Zero Day 93 min Starring: Calvin Robertson and Andre Keuck Directed by Ben Coccio Opens at Visions on Oct. 24 3 out of 4 stars
Andre Kriegman and Cal Gabriel are fellow students, friends, they may even be part of everyone. Well, maybe not exactly, but definitely in an emotionally unstable, depressed, psychotic kind of way. Avatar Films' "Zero Day" depicts two incredibly disturbed teenagers who, armed with automatic rifles, handguns and an excess of explosives, march into their high school to avenge the emotional torment their classmates have put them through. The characters of Andre and Cal, loosely based on Columbine's Dyllan Klebold and Eric Harris, are two freakishly average, high school outcasts who document their lives for approximately one year, inevitably leading to "zero day."
Through the two teenagers' video diaries, the audience is taken on a whirlwind of confessions about their psychological distress, paranoia and insecurity. Viewers become subject to lessons from Andre and Cal in the proper concealment of a large rifle, instructions on breaking and entering and step-by-step training on the assembly of homemade explosives. From the moment Andre receives his camera from his parents when he turns 18, it is used for the teenagers' autobiographical justification of their plot to teach their school a lesson in common courtesy.
"Zero Day" utilizes the first person-based, "Blair Witch technique" that has become incredibly popular in the world of independent films. With this camera work and the director's choice of using young, nonprofessional actors to play the parts of Andre and Cal, the film comes together in an incredibly appropriate manner.
The film is largely based on the emotional stress both characters experience at the expense of their classmates. The director, Ben Coccio, truly wants his audiences to understand the reasons why shootings of this nature are occurring throughout the United States. He dares his viewers to understand Andre and Cal without predetermined biases and truly relate them on their own level. He presents the two characters in several painfully embarrassing moments, like when Cal is ridiculed for being too quiet on his way to senior prom. Through these scenes, Coccio grasps hold of his audience's deepest sympathetic emotions and propels the unprovoked ridicule of two very sensitive boys into retrospect.
The climax of the story occurs during the last few scenes of this 92-minute film when Andre and Cal fulfill their dreams of making a statement about society at large. The result is alarmingly similar to the Columbine killings. The finals scenes raise many questions, including that of whether it was even ethically right to make this film.
These questions are up to each individual to answer. Whether audiences now understand social mockery through the perspective of the Columbine killers' eyes or not, "Zero Day" does make viewers question what issues in today's society are too sensitive to address in film. Understandably, Coccio makes a statement about seeing both sides of the killings that have occurred in the past few years. However, it might be just a bit too soon after the real shootings occurred for reality-based movies to evoke a sense of sympathy from their audiences for these teenagers.
On the whole, "Zero Day" is a well thought-out film that challenges viewers to take an introspective look into the lives of two teenage killers. Although it stretches the border between an artistic accomplishment and an ethical disaster, the film is worth watching. Just remember to keep one hand over your eyes and one hand over your heart.
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Visions Friday, Oct. 24 7:15 p.m. 1927 Florida Ave. (202) 667-0090
Andre Keuck, lead actor in Ben Coccio's controversial, Columbine-inspired debut feature "Zero Day," will host a discussion after the showing at Visions. Keuck, a George Washington University student, is a classically trained actor who won shared a best actor award at the Slamdunk Film Festival in Park City, Utah. He studies international affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs and prepares for upcoming acting projects.
Source: www.visionsdc.com
