Let me say right away: I like that movie. At its very beginning I was afraid that director Montias would make the mistake to create a negative protagonist. That means a protagonist who hasn't got anything to loose except his life and who could hardly convince the audience that he deserves our empathy instead of simple pity. Let's face it: What does a drug abusing addict mean to you? You read about them in newspapers (mostly when they're found dead), maybe you feel even a little sorry for that poor b...... . But then, there's your favourite soap on TV (ey, life goes on!). Obviously familiar with that specific problem, what could director Montias possibly do to succeed in making the movie work? First of all: Montias gives us a long and well executed (ok, sometimes too slow) exposition of the movie's hero' and the facts of his life. Scene by scene we soon realize that these characters actually aren't any different from us. Second: There's a big deal of humanity in the character's portrayals without the movie falling in cliché-ridden social kitsch. Third: All characters remain true to their aims and they are three-dimensional. The story's straight and the ending believable, even though you could think of an other one (maybe better' one). Well, it's not a movie your life depends on. But it's definitely not a waste of time! And that's even more than you can say about many recent big budget hollywood flick.
My Rating: 7 of 10
My Rating: 7 of 10
