Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Übermensch (Beyond-Man), Wagner and Nietzsche were not enough for Mr.Tony Gayton, the writer of the script. He added the completely different subplot about Bullock's personal problems. It was like watching two merged movies. Anyway I saw some fine acting and a good cinematography: with a kind of "fan cut" the movie could arrive easily to 9/10. I'd delete completely Sam's character and I'd not done Richard (Gosling) the favor of letting him die by accident. My ending would have been on the double arrest after the failed double suicide. Getting to keep movie's duration under 100 minutes. I'd cut all flashbacks, too. Flashback is EVIL! I had fun with this movie. I will distribute the fan-edition through illegal channels. Keep in touch :)

A modern spin on the Leopold and Loeb case, directed by Barbet Schroeder and starring Sandra Bullock as a cop with emotional baggage trying to prove that two high school kids (Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt) have committed what they think is the perfect murder - just for kicks, allegedly.There's nothing exactly awful about the film, it's well performed by the principal players, engrossing in narrative, beautifully lensed by Luciano Tovoli and Schroeder layers the production with a suitable feeling of unease. Sadly there's no psychological depth given the two boys by writer Tony Gayton, which renders the whole motives and means, and the investigation of such, as being a shallow exercise in thriller film making.Running at two hours in length doesn't help matters, because this further irritates that more meat was not written onto Gosling and Pitt's bones, while it also exposes just how hackneyed and clichéd the picture is. Which when the story should be psychologically profound, marks this out as a frustrating viewing experience. 6/10

Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) is a wealthy and popular high school kid who befriends nerdy introvert Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt). They plan out murders adding false forensics to baffle the police. They kill a woman to set up Richard's drug dealer janitor Ray Feathers (Chris Penn). Police detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) and her new partner Sam Kennedy (Ben Chaplin) investigate. They have a romantic relationship but it's not working out. She's the only one who suspects Richard and Justin, but nobody believes her. They then stage the janitor's suicide, and everybody wants to close the case. Justin is infatuated with fellow student Lisa Mills (Agnes Bruckner), but Richard sleeps with her. This and the fact that Cassie is closing in cause a rift in the partnership.Director Barbet Schroeder isn't able to instill the proper amount of tension. There are just a few too many side stories. He needs to concentrate on the three leads. The romantic entangle with Ben Chaplin's character is a distraction. It just makes her look weak. I think she could be damaged, but not necessarily weak. Ryan Gosling puts in a good creepy performance. Michael Pitt is likewise creepy but in a different way. Ben Chaplin's character is the most normal and the most expendable. The movie generally could use more excitement or scary thrills.

This film is almost totally ruined by the way the story is dominated by the neurotic behavior of the lead actress. She is a senior police officer investigating a horrific murder where the 2 suspects are a couple of clever gay students who commit a murder for fun and are trying to get away with the perfect crime. By virtue of very strong performances of the two gays this story would be compelling had it been left on its own. But -no- the film makers have to make the major plot the lunatic mixed up nympho-maniac aforesaid police woman. Also instead of being brave enough to betray the gays for what they are the movie brings in some f-a-g hag to have sex with both the gays.....