Boy Meets Girl is a film which is both original and entertaining, but also a let down. Perhaps due to my high expectations of the film, due to its cult status amongst aficionados of non-mainstream films, the disappointment can be accounted for by this.
It’s a simple tale, as per the title suggests. After drinking in the bar, they go back to her apartment for whatever you expect a couple of strangers who meet up to do in an apartment. For the guy at least it turns into something quite different from his initial idea as he becomes unconscious having been handed a drink by the occupant with whom he returned from the bar with. He wakes up to find himself in a chair, strapped and unable to move, bar his head.
What follows could be considered two ways: artistic and psychological analysis, or a pile of overacted torture scenes. I think the balance is somewhere in between. The film touches on a topic that has sometimes been touched on, though perhaps not to the extent of making an entire film of it. Or at least not one that I can recall, but then I am not affiliated with watching much in the way of snuff movies.
The man is tortured against the subtext of right and wrong. He is a married man, with children, a wife who is (supposedly) screwing his boss, which is why he got the job apparently. He is mutilated and abused by two different women, one of whom is the puppy dog of the actual protagonist of this whole ordeal, who doesn’t show her face until half way into the film. There are quotes from popular psychology/philosophy, but its relevance seems quite limited in the film. Perhaps it was intentional, to throw in intelligent suggestions to justify the character’s existence.
Overall, I think the film is quite overrated, unfocused and undecided in its direction with weak characters
The two torturers vary in their methods. We have both stereotypes: outlandish & brash, and quiet but psychotic. The former is interesting, but over acted and you often find yourself laughing rather than feeling empathy for the person receiving the punishment. In fact, if there was any reason to feel any modicum of sympathy for the person committing the punishment was lost on me, and I found the character to be rather redundant and far too comic to be taken seriously.
The second torturer is perhaps a little more convincing. Quiet (it’s always the quiet ones right?) and discreet in her mannerisms, she justifies her existence with quotes, with arguments and intelligence. The perpetrator of the plan, both devious in her execution and unstable in her procedure. The character did falter at several points, but then I think they all did. We don’t have any grounding of the characters, and not much is built upon character through the movie. We hear bits and pieces, but it’s all rather irrelevant as we become distracted by the sadistic and masochistic nature of the treatment.
Talking of which, I guess this is the talking point of the movie depending upon the perspective at which you take the film (cheap thrills or art?). The scenes of “depravity” and torture are rather convoluted and short on ideas. Vibrators being forced, knife cuts, having a bucket over your head and being forced to inhale smoke is all rather tame. The only point at which, perhaps, the scenes can claim any originality is the hand in the microwave. But then the plausibility of such a tactic is debatable. It’s unquestionable that others could come up with much viler or more sophisticated and more effective methods of torture causing maximum damage (both physical and mental) while keeping the essence of fear deep in the mindset of the victim.
The victim was rather interesting. In fact, I found the victim more convincing as the film went on. The initial reaction to the whole ordeal was rather placid to say the least, but eventually the victim seems to revel in playing that character and does well in creating a sense of fear and shock, providing moments of empathy towards the character as he continues his denial and confusion as to what is actually happening.
Because of the film’s low budget, the little crew that exists ends up doing pretty much everything that is required to make a movie. From the Clapper board (which gets a mention in the credits, to my amusement) to the set design. Everyone does everything, including acting for the brief appearances that are needed for crowd scenes. It shows in some of the scenes, and also in the main set itself. I won’t mention where the errors happen, or what doesn’t work as those with a keen eye will be able to spot them immediately, and if you can’t, it’s better for you.
What fails in the film is perhaps its lack of justification. We understand the person is a serial killer, but there’s no body to the character’s persona. We understand the victim cheats on his wife, but again there is no body to the character’s reasons. We aren’t given an explanation as to why there are two torturers and are left to guess ourselves (unless it was mentioned in the film, and I missed it) as to the circumstances of the arrangement.
I did enjoy the opening in particular, from the fake French accent rouse to getting the victim in the chair. The disclosure of monitoring and the reality of the victim’s real life relationships and his routine. It started to build something quite interesting. But it faltered when the victim was no longer part of the purpose of the torture, as he became just another random victim, which supports the argument that it is a cheap film with violence, not psychology, behind its purpose. This would be quite disappointing, as it had the makings of something very intelligent, if it was pursued with more focus, which it seems to lack.
The lack of consistency in the film and its limited plot doesn’t help matters, and although the violence is tame, at least for me, it may not be for others. In fact, if someone was disturbed it would take someone farting to turn them wacko again, but something like this would probably assist in their mental desire to cause pain to others. Boy Meets Girl also has a level of predictability, as you seem to know what comes next before it happens. I think this is a bad thing, I’d rather be wrong about my predictions, and if I am right, then that’s a failure on the part of the script.
What follows could be considered two ways: artistic and psychological analysis, or a pile of overacted torture scenes
Boy Meets Girl has been rated as frightening, scary, violent, disgusting and more. For me it failed to meet any criteria which would mark it as such. It seems to be unable to strike a balance with suggestive torture and visual torture, and because of this it becomes a bit of mess when either is tried. You just don’t think it’s happening. Admittedly I am getting sick of people who rate everything new as the scariest thing since the Easter Rabbit, as it is starting to become a bore. “Blair Witch is SCARY!”, “The Ring is scary”, “MY ASS IS SCARY”. The latter perhaps factual.
Overall, I think the film is quite overrated, unfocused and undecided in its direction with weak characters. Taking into account of their limited budget, it doesn’t restrict them from making a good film. I’ve seen 10 minute short films of absolute genius and hilarity that put film makers to shame. Not everyone has that sort of talent, but perhaps preparation rather than diving into an unfocused direction would be a better option.
Sadistic freaks may like this. Bondage freaks may get their kicks too. I admit, there was a certain eroticism that ensued through the film at times, and perhaps this is either another side effect of the unfocused co-ordination (is it erotic, is it raging violence, is it a mystery?), but it works well when it happens, and when it doesn’t, you laugh hard at its attempts at sexual tension.
So really, it’s a bit of a mixed bag depending on who you are and what you expect from it. It starts off well, falters in the middle, picks up and falters and the see saw effect continues through out. I did enjoy the film, as I watched it all the way through, though I would watch a bad film all the way through – the only expectation being The Quiet American (a day in hell would be safer).
Verdict: Unfocused, but good entertainment. Not for those already demented.