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2:37

DVD

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$21.99 (12% off)
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Synopsis

A contemporary, ensemble drama telling the complex tale of six high school students whose lives are interwoven with situations that so many of today's youth are faced with. The story takes place during a normal school day. At precisely 2:37 a tragedy will occur, affecting the each of them forever.

As the story unfolds, their individual stories are revealed, each with its own explosive significance. An unwanted pregnancy unravels a terrible, dark secret; all is not as it appears for the seemingly confident school football hero; an outcast must deal with everyday taunts from his peers; a beautiful young girl battles an eating disorder; a stellar student constantly struggles to win his parents' approval; while another uses drugs to escape from his own demons.

The tense hours leading up to the tragedy are recounted in this controversial and stylish Australian import.

Review

Not so much a whodunit as a who's-going-to-do-it, 2:37 follows a handful of teenagers, one of whom will slash their wrists by the time the titular afternoon hour arrives. Over the course of a seemingly ordinary school day, we learn that each protagonist, from class beauty to studly jock, is hiding a secret that could be a potential motive for committing the desperate act. Amongst them is Sean, an openly gay -- and quite cute -- stoner outcast. Suffering routine homophobic bullying from his peers, he's also carrying on a clandestine affair with another closeted schoolmate. First-time 22-year-old director Murali K. Thalluri takes many stylistic and structural cues from Gus Van Sant's Elephant, including repeated moments from different characters' perspectives, fluid tracking shots and expressionistic use of sound. Thalluri caused a small stir back home when his claim that the film was inspired by a friend's video suicide note was questioned and deemed dubious by the Australian news media. Regardless, he evocatively captures the fragility of adolescence, with its seemingly insurmountable drama and sources of stress (pregnancy, academic pressure, parental expectation, bullying, intense first love...) and its sometimes tragic outcome.

-- Lawrence Ferber

Product Format Information

DVD : $21.99

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Region Code: 1
UPC: 030306952192

Studio : MPI

Languages: English (Primary)
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Keywords

Adolescence, Drama, Gay Male, Gay/Lesbian, Homophobia/Negative Portrayal, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Schoolboy, Schoolgirl

Genres

Drama, International, Mystery/Suspense

Customer Reviews

Tales Out of School

Amos Lassen wrote on 04/27/2010:

"2:37"

Tales Out of School

Amos Lassen

Six high school students whose lives contain situations that so many kids face today is the subject of "2:37". The story takes place during a regular school day but then at 2:37, a tragedy occurs that affects the lives of both students and teachers. As we watch the film, we learn about six students and we see each has a very interesting life. It is an unwanted pregnancy that is the catalyst for the action and our characters include a football hero, an outcast, a girl with an eating disorder, a student who wants her parents' approval and a student who uses drugs to escape from his problems. It is a suicide in a school restroom that causes everything to start moving and even though we do not know yet who the victim is, we soon learn about the lives of our six characters--one of whom takes his own life.
The way the film is shot is particularly interesting--we are introduced to the characters through observation as they go through a school day and then we get to know them better through interviews and we learn how they live when away from school. We know that there is a suicide and we keep wondering who it will be. I found myself thinking it was this student or that student and then changing my mind. It is not until the final five minutes that the viewer is literally slapped across the face.
Here is a film that deals with the real issues that school kids face and it does so by looking at their emotions and everything else. This, therefore, is not an easy film to watch but it is an important one. It is powerful and it keeps you in your seat throughout the entire film. watching "2:37" is the same as confronting the real world and that is something many do not like or want to do. There were times when I had to turn away because the things spoken about are so real. The film is brutally honest and it shows how hard it is to be a teenager today. There are horrors in the high school years that too many of us do not think about.
The direction is excellent and the film succeeds showing us the teenaged Australian and what he/she faces. what is really interesting is that the film attacks more than one stigma and we see that the overriding problem that each of the six share is isolation.
I particularly liked the narration technique and when we reach the point where insight and calculation come together, we are totally immersed in the film.