BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

sol- Opening with a newspaper article on gay teen suicide, the tone of this early career Gregg Araki movie is set from early on as the film presents "15 random celluloid fragments" relating to the hardships of being young and homosexual in a predominantly heterosexual world. Araki's perpetual muse James Duval is solid as the closest the film has to a protagonist and some of the ideas that crop up (AIDS as a form of genocide) are decent, however, the film does not just consist of fragments, but is in fact completely fragmented as it jumps randomly between characters. None of this would be a problem if the characters were well fleshed out, but we barely get to know them outside of what they say in interviews. The supporting performances also vary from poor to adequate and the fact that all concerned mumble their lines is a poor aesthetic choice on Araki's behalf. 'Totally F***ed Up' is often cited as the first film in Araki's 'Teen Apocalypse Trilogy' alongside the vastly superior 'The Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere'. What makes both those films so remarkable is the way Araki weaves in fantastic and pseudo-scientific elements to symbolise the strangeness that the characters feel grappling with their sexuality. Both 'The Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere' are laced with semi-surreal comedic touches too. By comparison, 'Totally F***ed Up' is far more straightforward and serious-minded a tale. Evidently, this approach has appeal to some given the positive reputation that the film has built up over time, but suffice it so say, one's mileage will vary.

Infofreak I've been watching Gregg Araki's movies out of chronological order and I think this has really adversely affected the way I'm seeing them. Being a big fan of the surreal, campy, pop art-y 'Doom Generation' and 'Nowhere' has meant that I've found his earlier more realistic movies difficult to enjoy.'The Living End' is one of his more conventional movies but at least it attempted some character development and a story-line. Unfortunately, 'Totally F***ed Up' doesn't have enough of either. It has plenty of anger sure, but it's semi-documentary look at disenfranchised gay teens fails to hold the interest throughout. It has a few good moments, but overall I had to fight to keep involved.The one really good thing about it is that it introduces the charismatic James Duval, who Araki would utilise better in his following two movies. Too bad his subsequent career has mainly seen him relegated to bit parts in (the no brainer) 'Independence Day' and (the admittedly enjoyable) 'Go'. He deserves better.So, if you didn't find much to enjoy in 'Totally F***ed Up' don't let it turn you off Araki completely. He far surpasses this in 'Doom Generation' and especially his most accomplished movie to date 'Nowhere' - a true 90s classic that deserves a larger audience!

trooper128 It's obvious that the other person who did a review of this movie was not an Araki fan. In order to understand this movie, you have to be a hardcore Gregg Araki aficionado. This was one of his first films, and he was just beginning to develop his unique style of directing and writing. The language used is supposed to emphasize the immaturity of our generation even though we are in such serious situations as shown in the movie. It's actually a great juxtaposition. As for the cinematography, I would rather see a movie filmed in the way Totally F***ked Up was than any other uninterestingly-filmed movies. At it's core, this is really a story about the struggles of anyone who has ever felt like an outcast. It does leave us hanging at the end, but so do other Araki movies. That's just his style; and if you don't like it, then too bad for you. If you do happen to like this film or are interested, I urge you to see the rest of the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy [next: The Doom Generation, Nowhere], and all other Araki films. They are all interesting and stylish.

zyllah This film was great...I thought it showed the disenchanted at a level that was easy to identify with, especially for young queers. low budget movies always seem a bit cheezy but it brings them down to a level which is easily understood by the general populace. (sounds patronising I know, but it's a fact). It showed a bit of light in a lost world and is easily my favorite Araki film. The characters were great, the cinematography, while sometimes a bit hard on the eye, was interesting for me as a young film maker...it was also easy for me to identify with, although I'm in a totally different cultural climate and country from where this was filmed, growing attached to these characters was easy for me because I've been there and felt that, no matter how cheezy it is to say. I wonder one day if I can make a film as good as this...I want to give a bit of hope back to my generation and generations to come of young queers and let them know that there are others out there who feel the same way, give them a little hope in this dark.