State's Evidence (2004)

This movie had all the right ingredients for an amazing diamond in the rough. However, it falls short with it's endless lists of tired clichés that come off as another "adult's" perception of teenage-hood.This movie isn't totally hopeless though. Douglass Smith and Kris Lemche steal the show with their opposing personalities: Cold, collected, reflective, intellectual philosopher(Smith) and rabid, hedonistic, irrational, desperate.(Lemche) Sadly, that's about where the shining ends.The movie tries way too hard to pull off the 'The life of teenagers: XTREME, XTREME, XTREME' card. It's best moments lie in the most subtle scenes of self-contemplating, and views of the human psyche.Long story short- could've been amazing. Didn't pull it off. A pure rent at best.

My guess is that any of the good reviews for this heaping pile of manure (basking in the hot summer sun)were made by teenagers. Let it be known that while I am not a teenager, I'm not too far off.This movie started out with 45 minutes of what seemed to be some pretty interesting narratives. If you can ignore that for some odd reason most of the voices were over-dubbed (terribly), then you would find some interesting takes on life & death. After that you get very very tired of listening to these people, and then after that a little black girl gets raped (on camera), and then a school gets shot up. Call me ignorant, call me whatever you want, but this movie ended with nothing said, and nothing gained, except for maybe an upset stomach.Well acted, poorly scripted, poorly edited, poorly directed. The actors did a decent job in a movie that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.Thanks for a disgusting waste of my precious time.

This film kicks ass. I just bought it and glad i did.. This film is Ground Breaking, it's a mix of Gus Van Sant's Elephant but way way more interesting to watch and has the boldness of KIDS. This film is truly a film for all to watch, a very strong message in this film. The Director put it all out in this film and should be proud. Very PROUD! He matched continuity like ELEPHANT which is just amazing directing, He got into the teenage mind from many different views and showed us what makes people say and do and act the way they do. makes you think and question yourself? This Director is going very far, as far as he wants. I look forward to his next projects!

State's Evidence is a timely film about a group of high school kids that plan to commit suicide together after one instigator brings the idea to the group. The kids get camcorders and film their exploits and memoirs over several days while they prepare to die. In relative truthfulness, some people when faced with eminent death or utter hopelessness climb to a higher plane that brings about courage and compassion while others sink to the depths of depravity. The story culminates in, of course, a high school shooting where the bullies get it as well as the innocent. The commentary by the shooter in the end has its merits as it is becoming more evident that the hopeless juvenile is more apt to become violent when they sink into the depths. While its always good to see a bully get it on film, its more satisfying to see a bully who has become an good and active member of society. I tend to group bullies and shooters into the same category of sociopaths. It's a Darwinian twist that bullies who dish out depravity and shooters who can't overcome life's battles tend to cancel each other out. Neither one is fit. An A class film with much to say.