Children, we see them grow everyday, as individuals and as people, looking back at the time you were 12 years old, you could only imagine what growth came next. Micheal Cuesta makes this brilliant film into a work of magic of growing up, dealing with our emotions and change. And proves yet again why he is probably one of the most brilliant directors in Hollywood today. 12 and holding not only proves this, but makes the clear statement.
The film starts out as we meet our main characters Jacob,Maelee,Leonard and Rudy. We see them going day to day in there lives, with each there own problems. Maelee has just started puberty and menstruating, Leonard is eating so much and gaining weight his family is no better, and Twin brothers Rudy and Jacob, Jacob in which he hides his face because of the huge birth mark on his face, and Rudy who wants to defend his tree house and his brother. But the gang is soon faced with a troublesome occurrence. Two bullies decide to throw Molotov cocktails inside the tree house while Rudy is in there Leonard as well. Leonard manages to escape but Rudy is caught and it takes his life changing the path for each of our characters.
Jacob decides to plot revenge against his brothers killers while visiting them at a juvenile prison. Instead he bonds with one of the bullies, becoming friends with him, which starts impacting his life, while his family is changing around him.
Leonard who escaped the fire is diagnosed with a disorder, one in which he can't smell or taste what he's eating, but it leads him on a path to start eating apples and start eating healthier and realize his weight is a problem and he needs to fix it by exercising everyday and even starts looking towards trying to help his family.
Maelee takes her emotions she realizes shes attracted to a man twice her age, whom she looks pretty for, sings songs for. She becomes obsessed with him, trying to be with him, she doesn't care how old he is, only that her heart is telling her she really loves this man, who he himself has problems of his own.
I won't get into much spoilers here about what happens to the characters as this movie is just a gift to unravel, you feel the characters grow each time there story is presented and shown. The writing is top notch as well as the acting. None of the kids overact in there situations but play out there roles as regular kids and when a situation arises they take to there own. Cuesta does a fantastic job to make you care for these characters and see what will happen next, and that most likely you will sympathize with a character or even connect to your own. Cuesta is never afraid to walk over the line thats drawn, he goes there, he crosses it and portrays real people in real situations. If anything 12 and Holding is one of those movies that are is so great and so well done, that it will probably be passed up for Oscars. My only quip about the movie is that, it leaves you wanting more! You want to see where there situations have led them what will happen to them, but i guess thats up to us to figure out, as to where or what we think will happen to them, or how they will grow. In total this is definitely a movie not be missed.
A Defnite 10/10 Rent or buy this one to give it a chance.
The film starts out as we meet our main characters Jacob,Maelee,Leonard and Rudy. We see them going day to day in there lives, with each there own problems. Maelee has just started puberty and menstruating, Leonard is eating so much and gaining weight his family is no better, and Twin brothers Rudy and Jacob, Jacob in which he hides his face because of the huge birth mark on his face, and Rudy who wants to defend his tree house and his brother. But the gang is soon faced with a troublesome occurrence. Two bullies decide to throw Molotov cocktails inside the tree house while Rudy is in there Leonard as well. Leonard manages to escape but Rudy is caught and it takes his life changing the path for each of our characters.
Jacob decides to plot revenge against his brothers killers while visiting them at a juvenile prison. Instead he bonds with one of the bullies, becoming friends with him, which starts impacting his life, while his family is changing around him.
Leonard who escaped the fire is diagnosed with a disorder, one in which he can't smell or taste what he's eating, but it leads him on a path to start eating apples and start eating healthier and realize his weight is a problem and he needs to fix it by exercising everyday and even starts looking towards trying to help his family.
Maelee takes her emotions she realizes shes attracted to a man twice her age, whom she looks pretty for, sings songs for. She becomes obsessed with him, trying to be with him, she doesn't care how old he is, only that her heart is telling her she really loves this man, who he himself has problems of his own.
I won't get into much spoilers here about what happens to the characters as this movie is just a gift to unravel, you feel the characters grow each time there story is presented and shown. The writing is top notch as well as the acting. None of the kids overact in there situations but play out there roles as regular kids and when a situation arises they take to there own. Cuesta does a fantastic job to make you care for these characters and see what will happen next, and that most likely you will sympathize with a character or even connect to your own. Cuesta is never afraid to walk over the line thats drawn, he goes there, he crosses it and portrays real people in real situations. If anything 12 and Holding is one of those movies that are is so great and so well done, that it will probably be passed up for Oscars. My only quip about the movie is that, it leaves you wanting more! You want to see where there situations have led them what will happen to them, but i guess thats up to us to figure out, as to where or what we think will happen to them, or how they will grow. In total this is definitely a movie not be missed.
A Defnite 10/10 Rent or buy this one to give it a chance.