90's: After childhood, before puberty
The retro tones without filter filmed with a 16mm film camera, and the intense rhythms sung by Wu Tang, Cypress Hill and Mobb Depp that were unique to the 1990s, laid a decent tone for this semi-autobiographical film. It is as if the celebrity is on the stage, but has not yet spoken, and the appearance has already taken the lead.
In the 1990s, computers and mobile phones had not yet swept the world, and people's social life had hardly been invaded by electronic products. This was one of the important prerequisites for this film to happen, and it was also one of the charms of that era.
Stripping off the shell of the 90s, the film is actually about the growth plight of a poor young man.
Missing father, serious mother (Michelle Williams was originally chosen for the role of mother, but was later replaced by Katherie Waterston due to schedule issues), domineering brother, and depressive family, so twelve-year-old Stevie desperately needs an escape. .
Fortunately, he found friends, and friendship replaced family. He started to skateboard, started smoking, drinking and talking swear words, and began to experience integration, respect, care, and most importantly-release.
Some releases are explicit: Stevie carries a bottle of wine and pours it into his belly; he was beaten up by his brother in the middle of the night, but was threatened not to make any noise, so he had to cover his head with a pillow and beat the wall and shout; Fighting in front of him (the transfer of revenge in the shadow of a violent brother for a long time); quarreling with his mother in the car, shouting swear words to tell her to shut up.
Some releases are hidden. The two major accidents in the film (a skateboard fall from a high altitude and a car accident) both ended with Stevie's injury and bleeding. Attentive viewers may find that Stevie has been extremely calm or even stable after the accident, rather than painful, because whether it is a high-altitude fall or a car accident, the essence is a collision, which also means that more intense force erupts, releases and vents.
The director is kind and cruel. He gave Stevie a temporary antidote (friendship and skateboarding), but once the medicine is over, Stevie seems to have to hurt and destroy (others and himself) to calm down. Going around and returning to the source: Unfortunately, the native family suppressed him; even more unfortunately, the native family also taught him violence.
Stevie stumbled to end his childhood in this way, even though he was stained with blood, because the director looked back, he was always beautiful.
View more about Mid90s reviews
