© 2006 by C. E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved.
Wild Tigers I Have Known
L to R, Max Paradise as Joey and Malcolm
Stumpf as Logan in Wild Tigers I Have
Known, Cam Archer, USA, 2006; 93 min.

                                                                         Wild Tigers I Have Known, which       
                                                                  was developed at the Screenwriter's
                                                               Lab at the Sundance Institute, marks
                                                               the feature debut of Cam Archer. The
                                                               movie was executive produced by Gus
                                                               Van Sant, whose output obviously was
an influence on the neophyte filmmaker, and Scott Rudin.

       Not unlike The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, Wild Tigers I
Have Known centers on the first crush of a gay teenager. Archer
attempts to create a visual equivalent of the moody world that its central
character experiences. Logan (Malcolm Stumpf) is a loner and an outcast
who hangs out with the like-minded Joey (Max Paradise). But whereas Joey
is attempting to figure out how to become popular and land a girlfriend,
Logan is more interested in one particular boy -- the slightly older Rodeo                
Walker (Patrick White). To me watching the film was like seeing a queer
remake of the cult television show "My So-Called Life", with Stumpf's
Logan in the place of Clare Danes' Angela and White's Rodeo as the
equivalent of Jared Leto's Jordan Catelano.

       Archer does capture the pain and suffering that one who is not
a member of the "cool" group goes through in junior high school and
high school. Clearly Logan is at that point in his life where he is trying
to formulate his persona. He knows what he isn't, but he isn't sure
just where he belongs. His harried mother (Fairuza Balk) doesn't
really offer much support. His friend Joey is also struggling with the same
issues.

       Because he is a novice filmmaker, Archer does go overboard on
the symbolism, and the introduction of a female telephone persona for
Logan (voiced by an adult actress) is a major misstep. The film, though,
does show potential and there are lyrical moments that do capture the
difficulties of puberty, although the movie won't be to everyone's tastes.

       
                                                   Rating:        C