Limp misfit?

The Education of Charlie Banks (2007)

Fred Durst makes his directorial début with a film college kids in the 80s which stars Jesse Eisenberg. If you have seen any other films with Jesse Eisenberg you can probably guess the sort of awkward, self confidence lacking character he plays as Charlie Banks.

Charlie and his buddy Danny from New York are at college and trying to make friends with the rich kids when Mick, the local bully from New York turns up to visit. What the film is mainly about is to what extent are these young people limited by their class and upbringing.

While Charlie maybe the central character the story is mostly about Mick and how he fits in with the other characters given his bad upbringing and violent nature. Will he ever be more than a passing interest for the rich kids and is his self destructive behaviour inevitably going to ruin things for him even when he is outside of his usual habitat.

It would have been good to see a conclusion sub plot involving Danny and his rich girlfriend who is promised to her fathers business partner but this ends up being a surprisingly interesting film and pretty good all round 4/5.