DARE - DVD review

We all know that life as a teenager sometimes has more than a few bumps in the road. It's a truly awkward, often uncomfortable and unsure time. What seems to happen more often than not during these dramatic, occasionally intense years is somewhat perplexing. Many teens end up worrying about what others think of them, and in doing so allow others to lead their lives for them. This happens to a certain point in "Dare," but this Image Entertainment release has an ace or two up its sleeve that make it more entertaining and less conventional than your standard glorified teenage romp. I liked it quite a bit, actually.

I think "Dare" works well because the main characters are all people I knew when I was in high school, and if you watch, you'll likely be able to recall a friend or foe who fits the bill. They don't appear overly airbrushed or make-up doused during the film, but instead actually look like normal young people (I hate that word because it's so darn relative when talking about youth, but heck) you might bump into. I remember the smart, overachieving girl who made you wish you were more like her academically, and the slightly awkward fellow who was a nice enough guy but never really said a darn thing, even if you asked him to. Then there was the popular guy who seemed to have everything go his way without really working all that hard. Writer David Brind and director Adam Salky manage to bring what might be stereotypical teen characters to the screen with more vibrancy and poise than many films that explore the rocky high school years. They put the players through all those uneasy moments we each remember, and some we've told ourselves that we've forgotten.

As the film opened, I wasn't as optimistic as it might seem. It began in a traditional regard, and then tossed me a curve ball I couldn't have predicted even if you'd told me to expect the unexpected. That was what made the viewing experience so refreshing, and also the story as a whole just a bit more credible than its peers in the teen drama genre. I don't think "Dare" is groundbreaking stuff, but it is fun and unique, which for a genre that more often than not goes after the obnoxious and predictable approach, is a good thing.

Alexa (Emmy Rossum) has few, if any, imperfections. She's smart, takes care of business in the classroom, is genuine and wants to get a college education while pursuing her passion for drama and the stage. Her best friend Ben (Ashley Springer) has been there for her since they were little, and supports her to no end, despite his insecurity and socially awkward tendencies. Both are loners in a sense, but find tranquility in one another. They do their best to avoid people like Johnny (Zach Gilford), the good looking rich kid who seems to feel good about himself when he makes others feel bad, and has no motivation for anyone or anything but himself.

As fate would have it, Alexa and Johnny get paired up to do a scene together in drama class. She's prepared, and he isn't, so before the next class she confronts him in the cafeteria. He tells her off, and doesn't think twice about it. Ben helps Alexa get ready for the upcoming class, which will have the high school's most famous acting alum, Grant Matson (Alan Cumming), in attendance. Grant is a professional actor, and embodies everything Alexa hopes to become. After he watches her scene with Johnny, he basically tears her a new one verbally. According to his expertise, acting is about feeling and passion, not guessing and aspiration. He tells her she can't act because she doesn't know anything about the real world, and when she pushes back, he tells her to harness that emotion and go learn something outside of a classroom setting.

She stumbles home in tears, and after a miserable day at school talks her friend Courtney (Rooney Mara) into letting her come to a party at Johnny's house. Courtney gets her a sexy new outfit, does Alexa's hair differently and away they go. All your traditional teenage party elements are there: alcohol, cigarettes and awkward seductive glances that lead to impromptu sexual intercourse. After Alexa climbs off Johnny, everything really goes haywire.

At this moment, I had to step back. I had seen what I expected so far, with the good girl going bad and seeking out the guy who made her so unhappy as a way to prove something to herself. It rang false for a moment, until Ben started to exhibit his own unease. He distances himself from Alexa, and in a lonely moment following the drama class production one evening, offers Johnny a ride home. The two chat for a bit, open a bottle of champagne near Johnny's indoor pool and end up kissing before Ben performs oral sex on Johnny.

The rest of the film explores the relationship that develops between this unlikely trio, and plays with elements you may think or anticipate from other recent teen dramas. Additional questions surface, and eventually, both Alexa and Ben come clean to each other about their feelings for Johnny. The very person they both once so adamantly disliked suddenly tests their friendship, and the pair push each other apart in moments of greed and selfishness.

