a cameo role and some of the men had been caught up in a To Catch a Predator Dateline program! This was a gross film about gross people doing gross things. I'll just keep thinking of John Leguizamo as Benny Blanco; it will make this character go away and I'll feel better. . .

I saw a DVD of this movie last night, but I didn't buy it. I looked it up on the net when I got home and when I read the story's summary; I couldn't get it out of my head. I had to watch it, one way or another.Fortunately, I found a way to watch it, and what I saw was more than what I expected. This is the exactly the type of movie that I like. I immediately added it to my favorite list.It's a bittersweet movie that left me with a heavy aftertaste. Despite it's flaws, I think it's perfect. Everything fits together and though everything doesn't end well, it does justice. I'm torn about Shirley and Michael's relationship though. I wish they could have ended up together, it's be a happy ending for Shirley but it wouldn't be for Michael's family. Oh well. I guess Adult-Teen romance will seldom find a happy ending.I give the movie 2 thumbs up.

Stuck at home and recovering from a viral throat infection, I was looking for a couple of nice little cheesy movies that didn't take much brain power. What I found instead, was one utter piece of dross (Black Ribbon, don't bother watching it), and this absolute gem. Not at all the Debbie-does-Dallas style piece of cheese that I was expecting from the description I had read, I found this film really rather touching and thought provoking. The acting was excellent, especially considering the apparent young age of some of the cast. Katherine Waterston shone as Shirley, and managed to convey all of the awkwardness of her slightly neurotic teenage character, whilst still being completely convincing in later scenes where her inner core of steel shows through. The range of different personalities amongst the girls as a group was excellent, and each character was thoroughly fleshed out. If there was a weak link here, I would say that perhaps there was not quite enough focus on the reactions of the teenage boys to what is going on around them - Scott's reaction to Shirley later in the film appears to come from nowhere. Perhaps a deleted scene? The sex, whilst somewhat explicit, was never gratuitous, and there were a couple of uncomfortable scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. Whilst I certainly never got involved in anything like this as a teenager, I found I was reminded very strongly of the amoral thing I once was, and rather grateful, in fact, that I was never given the choice that these girls are offered in the film. The lack of any real analysis of their actions only serves to make these teens more convincing in my view - what teenager really considers the consequences of their actions before taking them? My recommendation: Get hold of a copy of this film, grab yourself some popcorn, and watch it through, and be prepared for some introspection afterwards.

The Babysitters is a completely original film. What a great plot. It doesn't hurt that John Leguizamo is in this one. He's an actor that can carry a film. I though the story was hip with a dark undercurrent. A teenager turns madam after her babysitting service gets sexy. The sex was secondary to the plot. At the core it was a drama about the human condition of getting older. At one time you're in high school then you find yourself married with children looking back and wanting back those youthful days of freedom. I highly recommend The Babysitters to add to your DVD collection. Writer and Director David Ross delivers an outstanding film. One of the best I've watched recently.