LESS THAN ZERO

US, 1987, 98 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jr, James Spader, Jami Gertz, Andrew Mc Carthy,
Tony Bill.

Less Than Zero is a grim story about affluent youth in California in the mid-'80s. It opens with their graduation, full of hope. It finishes with the death of one of the characters and the other two having to cope.

The film was directed by Marek Kanievska, the English director of Another Country. His vision of California is real and stylised, especially with the golden hues of the landscapes outside the city. The stars are Andrew Mc Carthy and Jami Gertz. However, the film focuses on Robert Downey Jrs' drug addict. He gives a strong and persuasive performance.

The film seems to be a fable for teenagers - focusing on the realities that they might dream about, but showing the ultimate futility, less than zero, of this lifestyle. The film is based on a novel by Brett Ellis Easton (American Psycho).

1. A youth film of the '80s? America, California, Los Angeles? Universal impact?

2. The atmosphere of Los Angeles, the wealthy homes, the drug scene, parties, atmosphere? The musical score - especially the use of Paul Simon's Hazy Shade of Winter?

3. The title and the focus on Julian? The meaning and the message?

4. The introduction to the three, their graduation, a glimpse of each in themselves, hopes, relationship with families?

5. The gap of six months, enough information for the audience, to understand, to respond emotionally? Clay's memories: his relationship with Blair, his leaving and her not wanting to leave, his finding Blair and Julian in bed, their reaction? His leaving? The significance of Blair's phone call and appeal?

6. Clay's decision to go: his character, reliability at school, his going to college? The return, seeking out Blair? The change of mood in returning to California, the affluence, the homes? hoods? His own erratic behaviour and decisions? Christmas? The puzzle, his relationship with his family, his mother, sister, his father and his wife coming to celebrate? The encounters with Julian, Julian moving in and out, enigmatically? The relationship with Blair, love, sex? Her career, her taking of cocaine, her saying that she was in control, her care for Julian? Meting Rip, discovering his drug deals, his henchmen? The parties, the confrontations with Julian, jokey, on the beach, his collapse, his rehabilitation at Blair's? Julian asking for the money, his stealing the jewels? Clay's decision to help, the party, finding Julian with the homosexual, taking him in the car, riding out into the country to new hope, discovering Julian dead? His sitting and remembering Julian as a boy and his relationship with his parents, sitting with Blair? The future? The effect of this experience?

7. Julian at his graduation, relationship with his father, irresponsible? The record firm and his hopes? Losing money? Caught by Clay with Blair? Rip and his hold over him? The drugs and their effect? His seeing his father, his father ousting him? His wandering, the encounters with Bill, being taken to the men at the motels, his running away? Illness? Turning up at parties, on the rock at the beach? Not revealing what was happening, to him? With Blair? His illness and collapse, the rehabilitation at Blair's, the suffering? The illness? The bonds between the three? As stealing the jewels? His final appeal to his father and the reconciliation? His wanting to tell the truth? Going to Rip, Rip's hold over him? His disagreeing with Rip but nevertheless going to the man in the room? Clay finding him, the humiliation, his trying to reconcile himself with Clay and Blair? Dying in the car in the desert? Less than zero?

8. Blair and her graduation, hopes, a spoilt girl, her career, her apartment? With Julian? Her support of him and understanding? Her not going with Clay? The phone call, his return? Her erratic behaviour, appearance? Taking cocaine and yet saying she was under control? Helping Julian? The sexual relationship with Clay and its passion? Meals, parties, putting the cocaine down the drain? Helping Julian when he was desperate? Her being in the car, his death? Sitting reminiscing with Clay? Her decision to go with him?

9. Rip and the high school dealer become the professional, his hold over Julian, money, the homosexual contacts and using him, his presence at parties, his disdain of Clay? The clashes? The final fight? His henchmen?

10. The sketch of the families: wealth, relationships, expectations, success, divorce, death?

11. A sketch of contemporary wealthy youth, responsibility and irresponsibility, goals and hopes? the glossiness of the way of life, parties, clothes, wealth, music, environment? Large sums of money easy to hand?

12. The overall effect of the film? Audiences identifying with characters? The anti-drug culture message?