Incidentally, the second half is really Johnny's story more so than Ben's or Alexa's. It wasn't a surprise to find that his tough guy exterior was a mask for who he really was, but just what lies under that mask was really intriguing to see pan itself out. Johnny has a less than easy home situation despite his wealth, is on prescription medication and has to visit a therapist regularly. Peers who belittle outcasts like Ben and Alexa surround him, but little do they know Johnny self-identifies with the minority more often than not. The film is his journey to find out more about himself, and even though Ben and Alexa learn about who they are as friends and individual, Johnny's discovery of who he is stood out further to me. It might be because Gilford does a good job in the role, or because his character changes his behavior for the better on a few separate occasions. Whatever the reason, his transformation is gripping and well done.

"Dare" plays with some typical teen problems like self-consciousness and sexual tension, but also expands to greater issues that impact a broader audience. It's about rolling the dice and not worrying about where they end up, but rather the path they took to get there. Sure, it ignores the impact parenting can (and should) have on young people, but at the same time doesn't paint the adults as morons or dummies. It makes a young person's first sexual encounter seem like something that can (and sometimes does) happen after an alcohol induced evening, but doesn't leave that moment's significance behind. It also suggests these teens have more freedom than most, yet indicates that perhaps this privilege does more for their life development than a traditional education or upbringing ever could.

I felt "Dare" was quite well cast, and that despite the lavish homes where Ben, Alexa and Johnny live, that everyone gave an above average performance. What I remember most is a scene at Courtney's house, where after the trio cuddle and kiss for a few minutes, Alexa and Ben jump up and begin going at it over who will get to be with Johnny that night. It was clear that they had become Johnny from earlier in the film: rude, selfish and not at all interested in anyone else's feelings. Also evident was that Johnny had become the earlier Ben and Alexa versions: reserved, out of place and not sure whether or not he had any control over his life. The role reversal was subtle, yet pointed, and it tied the whole package together.

As a whole, "Dare" reminded me most of Alfonso Cuaron's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" from 2001. Identity was a key theme in each, and sexual encounters without question were moments that propelled the characters and stories forward. There's even that really uncomfortable conversation at the end, where you can tell Ben and Alexa are only there because they feel obligated. It isn't that they don't care, but that they now know more about each other than ever before, and seem to have learned it in 1/100th the time. Yet the ending fits, and is right as it should be.

This is a story that works, and a film that is grippingly entertaining to experience. I enjoyed it because it felt less overdone than what I anticipated, and appreciated the work its writer and director clearly did to create the atmosphere at hand. Still, it isn't enough to make me want to step back to those years. Once was more than enough.

Have a look at the Blu-ray review here.

Video:
At times, the 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio transfer is pretty good, and at others, it just plain stinks. The film opens with obvious color contrast issues, as brights do not pop and darks just look blurry. Grain was evident in some shots with lighter backgrounds, too. Things got gradually better as the film went on, but the image's inconsistency doesn't provide for as fluid a feel as it should. In night scenes, things tended to look sharper, yet this wasn't enough to overcome the well below average opening.

Audio:
The only real issue I had with the film's Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack was that it didn't bring all the dialogue through as crisply as I'd hoped. There are a few shouts, more than enough standard spoken words and also some quiet, whisper level conversations. The first two are fine to pick up, but the third is a chore. It wasn't to the point where I had to reach for the remote, but it still made me take note. Also, the only real natural sound effect that I remember is high heels clicking around. Everything else was less than memorable. Subtitles in English and Spanish are here.

Extras:
A good audio commentary from writer Brind and director Salky sheds some fun insight onto how "Dare" came to be. Would you be surprised to know that personal experience was a factor each individual looked to for inspiration? Also present is the "Dare" short film (hey, you have to crawl before you can walk, right?) and a few deleted scenes, but they pale if compared to Emmy Rossum's audition. We'll just say she's still young in this business. Oh, and the trailer is available, also.

A Final Word:
I wouldn't say "Dare" is a coming of age movie, but instead that its characters learn how important it is to be true to themselves before they are true to others. It flows and works thanks to good forethought and execution. I think it might even be good enough to give the teen drama genre some new life. If only it could do that for youth as a whole, we'd be in real good shape.