This had the potential to be something. Its the cliché about the white teacher/social worker who saves the troubled inner-city teen/s. There have been enough films made with this theme for it to be its own genre. Having said that, this film captures you. The acting is superb and you watch the film trying to figure out the back story behind angel.
Angels friend is a transsexual or transvestite or something, who seems like a love interest at one point, and then at another point you aren't sure if Angel just hangs out with him because he is also a social outcast.
Angel doesn't seem like a bad kid, but he does bad things. He steals from a social worker who lets him stay in her house, he almost strangles his step mother to death, and yet you still like the kid and root for him. he put a human face on a troubled inner-city kid, it is difficult not to like him.
Having this great setup and these developed characters, and a plot with so much potential, nothing happens. Its like getting in your car on a trip towards a destination and then veering off the road into nowhere, after you are 3/4ths of the way there.
There are millions of unanswered questions in this? Does the social worker find out Angel Stole from her and how does she react, does she still support him, does it change her? Does his step mom call the police after he nearly kills her? Is Angel gay, and afraid to confront his sexuality or is he just hanging out with the only kids who will befriend him, even if they are gay?
I had no problem with the movie ending with him finding a job if the above questions are answered, but it is just bad to have a movie have this many HUGE loose ends.
Finding a job means nothing if the police are gonna lock you up for almost killing your step mother?
I still intensely watched the whole thing, I wanted it to develop but it just didn't.
One other annoying thing about the movie is the shots lasted too long. There was more than one occasion where we watch a scene and NOTHING is happening for like 30 seconds. that is an eternity in film, the director could have used that time to tie up some of the movie's loose ends.
I still give it a 6 because its good enough to make me watch it to the end.
Angels friend is a transsexual or transvestite or something, who seems like a love interest at one point, and then at another point you aren't sure if Angel just hangs out with him because he is also a social outcast.
Angel doesn't seem like a bad kid, but he does bad things. He steals from a social worker who lets him stay in her house, he almost strangles his step mother to death, and yet you still like the kid and root for him. he put a human face on a troubled inner-city kid, it is difficult not to like him.
Having this great setup and these developed characters, and a plot with so much potential, nothing happens. Its like getting in your car on a trip towards a destination and then veering off the road into nowhere, after you are 3/4ths of the way there.
There are millions of unanswered questions in this? Does the social worker find out Angel Stole from her and how does she react, does she still support him, does it change her? Does his step mom call the police after he nearly kills her? Is Angel gay, and afraid to confront his sexuality or is he just hanging out with the only kids who will befriend him, even if they are gay?
I had no problem with the movie ending with him finding a job if the above questions are answered, but it is just bad to have a movie have this many HUGE loose ends.
Finding a job means nothing if the police are gonna lock you up for almost killing your step mother?
I still intensely watched the whole thing, I wanted it to develop but it just didn't.
One other annoying thing about the movie is the shots lasted too long. There was more than one occasion where we watch a scene and NOTHING is happening for like 30 seconds. that is an eternity in film, the director could have used that time to tie up some of the movie's loose ends.
I still give it a 6 because its good enough to make me watch it to the end.