When I watch a film for the first time I tend to go in with an open mind, block all pre-conceptions. Teen movies are often sneered at by critics as simply being boring, cliched tales of adolescent love and insecurity - indeed some teen films fit this description, but City Loop (or Bored Olives as I prefer) does not. I caught Bored Olives at 1.50 AM on Channel 4 a while back and was thoroughly entertained. Despite its low-budget the direction and acting are excellent. Set against the amazingly atmospheric and tranquil backdrop of late-night, inner-city Brisbane the film focusses on the lives of a group of young takeaway workers who are, as-per-usual in teen films, bored with their lives and apprehensive regarding their futures. Filmed as a set of intertwining short stories (each character is given their own story), the films main and most endearing characters are Ryan Stapleton who stars as Dom, and Stacey, played by the stunning Megan Dorman in grunge mode. The worst thing about some film critics are their pre-conceptions regarding certain genres, and reviews of Bored Olives have, in my humble opinion, suffered from this. Very similar to the American flick, 'Empire Records', Bored Olives is good entertainment with no pretensions - i.e. it does not pretend to be what it isn't. The characters might be slightly shallow and skin-deep, but thats not what we want in a film like this. Go into Bored Olives with an open mind and you will enjoy.
