disgusting, overrated, pointless

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It's obvious that the makers of this documentary wanted to paint a certain picture while making this movie. Small, fragile gay boy got shot at school by a classmate simply because he was gay. Makes you wanna pull out the tissues right now, eh? Look, not saying it's not sad, the whole story IS sad. However, the filmmakers could have relied on actual facts while presenting this story other than going off on the "hate crime" rant. Brandon didn't shoot Larry because he was gay. Brandon (who had just turned 14 at the time) shot Larry (age 15) because Larry was sexually harassing him....sexually harassing a 14 yr old boy who was in JR HIGH.....sexually harassing him in front of his guy friends....spreading rumors that him and Brandon were dating secretly. NO, I do NOT think Larry should have died, that Brandon was in the right to kill him. What I am saying is that the film only wants to focus on the subject of being gay and tries to push the idea that Brandon shot Larry just because the kid was gay. It's more complex than that. Ever notice how the filmmakers never use any pics of Larry dressed as a girl? They only show pics of him as a very young child and not the 15 yr old boy he was at the time he was shot. Why is that?? It's because if the viewers only see photos of Larry as a very young child then it makes them automatically think Brandon shot that sweet little seven year old face. I google searched for pics, there are pics out there of Larry dressed as a girl....looking much older than the younger pics the filmmakers used. This is one red flag that tells you what the filmmakers' agenda is.One 14 yr old troubled boy from an abusive home shot and killed a troubled 15 yr old boy from an abusive home. Sad. I blame the school.....if there was a strict uniform dress code then it should have been fully enforced. My understanding is that the teacher who whined about being fired was actually fired because she broke protocol when she gave Larry the dress. Yeah, sure it was just a dress....a harmless dress....but this is a teacher who has the responsibility of following the rules and enforcing the IEP put in place by the school....she shouldn't have given him the dress (not on school grounds anyway), the school should have done more about the situation, and Brandon should not have resorted to violence. Larry is gone, Brandon's life is ruined. It's sad.

I saw this movie for the first time and it made me mad how can they say that it was his fault that he was killed that makes no since at all. But we do live in a time were a certain group of people do get away with killing another group of people it may be because of there color or Because they are gay no matter the reason its wrong. This kid was a bully and if he was not going to kill Larry then why did he tale his dad to wait so he could go back in the house to get the gun. That jury got it wrong and his defense team new they might not be so lucky in a re trail thats why the took the deal. And i look at it this way you do a adult crime you should be treated as such.

On February 12th 2008, in Oxnard California, a 14 year-old student Brandon brought a school to gun and shot his classmate Larry from point blank range in the back of his head while we was working on a computer in class. The day before Larry, who had a crush on Brandon, had asked him to be his Valentine in front of his friends embarrassing him. In the weeks leading up to the incident, Larry had begun to wearing makeup and accessorising, and had come out to friends.The documentary, Valentine Road, slowly unpacks the incident through interviews with the community. There are endless perspectives here, from Larry's friends at school - including Marina, a classmate who came out to her Mum when she was picked up after the shooting; the defense lawyers, who were so moved by the case that they decided to represent Brandon pro bono; the foster parents who used to look after Larry; the Jurors who joined the 'Save Brandon' cause after the trial was declared a mistrial. The only voice that was really missing from the film was Larry's.The remarkable journey that this film took was an emotional roller coaster. The film fluctuated between taking the audience to incredibly sad places, emphasising the life that was lost. But the real sadness is the embedded homophobia that still exists in the community. Some of the perspectives are hard to listen to. There were times that I felt so much anger towards the people that were expressing their intolerance and this failure to understand that people are different which only breeds Brandon's who believe they have no choice but to use violence. There's also the incredible joy of seeing hope through the people that had learned from this incident and learned to stand up for what is right.Not blaming Brandon was one of the incredible feats of the film. Instead the film kept at a distance, remaining objective. It was clear at times where the film was leveling its critique: the scene in which a bunch of jurors hang out discussing the case is long, as the statements they make about the case becoming increasingly stupid, naive and upsetting. This is so topical and so relevant. It must be seen and people must talk about this. For me, the most striking thing was the dominance of the intolerance. When intolerance makes up the hegemonic viewpoint bad things happen. I hope that Oxnard can, at some point, learn from this.

Last year we had the powerful documentary Bully from Lee Hirsch, which looked at the insidious issue of bullying in American high schools and its impact. While it took a broad perspective on the complex issue, this new documentary from first time filmmaker Marta Cunningham takes a narrower focus, but is just as disturbing and revealing. In 2008 in the small Californian coastal town of Oxnard, 14-year old student Brandon McInerney shot and killed a fellow student Larry King. The effeminate King had been experimenting with his sexuality and was often teased by his fellow students. But when he made a Valentine's joke at McInerney's expense, the boy brought a gun to school and shot him. McInerney is serving a 21 year sentence for the crime, but the film depicts him as much of victim of society as he is a killer by exploring his background and his dysfunctional upbringing. Valentine Road is a character study of the two boys - the killer and his victim - and it explores their backgrounds and gives us insight into their troubled lives, finding some surprising common ground. The film also touches upon some serious issues, such as the flawed American legal system, its out of control gun culture, bigotry and intolerance, racism, its unforgiving attitude towards homosexuality, and even dysfunctional families. Cunningham has gone into a community still divided and bearing the scars of the horrible events for this moving account of a an American tragedy. She tries to remain balanced and non-judgmental in her approach, but it is obvious where her sympathies lie. She is compassionate and understanding, and has gained the trust of the community who open up about the tragedy. There is plenty of archival footage and news reports, as well as candid interviews with family, friends, teachers, lawyers and the police themselves which are very revealing. This is a complex issue and a powerful documentary that raises some disturbing questions.