Just Jim review: An interesting debut from Roberts and is definitely a director, and actor, to keep an eye on.
Just Jim review
Remember the kid from 2010’s Submarine? Well in addition to growing up, Craig Roberts has now turned his hand to writing and directing, as well as acting. The result of his hard labour is this weeks release Just Jim which sees Roberts star alongside Emile Hirsch.
Roberts plays Jim, a very awkward sixth-former with an exaggeration problem; a social outcast who can’t fit in with the in-crowd no matter how hard he tries. Then he meets his new neighbour Dean, an American heavily channelling James Dean, and everything starts to change.
Through his friendship with the ever so slightly unstable Dean, Jim finds himself suddenly more confident and happier. Of course things don’t last and Jim must stop his new friend from taking over everything which is harder than it sounds thanks to Jim’s constant lying.
Just Jim review
The tone of the film is housed well within the quirky spectrum. Alongside the slightly surreal tale there is a sleepy village jam-packed full of eclectic over-the-top stereotypes including the ex-army kook and the trophy-obsessed P.E teacher. We flit seamlessly from a gritty British teen drama vibe, to an underwater daydream, to a farcical send up of a film noir. The constant shifts in tone may render some unable to keep up, the film coming across almost as disjointed as Jim’s psyche. Those used to the scatty style of storytelling will find Just Jim part Killer Joe, part The Science of Sleep.
Essentially Just Jim is about one young man’s struggle to relate to those and the world around him. Many could / would have played Jim shy, sad and for sympathy, but Roberts chooses instead to make him rude, brash and somewhat confronting. He’s not all bad though and Roberts manages to inject just the right amount of awkwardness to get the audience onside.
Just Jim review
Countering Jim’s grumpy introverted awkwardness is Dean’s happy extroverted coolness. Emile Hirsch might not be everyone’s favourite person at the moment, but no one can deny that he’s one heck of an actor. His portrayal of Dean is once again brilliant and is eerily reminiscent of Christian Slater‘s Jason Dean – JD – in Heathers.
Just Jim is an interesting debut from Roberts and is definitely a director, and actor, to keep an eye on. Just Jim is a quirky, coming of age ‘dramedy’ that warns of the perils of crying wolf.
Just Jim review by Kat Hughes, September, 2015.
Just Jim arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 25th September.
