Jacqueline H.

I thought this movie started promisingly... A young girl in the car with her Dad that just happens to see her best friend at the bus stop. Kayla(Joey King) invites her friend to hop in the car, as they are apparently going to the same place. The best friend has to take a restroom stop, so the Dad(Peter Sarsgaard) pulls over and the two friends exit the car. A few minutes later, a terrible scream. Sounds good right? I thought so. Well, in my opinion, it goes downhill from there. Why? Because the actions of Kayla's parents will make your head spin. I have a daughter, and like any parent, I would do anything to protect her; however, what I would not do is protect my child from the consequences of their actions. I have read a few reviews here wherein some have said that teenage girls act like that and do things like that. I can see where some of these reviewers are coming from, as dealing with a teenage daughter can be headache-inducing at times. That being said, not all teenage girls would even consider doing something like Joey King's character did. My daughter came from a broken home, and all things considered, came out well adjusted. It wasn't easy but as parents, we do the best we can to make sure they know they are loved regardless of the fact that both parents did not reside in the same house. To say that what Joey King's character did was somewhat normal teenage behavior is outrageous to me. Without saying any more, if I was the parent in this film, the first thing I would have done after making sure my daughter was okay would be to call 911, period. When you make it to the end of this film, if your eyes don't roll to the back of your head, I would be surprised. A good parent teaches their children there is no such thing as actions without consequences, and even a teenager is accountable for their actions.

This is a rare case wherein the actual movie is better than the actual book. The characters in the book are completely vapid, and it was nice to see the film adaptation show characters that weren't nauseatingly self absorbed. Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as the drug addled Julian is absolutely heart breaking. If you have ever lost or known someone with substance abuse problems, this movie will touch every nerve. It is said that Robert Downey Jr actually 'lived' his character in this movie, and how sad it would have been to loose such a tremendously talented individual. Andrew McCarthy's portrayal of Clay was far more elevated and sincere than the character in the book, and Jami Gertz as Blaire was spot on. In my opinion, Jami Gertz is a very underrated actress. Brett Easton Ellis made a point of publicly saying how 'shakey' her performance was in this film, and I must say that I disagree. .. Jami Gertz was absolutely wonderful. Perfect casting if you ask me, and what a beautiful woman she is. I'm truly surprised this movie didn't do better in the theaters than it did...Did Robert Downey Jr steal the show? Yes; however, the supporting cast really did a phenomenal job. From the score, soundtrack, cinematography on down, really well done, and to this day, Less Than Zero still brings tears to my eyes. This is one of those movies that should be more well regarded than it is.