What the Hell?by Gonzo84
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April 11, 2009:
I remember viewing this film when it first hit the DVD release. Not knowing what quite to expect, I wasn't ready for the next 1 1/2hrs. So without warning this film catapaults you into a very gritty and dark world. From start to finish, the audience is just left there with their jaws dropped to the floor in total shock and disillusioned from what has been shown. Some would say that this resembles Tarantino's work, but being a Tarantino nut myself, I disagree, this film is in an element of its own, with no boundaries and no excuses. I would say that this feature would be more connected with Abel Ferrara's style, since they both seem to have he same extreme edge, to the point where you can't look away from the screen, but you kind of want to, esecially when dealing with subject manner. Leave all your moralities at the door with this film, cause if you can't handle touchy subjects such as ultra-violence, prostitution, and pedifilia, then this film won't be for you. The style of the film is excellent, with what Director Tony Scott calls Acid-Film, the frames jump around and pause, along with grainy close-ups and distorted color fields. I love all the performances in this film, since they are all played to the max. This is definitely Paul Walker's best film to date, he plays his character to the best of anybody's ability and really gave it his all to capture raw moments. I was suprisingly stunned that he did such a wonderful job. Cameron Bright is another stand-out performance playing his character with no remorse. It's very interesting how producers got this child to play a grueling character in such a hardcore film, especially since, Bright's career is in full force now, since I see him more and more in acclaimed projects such as Thank You For Smoking and box-office smash hits like X-Men: Last Stand and UltraViolet. This film will take you for a ride, whether it's a pleasant ride is another story, since this feature is a no-holds bar type of film. I've watched this film with other friends and they have the same reaction I had the first time I viewed the feature which is with total shock. So enjoy with caution...
This review was written about the DVD edition.
I Also Recommend: King of New York.
A reviewerby Anonymous
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November 19, 2007:
This movie is just hand down balls to the wall craziness. Many reviewers compared Wayne kramer's fast paced action thriller to much of Tarantino's work. Anybody who does this is not as informed as they would like to think, since every tarantino movie borrows from about 12 different movies. What Kramer does well here is not pull any punches, just about every character is as sleazy and depraved as anything you have ever seen. From the pimp beating his ho's to the yuppie couple that kidnaps children with a van full of toys and candy to the russian mobster who idolizes john wayne, but still beats his wife and child, this movie has a fantastic devilish atmosphere. Even if the script isn't the strongest at times and a few scenes could have been left out to quicken the pace, this is a great flick that makes you feel good about all the craziness you're witnessing
This review was written about the DVD edition.