Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

jayne_allsop This film features a very young Adrien Brody. Though it isn't the most 'polished' film in the world and obviously had a fairly small-budget, that doesn't detract from the plot. Adrien plays a very convincing part as 'Ray', and the other actors are also totally convincing. I picked this DVD up just thinking it would pass on two hours of my life, but I was immediately drawn in to the action. It's not the most fast-paced film in the world, but anyone who likes human stories will enjoy this film. The conflict between Ray and his father reminded me of so many father-son relationships, and it was great to see that portrayed so clearly. I'm sure everyone will relate to part of the story - even if it's just in Ray's hopes and dreams of bettering himself.This film is well worth watching if you get the opportunity.

colosseumsj This was the first movie that I saw Adrien Brody with a major role. He gave an excellent performance. The movie is above average but Adrien stands out above everyone else and makes the movie better than it should be. Very few actors have made such an impression with me. Robert DeNiro, Betty Davis and Montgomery Clift are the others.The thing that impressed me most about Brody was that he was so damn convincing as someone with a serious gambling problem. His interrelationship with his girlfriend and drinking buddies was fascinating to watch. This movie is in a class with "Diner" and "Mean Streets"

anna-72 This movie is a must see for the riveting performance of ADRIEN BRODY. Though the writing and directing may be average, keep in mind it was the first film for writer/director, ERIC BROSS. Bross does get better with age and experience. I enjoyed the performances of all the cast, however, I wish the character Mrs. Deturo, played by actress ANNA MANFREDI, would have had a more significant part. Whenever she appeared in a scene she lit up the room - She is talented, has star quality, is interesting, and I would like to see more of her in future films.Mr. Bross would have been wise to utilize Ms. Manfredi in the party scene -developing her character and defining her as Joanne's mother - he neglected to develop a relationship between mother and daughter. (When you are wandering all around looking for your boyfriend, it is a knee jerk reaction to ask your mom if she has seen him when you walk right past her. Joanne never once talks to her mother or acknowledges her as her mother. This made the entire scene lacking in content. Bross has the party scene so cluttered with people that it is distracting from the events taking place, as if the party takes place in Grand Central rather than Mrs. Deturo's (Joanne's mother) home with a gathering of relatives.One should never under-estimate the importance of a "mother" in developing a character. You learn early on that Ray, played by Brody, grew up without his mother who left when he was a child. This helps explain why Ray was so messed up. We completely lose all empathy for Joanne, played by Sybil Temchen, during this scene, as she is cold and menacing as she totally ignores her mother, played by Ms. Manfredi, as if the character is just a stranger amongst a bunch of strangers.So to sum it all up - - ADRIEN BRODY IS FANTASTIC and LET'S SEE MORE OF ANNA MANFREDI IN UPCOMING FILMS!!!

Jay Jefferson Cooke This film is another boring, so-called coming-of-age story.If I have seen these characters once, I have see them 100 times.This film and those like it have little relevance or appeal to anyone who recognizes ethnic stereotypes and unoriginal writing.Sybil Temchen is the only bright spot. Sadly, she'll probably end up in the same club as Adrienne Shelly (good actress performs well in indies, goes on to perform well in a few bad mainstream films and then disappears into films no one who is asleep at 3 a.m. ever sees).Maybe Temchen will get lucky with a good cable-TV series (that's what rescued Edie Falco from Shelly's fate).Cross your fingers (and your toes) for her.