Julien Donkey-Boy MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 Content: -2 1/2

The mind of a schizophrenic is mysterious to say the least. In this new drama, the filmmakers attempt to give the audience a feel of what its like inside the mind of Julien (Ewen Bremner), a young man who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Therefore, the movie jumps from one bizarre scene to the next, never really developing a logical pattern but accurately portraying the scattered mind of Julien. We observe Julien over the span of about two weeks, and in that time we get to know him, as well as his family and friends. His family is as bizarre as the film itself, with a father (Werner Herzog) who dances around in a gas mask and a brother (Evan Neumann) who is always practicing his wrestling moves. Julien also has a sister, Pearl (Chlo Sevigny) who is pregnant and sings Christian hymns. The filmmakers have really gone out on a limb and tried some very experimental things with the actual filming of JULIEN DONKEY-BOY. However, its unlikely that many, if anyone at all, would want to sit through this bizarre movie.

The gospel is clearly presented in the movie as we watch Julien and the family sit through an entire church service. The preachers sermon mentions the forgiveness of sins that can be found through Christ. Much of the sermon and music is heard as we watch Julien react to it all. Many of the characters talk about God, and when Julien is with his handicapped friends, they all discuss why God allowed them to be handicapped. While these elements are present, they are countered by some extremely bizarre behavior. Juliens father asks his brother to put on a dress because it reminds him of his wife. In another scene, we see a nun stimulating herself. The scene is described as one of the many odd images that flow through Juliens head. There is a brief scene of male rear nudity in the bathroom and plenty of foul language with 16 f-words. While certainly unique, JULIEN DONKEY-BOY is an off-the-wall film not worth your money or our recommendation.

Preview Reviewer: John Adair
Distributor: Fine Line Features, 888 7th Ave, 20th Floor, NY, NY 10106