Not Sure What I Saw

I assumed this movie was just another T&A film about college kids run amuck (and there is plenty of T&A). When I finally watched it, I was a bit surprised at the different approach it took. Not saying it was good or bad, just not sure what I watched. I have to admit there was some thought put into it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The first 30 minutes (and a great deal of the film) are told in an odd, dream-like way. There is very little dialogue and the sequences jump around so you get a clip of future events and then jump back to the events leading up to them (I think). In some cases its hard to tell if you are watching the future or current events. Its stylized to be sure, but I'm not sure its the right tact for this film. There are many scenes where you see scenery and the characters are talking off screen. Since the director did not do a very good job of introducing these characters, its difficult to figure out who is saying what to whom. I also take issue with the dark green and yellow hues of the film. I'm sure there is some symbolism behind it (girls puking away their futures?), but it was lost on me.

Three of the four lead actresses did a poor job IMO. They did not have much screen presence and really didn't even titillate me during the erotic scenes. Selena Gomez departs about 45 minutes into the movie which is sad because she was the only one actually breathing life into her character. James Franco is this generation's Nicholas Cage (when he was still good). He has charisma and loses himself in the character of Alien. He comes off as creepy, dangerous, vulnerable, and sincere in his feelings for the girls. If the other three girls' characters had been written and played that way, this might have been a tighter film.

The ending really ruined the film for me. Up to that point I was at least awarding the movie credit for being realistic and somewhat unique. Then they ripped off Boondock Saints and turned the bikini-clad girls into vigilante warriors who are invincible to bullets fired by at least a dozen heavily armed men. How did they reload with no place to keep spare magazines? It just seemed out of place as a resolution to the film. I would have preferred something a bit more realistic and in keeping with the somewhat dark realism of the film up to that point.

My memory foam pillow says it can't remember my face. I can tell its lying.