RIVER'S EDGE (Directed by Isao Yukisada) ***

                                                                            

On the outskirts of Tokyo, teens have a ton of skeletons hanging in their private psyche. Each character has a burden to bear.  Heroine-like Haruna seems to feel little; she's a cool cat, but everyone turns to her for strength, especially Yamada who gets bullied and beaten up; he’s gay. His chatter-box girl friend has no idea he is - despite how cruelly he treats her. Finally and fatally, jealousy fires her up (hinting here at her ending); she can’t take it any more. Kozue is the bad boy bully in all this and a sex maniac. His sex toy gal  - there are two - one who meets a gory-girl ending; (I won’t give away the who-done-it spoiler). It’s a sad depressing  pseudo-melodramatic take on teen angst in Tokyo taken to its fullest. (Screened at new York Asian Film Festival)