TWELVE

US, 2010, 92 minutes, Colour.
Chace Crawford, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Emma Roberts, Ellen Barkin, Emily Meade, Rory Culkin, Zoe Kravitz, Kiefer Sutherland (narrator).
Directed by Joel Schumacher.

Twelve takes audiences back to the territory covered in Larry Clark’s 1995 film, Kids, a look at middle-class young New Yorkers, their relationships, their indulgence in drugs and sexual behaviour. Not all that much has changed since Kids.

One of the features of Kids was that parents were quite absent. While they are present in Twelve, they are not to the forefront (despite a cameo appearance by Ellen Barkin as one of the mothers).

The film focuses on a young man, grieved at the death of his mother, who does not take drugs or drink, but is a very successful drug dealer in New York. He is an enigmatic character – his girlfriend later accusing him of loving power and exercising it.

The Twelve of the title is a new drug, sought by some of the young people for a new high, but which the drug dealer will not dispense, even though he will make contacts for the clients.

The film takes place over several days, introduces us to a range of characters (some of whom are interchangeable). Chace Crawford, from Gossip Girl, is the drug dealer. Emma Roberts is his girlfriend, the decent character in the film. There is an attention-demanding performance by Billy Magnussen, as Claude, a disaffected teenager, who is obsessed with fitness but also is addicted. The crisis with his emotional response to the young people leads to one of those typical American massacres, shooting victims and then the perpetrator killing himself. Rory Culkin plays his brother, quite opposite in character. There is an underlying moralising tone to the film.

The film was directed by Joel Schumacher, former designer and then writer, who had some very successful films in the 1980s and 1990s, including Flatliners, Falling Down. He alienated many Batman fans with his garish treatment of Batman and Robin and Batman Forever. In the 21st century he made some fine films including Tigerland, Phone Booth and Veronica Guerin. However, after making The Phantom of the Opera, he fell on hard times and made films which were released straight to video or had unsuccessful cinema release: The Number 23, Town Creek, Trespass.
1. A story of New York City, youth, the drug scenes, violence? The gun culture?

2. Themes of hope and despair, meaning and meaningless, irresponsibility and responsibility?

3. The young cast, embodying the range of characters in New York?

4. The focus on youth rather than on the parents – the glimpses of parents, their concerns, absences, love and lack of love?

5. New York City, the strata of society, the wealthy and the poor, the different neighbourhoods, homes, the dingy areas, the streets, the parties? The musical score?

6. The voice-over, giving information, intruding with information and moralising, portentous? The actions illustrating the voice-over? The structure of the different days, the end of the week moving to the weekend?

7. The character of White Mike, an ambiguous hero, an antihero? His age, his studies, dropping out after his mother’s illness and death, the visuals and her appearance? His father and the restaurant? His dealing drugs, the opening and the explanation that he did not take anything? Molly and her comment and theory about his loving power? The bonds with Charlie, his cousin? With Hunter? His problems with clients, the customers and exchanges, his successes? Andrew and his dealing drugs, his helping him for the party? His lying to Molly, meeting her, seeing Lionel chatting her up? His desperate night, sleeping under the bridge? His refusing to deal Twelve, Jessica and her requests? His going to the party, wanting to rescue Molly? Seeing the gun, the mayhem? His final apology – and Molly’s ultimatum?

8. Charlie, getting high, his deals, the gun, going to the house, pulling the gun on Lionel? His death?

9. Hunter, going to Harvard, the wealthy father, playing basketball in the neighbourhood, the fight, his injuries, going home? The arrest, the interrogation, his lawyer, the phone call to his father? His desperation?

10. The group of girls, at high school, together, their gossip, their values? Their plans for college? Their love of parties, their chatter?

11. Sarah, her life, glamorous, the boys, her birthday party, her boyfriend and his crashing the car, in hospital? Andrew and the encounter? Inviting him? The boyfriend and his jealousy? Her being shot – her death, and the voice-over commenting on what her last thoughts were, celebrity?

12. Jessica, dependence on drugs, her bedroom, her mother and the drugs, her mother refusing her money? Her sexual behaviour? In the bathroom, taking the Twelve, wanting more, the encounter with Lionel, becoming more desperate, selling herself? The gun and Lionel’s reaction?

13. Chris, young, the host, quiet, virgin, his thinking he ought to host the parties, his reaction to the crowds? The interactions with Claude, the contrast with Chris, his age, his martial arts and gym work, the mother and the phone calls, the Skype and his being rude to his mother? The alienation? Saying that Christ was his mother’s boy? Getting the privileges? The party, upstairs, becoming more antisocial, denouncing everyone, producing the gun, going on the rampage? On the roof, Chris hearing what was happening on the roof, hearing the shot, his death?

14. Molly, different, believing Mike? The phone calls, the date, the encounter with Lionel? Her going to the party, wanting to drink, the reality of the party? Seeing Mike, his rescuing her, his being shot? Her going to see him in hospital? Her interpreting his life, making demands on him?

15. The aftermath, the mayhem – the possibilities for change? In individuals? But not in the culture? Young people behaving in exactly the same way, having to learn their lessons?