One hell of a tawdry, roach-infested slice-of-life drama.

Based on the director's own allegedly "best-selling" short story, this is CRACKSPLOITATION at its most down-trodden and outright fucked-up. From its punishing opening sequence the viewer is acutely aware that they are about to witness a side of humanity that makes Harmony Korine's KIDS seem like the light-hearted teen satire that it really is.

Buddy Giovinazzo achieves a near invisible presence in his presentation of the desperate lives of a handful of urban slum residents- riding the line between the genres of exploitation and ham-fisted message movies. One is never quite sure how to respond to either the senseless cruelty or the oddly endearing moments, like when a neglected kid 'spanges a happy meal for his little sister, or when he bonds with a positive junky role model while ogling some 'hoes'. I think that it is supposed to be inspirational in tone, but somehow it still comes off a bit tongue-in-cheek.

Though our busy schedules only allow us twenty minutes to watch movies, this one has immediately lodged itself somewhere between Abel Ferrara's BAD LIEUTENANT and John Singleton's BOYZ IN THE HOOD. Fans of Paul Verhoeven's SPETTERS or Fassbinder's SATAN'S BREW may also find something disturbingly worthwhile in the relentless, stylized depiction of the most horrific sides of ourselves.

In other words: A cautious recommendation.  -Merrick