MovieChat Forums > The Riot Club (2015) Discussion > The Height of Decadence? Really??

The Height of Decadence? Really??

posted 9 years ago by Gobobo
8 replies | jump to latest

The tosser in the cravat, by the fireside, says "Dinner is debauchery raised to an art, almost spiritual. Something is released."

I was expecting something ostentatious, outrageous even. I was hoping to be part in awe and part sickened by the brazen audaciousness of the dinner scene.

Then they walk into a just another pub eatery; somewhere trying (too hard) to overcome the smell of stale beer and sweat with the pungent delicacies of ... *drum roll*....Salmon and Chicken!!!

All washed down with lots of wine, a couple of lines of coke and ONE hooker between the ten of them! Pathetic.

Absolutely not what I expected "...debauchery raised to an art..." to be. We had bigger binges on a Wednesday night at uni, and we hardly ever got in trouble with the police - certainly not for kicking someone's head in - and none of the 'innocents' ended up in hospital. Those 'chaps' were amateurs at best, when compared to proper party-goers. Christ, a few friends would do more drugs on a Saturday afternoon.

I thought the acting was, on the whole, very good as was the cinematography and sound. Just a shame the story didn't pan out as was earlier promised.

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We all go a little mad sometimes.

[–] hodie1 9 years ago

I know. Animal House was more decadent. These guys were incompetent at everything but masturbation. It was funny when the call girl just walked out on them.

[–] annlevtex 9 years ago

They were pretty good at beating up the landlord and being smug pretentious twats. The fact that they THOUGHT they were so damned debauched is just more evidence that they live in a cloud of their own privileged fumes.

[–] jd-276 9 years ago

This is a film about entitlement and abuse of power. Have a listen to what they are saying all the while they are doing it. The incitement speech is the crux of it. One of the boys manages to convince them that they are all victims of a system which rewards everyone but them and that he's sick of apologising for who he is.

When they smash the place up and then try to pay off the publican, it gives an insight into the sense of values they have, the principal one being that "it's only money" and they have more than most anyway. It echoes the previous speech that plebs only envy them for their money. They don't develop sentimental attachments to anything because those things can always be replaced. So when they smash up the pub, they violate a person's property and their sense of values. To try to pay him off is just a reminder to plebs of who has the power.

Even when they beat him up, they are still doing it because they know that generations have done it before and got away with it because daddy will always find them the best lawyer. The influence probably goes even further than that. Apart from that, they just like the idea of beating up plebs. It reminds everyone who's boss.

[–] gorgsharpy 9 years ago

Beating the landlord like it was a cricket hit? I mean that was classy.

[–] Jaycey 9 years ago

One second - that was their version of debauchery, not the viewer's. So yes, pathetic amateurs (we know that, but they don't).... :)

[–] aimeemacdn 9 years ago

You're just their kind of guy then. Good luck to you.

[–] Gobobo 9 years ago

You've got to be kidding. First off I'm not an upper class tw@t with a chip on his shoulder, second I wouldn't stand by and let them beat up the landlord, thirdly there's no way I'd share a girl with any of them - that's how STDs are transmitted. And, fourthly, you don't behave like that in public, in an era of cameras and recording equipment so easily and cheaply obtainable. Records of my and my friends' 'indiscretions' are limited to some fading memories and equally fading photographs.

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We all go a little mad sometimes.

[–] a13815 7 years ago

I know what you mean, this was a total let down, pointless story, boring, stupid situations. Poor writing. Unbelievably flat characters trying too hard at nothing.

Its tempting to hate on the actors, but in actuality I thought the performances were the only redeeming element of the film, if only they had more to work with and better direction.

Overall failure. Totally amateur work. Would not recommend.