My Name is 'A' [aka 'The Columbine Effect']

Genre - Crime/Mystery/Thriller
Year Released - 2011
Running Time - 90 minutes
Directed by Shane Ryan
Written by Shane Ryan
Cast Includes: Katie Marsh, Demi Baumann, Teona Dolnikova, Alex Damiano, and Kaliya Skye

Rating: 2 Skulls


Plot Summary:
Inspired by real events, this film depicts a brutal crime committed against an innocent youth by four seemingly average girls. Through handheld and diagetic camerawork, 'My Name is A' is an unapologetic look at the internal workings of teenage girls who have come undone.
The four depictions converge into one act of brutality.
The actions of these girls girls are neither justified nor sympathized with. It just asks the question "Why did this happen?"


Trailer:



Review:
This film is inspired by the true story of Alyssa Bustamante - a fifteen-year-old girl who murdered her nine-year-old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten, right before Halloween of 2009, "just to see what it felt like".

The film follows different story lines - Alyssa and her "sidekick" friend, who basically just hang-out and argue with one another; a "performer" who dreams of becoming a famous artist/singer, and an angst-ridden bulimic (played very well by Alex Damiano) - for me, she was the most interesting aspect of the film.
Oh yeah, each of the above girls also happen to be "cutters"...

This film was a tough one to rate. I get the film, it was just agonizingly slow! (nothing that I would watch again, hence my "2 skulls" rating)
By the time the 3rd chapter rolled around, I felt as bored as the teen's lives were in the film.

Throughout the film, I kept wondering to myself where the parents of these girls were, and when one parent finally did show up, I wished that they never had!

Putting the slowness of the film aside, it was put together well enough. Director Shane Ryan did well directing his cast and kudos to Kevin MacLeod for giving the film an interesting score.

Jason