#1 The Basketball Diaries (1995)

I have just finished watching The Basketball Diaries, the second film of "Young Leo" i have watched, apart from Titanic. 

This is the film adaption to Jim Carroll's literary work of the same name. This film is definitely not for children or saints because of it's high use of profanity, drugs and sexual nature. The story starts out with Jim writing in his diary, he doesn't look like he has a very great life from the start because he lives in a crummy neighborhood and i noticed there was an absence of his father. Although by the sound of it, Jim was good at school and quite a bright young man. Then things spiral out of control and get worse.

I thought is was an excellent movie, i think IMDb hasn't given it the greatest rating (7.3). The acting was really good, especially nearer the end and there was that scene at Jim's mother's door, also before that at Reggie's house. I thought they were both great scenes.

Drug addiction is real. So is the dangers in New York, now and back then. This movie makes you realize this. And it makes you sad that these are sixteen-year-old boys that are snorting drugs, not twenty six-year-olds. It's scary how people can act violently when you say the wrong things when they are on drugs, or if you take those drugs away from them.

It's surprising to see that this movie was before Titanic. It was probably Leonardo's acting in this movie that got him sought after for Titanic, then after that it was all as easy as pie for him, because he is just a natural at this.

Peer pressure is another main theme in this movie. They started at a gateway drug, then curiosity and pressure took them to the next level and into a place where it was nearly impossible to get out of.

The ending was a little flat, it didn't really wrap it up as well as it could of. But that's probably because since it was based off of a book, they didn't want to make anymore stuff up than was needed.

Overall this movie deserved at least an eight and a half, and it nearly earns a place in my 'favourite movies of all time' list. Maybe if i watch it again then maybe some day it will.

➸Shania