Havoc (USA/Germany) (Media8/New Line) (2005) ***Year: 2005iMDB
Director: Barbara Kopple Cast: Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips
It's hard to tell about movies like Havoc if they're just another teen gang movie or if they truly capture the essence and motivations behind them. Havoc is about a group of rich LA kids that find it cool acting like a rapper gang. On a trip to East LA, they find the real deal in the hispanic gangs which awakes in Allison some fascinating attraction towards one of the hispanic gang leaders.
This is no West Side Story though, Allison's attraction comes partly from immaturity, partly from trying to find her path in a life with a total lack of guidance from her parents who have relationship problems of their own.
Sex, violence, gangsta' music are all present in Havoc which ultimately does a good job of bringing its message home without being judgemental but also without any hint of a solution even if you can see some of the causes.
Posted by TheCasualCritic on December 24, 2005 10:37 AM