Christiane F
Uncomfortably raw and almost needlessly long, this one will nevertheless stick in my memory. It owes something to the earlier Al Pacino movie, Panic in Needle Park, but also, I think, the little-known Linda Blair / Richard Donner TV movie called Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic – despite its veracity, it does come over a little cheesy and preachy at times. Since this movie, directors like Larry Clark and Lukas Moodysson have addressed teen issues without copping out so easily – the movie in fact reminded me most of Moodysson’s Fucking Åmål which, though completely different in subject matter, hit the nail on the head over how it feels to be a teenager. If by chance you thought the cold turkey scenes in The Man With the Golden Arm, French Connection II, and Trainspotting were somehow tame, you should take a look at this one, it leaves you shattered. The dedications at the end, particularly for “Babsi”, are heartbreaking. The soundtrack’s pretty good too, reminded me of Abel Ferrara’s Driller Killer I think. David Bowie puts in an appearance which is … interesting …