10 1/2 (2010)
AKA: Dix et Demi
Directed by: Daniel Grou
Starring: Robert Naylor (Tommy), Claude Legault (Gilles), Martin Dubreuil (Dad), Eugénie Beaudry (Karine)
Country: Canada; Effed Up Canadian Movies
Language: French (Eng Subs); Effed Up French Films
Runtime: 01:56:42
Genres: Childhood, Misery-Depressing-Mental Illness, Domestic Abuse, Old-Young Relationships
Plot – Spoilers:
10½ opens with a couple of shocking scenes that pave the way for a movie that will most likely have you wincing and perhaps even wonder, What a fucked up movie. And this is mostly down to a knockout performance from Robert Naylor who plays Tommy, a traumatized kid who’s excessively prone to episodes and fits of rage. He’s shunted into a social services center after forcing a smaller kid to blow him.
At the center, there’s no violence from the adults – instead they choose to use the option of restraint when dealing with outbursts. For the most part, the staff actually care about the kids and some of them even carry home the trauma of a day scarred by handling troubled boys. But the center has so many rules and prescribed guidelines that the staff have been trained to follow, everyone seems on edge, ready to explode.
But among all the kids, Tommy is a different breed, none of them seem equipped to handle. Except for Gilles, who believes Tommy need not be a future psychopath waiting to grow up. At one point, when Tommy runs away for a couple of days, the center experiences a calm that everyone seems grateful for.
In another era, Tommy would have been tagged as having been possessed by the devil. This is one of those movies that can actually be harder to watch compared to films with copious amounts of sick violence and is the second work from Canadian filmmaker Daniel Grou here, after 7 Days.
Maybe there is hope for Tommy?
This movie can be described as a rollercoaster. It took me one and a half hour of the 2 hour duration of this movie to understand what the fuck I was watching. The start of this film was actual cp and I feel disgusted that I saw it. The more you watch this movie the more you feel for him and that’s very well done. I wish I had the patience of Gilles IRL!! It was very well acted and in the end I’m glad I finished it. The moral of this story? Abortion was an option. 6/10 movie!
from the first second all the way to the last scene i felt a great impending sense of doom. beautifully brutal.
😶
that group home staff had the patience of job cuz i would’ve totally lost it on that kid.
good movie tho.
This video should be mandatory for those looking to work within the system to watch. At minimum to garner an understanding of the types of kids who wind up in placement. It’s dark for sure, but in a way that all to closely resembles real life.
Good film but the ending was shit!
shits literally school 😭
excellent played………
kinda dumb. nothing happens or gets resolved. basically wasted 2 hours
Damn this film is awesome
Absolutely amazing brutal hard to watch and real
They should make the start of this film a category on here big kids bullying little kids
Pussy ass bitchies
Buen trabajo de Giles, Gran personaje.
We Canadians are deeply disturbed hahaha
Well that was a sudden ending.
God damn, this is dark – not in a horror or gore-fest way, but far too realistic. From personal experience, this is exactly the kind of shit going on here every damn day with kids in social services. Makes you really wonder about humanity overall, maybe we should just all die off… Regardless – great addition by EUM. Leave it to the French to really dive into the depths of inhumanity, particularly between “parents” and children.
i liked this but the ending was so sudden:(
Wait, I’m supposed to feel bad for this kid? The mother should have dropped him into the traffic
Thanks entertain us
a nice movie
well thought out ending. exhausted from watching Gilles’ hard work.
Annoying little shits, need to put those degenerates in concentration camps and gassed their pathetic asses along with their irresponsible retarded parents . The world already full of evil and we don’t need to foster future terrorist, serial killers, rapist and overall malignant individuals in this planet.
Let’s see how it goes
this movie was interesting not really fucked up but a fun watch
Great movie
What a raw, visceral film, amazingly well crafted and executed. The acting is absolutely suburb! Another one of these “where have you been all my life” movies from the fine folks at EUM…..
Thanks for this!!
I don’t know if this is just me but the ending felt rushed like felt like there could’ve been more cause we don’t exactly see Tommy change, he runs away again and comes back then that’s it
im the last now
Excellent…
Truly gritty and totally believable… Naylor plays the lead in a remarkable way . A truly sad tale and it’s nigh on two hour length flew by. I could have watched all night .
Fantastic cinema and yes… Horrible too.
Well done once again effed up.. God bless you and your amazing site.
im the last person to comment
Quality EUM Drama … Great acting … Great respect for those who work in support services … It’s a vocation and not a job!
good film. gilles is so hot lol
hi,
great movie – great director!
thx
xoxo
nikki
Great acting. I love this film. Messes up with feelings but in a good way.