An exciting and fascinating movie - one that rewards repeated viewings. "LOW" is a dark New York crime film that throbs almost audibly with the promise of violence, yet the director's black humour is so finely woven into this tense psychological drama that you find yourself laughing at its most horrifying moments. It's got a 70's kind of feel to it, but it's not all "in-jokey" like a Tarantino movie. The lead actor's portrayal of a boxing club janitor who can barely suppress his love for a failed prize-fighter brings to mind Ratso Rizzo, as well as the killer Robert Blake played in "IN COLD BLOOD". I also thought the prizefighter's shy and awkward come-on towards the underage girl he went to prison for "spoiling" reminds me of Brando courting Eva Marie Saint in "ON THE WATERFRONT". I've seen this actor (John Ventimiglia) on The Sopranos he's even better here because he has more to work with. The other characters are also drawn with originality and quirkiness, yet never veer off the path of total believability. Their blindness and confusion is so real you want to take them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them. I saw this film a few years ago in New York and then again last year in Berlin. Both times the audiences seemed to love it. The director gave a talk afterwards and the biggest question was "how did a young woman make such a violent and dark film about men?" I don't know how, but she got it right. I find it almost criminal that this film never got a UK release and would kill to find a video copy.
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