- Sensibility: A very accomodating escort and a strange decision by a cop at the end of the film are odd, but otherwise this wild story is fairly sensible.
- Cinematography: Beatifully shot with great locations, lighting choices, and sense of style. The framing does a great job of directing the viewer where to look and how Sebastian is feeling.
Production design is also excellent and captures the vibe of the location and film. Costuming is also excellent, because it is simple but still emblematic of the characters' personalities. Great makeup and
hair-styling as well other than a few scene-to-scene inconsistencies with some bandages.
- Energy: Great performances from Billy Blair and Ed Westwick really drive this film to great heights. Only lulls a bit with some scenes that were a bit too long: a scene in a car discussing a
payment plan and a scene at a bar before a cancelled performance. Some added editing could trim the film and improve the flow dramatically.
- Narrative: Fun story with a couple of hard-hitting moments. This film easily could have been a run-of-the-mill down-on-your-luck story, but great dialogue and
complex plot development make this a great watch. Only weakness is the Edward element of the story, which is meant to add a bit of humor, but the film already has plenty going for it comedically
and his role in the plot turns out to be only tangential. Other issue is that there is a scene in a taxi that feels far too derivative of The Big Lebowski, which is hard to miss when the two films have a very
similar vibe.
- T-Points: The film received three bonus points: one for a scene where Sebastian is inspecting various potential weapons in a diner, one for a great scene where Sebastian
goes to get his first gun from a dealer, and one for a great sequence where Sebastian breaks into a
drug-dealers' house and the wild conversation that ensues.
This film is a shining example of how low budget does not mean low quality. Stellar performances from the main cast combined with great cinematography blend to make a great film.
Number of Watches: 1
