Film about James Bulger killers being nominate for an Oscar

[Wigwambam10]

So wrong on so many levels but I think the thing that makes it worse is that the family of James were not asked about the film the the first place.

Hollywood will just see it as a film but for goodness sake there is a family still grieving who will always be grieving for the rest of their lives and someone is making money from it all. Just doesn’t sit well with me

I think the reason why this film is seen as diffrent is down to two things - recency of crime and age of perpetrators - both things together.

I think that there was a lot about it which should have been handle ery differently but the degree of outrage at the time persuaded The powers that be to allow the children to be tried as adults, a travesty (imo) which is worthy of a film anyway.

I hope that the producers give a hefty wedge of the profits, should there be any, to JB's family.

Problem
With this film is it doesn't actually address at all why they did it so that argument is moot
The detective who investigated it has said it's in poor taste and depicts the police interviews with the boys incorrectly - although the real transcript is used the atmosphere in which they were interviewed was not oppressive. They had crisps and drinks and appropriate adults/legal rep etc and he says it was quite convivial. Not what is portrayed in this film at all.

I think it's voyeurism for entertainment and a bronze statue.

I don't think the failure to show a few crisps and fizzy drinks has any relevance and it speaks volumes that he uses that as a criticism.

The film is intended to be thought provoking and it certainly appears to have achieved its aim. I'd like to see it so I can judge for myself.

Well said rytonsister
I was a social worker with young offenders.
This adds nothing to the public debate (if people want to read what happened, it's already in the public domain) and only causes intense pain to his family, who have explicitly spoken about how they feel. I can't believe that their feelings aren't enough to halt this entire film. Totally voyeuristic and ghoulish.

Completely agree with rytonsister and Threewheeler1.

How do any of you defending this film know if it’s an accurate depiction? It appears it isn’t so what is the point in the film? It’s causing immense hurt to the family for fame and profit. I can’t believe anyone is defending it.

Absolutely threewheeler

Can't believe that his family weren't even consulted. It's as bad as whipping your mobile out to rubberneck and film someone's misfortune imo.

I'd sign the petition if it had been created by someone literate. It reads like we want to stop it from being taken off the Oscars shortlist...

Delatron. I'm not defending the film but if you haven't seen it either you can neither say whether it's an accurate depiction or not, and that negates your argument that 'it appears it isn't', if you yourself don't know. I assume you'd need to have seen the film and also studied the case in detail to make an informed comment.

Ok, but the detective who worked on the case will know!

I think it’s a valid argument to believe the film is in bad taste. To have empathy for the family. I’d rather be feeling this way than trying to defend a film that I hadn’t seen!

You have no idea of this film depicts the truth yet still you are defending it! I’d understand if you’d seen it.

That's one point of view. I'd want to see the film, read what is in the public domain and then make up my own mind.

Again - I'm not particularly defending the film, but one source of information wouldn't be enough for me personally.

Have you seen it? I explicitly said I wasn't defending it.

Disgusting!

None of us have seen it. Therefore I can say the subject matter is in bad taste and must be traumatising to the family. I can say this without seeing it.

You can’t say that it is worth the hurt and suffering to the family if it turns out to be an inaccurate depection ? Therefore surely you need to wait and watch it.

Has anyone even mentioned that it was only nominated for an Oscar by the director himself?

Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Hmmm...the director says he made it so we can learn from it and reduce the chances of this happening again. Yet apparently the film provides little insight into this?

That apart, it's absolutely shameful that he didn't consult the family first and worse than that, has shown a total lack of empathy by not even notifying them. On the one hand he wants to improve things for society and on the other is treating people who have done nothing to him with total contempt.

rytonsister & Delatron

It's unbelievable. Rubbernecking is exactly right.

This family, whose little boy was tortured to death, already have to live with those last images of him.
People are saying this is about Thompson and Venables, but you can't tell that story without it being about James.
The thought that some film maker, who wants to get famous with his controversial subject matter, can ignore the victims family and profit (professionally, at least) is grim.
I just think it's a sign of humanity, asking ourselves how we'd feel if we were James's parents.
If this gets an award, how will it work at the ceremony - will people actually stand up and clap?? I read that the director & producers celebrated with champagne and smiles getting the nomination. Hard to understand any of that could be appropriate.

@ryton What are you talking about, the director nominated it himself? The nominations are decided by the Academy.

@Delatron Clearly you've not read the thread. Someone here HAS seen the film.

".. the direcor says he made it so we can learn from it...."

Did he indeed? At what point did he say that?

People need to watch the film before judging it and it’s contents.

The director probably didn’t consult Denise because she would have interfered. The story was to be from a sympathetic standpoint of the killers, and I’m sure Denise would have objected.

I think it’s high time a programme like this was released. Can’t wait to watch it.

@Jux The director has given lots of interviews, not just recently but last year. Have a Google and you can see what he's said in assorted interviews.

Well that says it all ‘sympathetic standpoint of the killers’

Ok I've actually got a friend who has a short film also nominated. I'll ask her how the nomination process works . I thought I'd read it but accept I could be wrong.

My opinion of it remains however. Voyeurism, for entertainment, with no thought to the pain caused to the victims family. It's not even accurate according to the detective who worked the case which is also a problem for me if it's being portrayed as something factual.

A BBC article would suggest it wasn't particularly done from the sympathetic standpoint of the killers, and facts from their own childhoods could have been used to provide more bias towards them, but the transcripts were used to remain objective.

I accept there are viewpoints though that contradict the factuality, such as the detectives.

And that's one article, involving Lambe himself, there will have a particular viewpoint anyway.