Small-fry crook Max (Denny Dale Bess) has just been released from prison after an 18 month stint, and he wants to go the straight and narrow. And fortunately, Ziggy (Don Striano), an old friend and manager of an apartment building, provides him with a place to stay, even if it's little more than a rathole, and Sara (Reyna Kahan) shows definite interest in Max, and they become a couple soon. So everything's looking good, if it wasn't for two issues, one he's still a heroin addict, and going clean isn't as easy as it sounds, and two he owes $20,000 to crime kingpin Lucius (Mark Borkowski) from before his time in the slammer, and even if some time has passed, Lucius hasn't forgotten, and he sends his right hand man Johnny (Ron Rey) to fetch Max. And Lucius makes it clear to Max that he considers to collect, and since Max obviously hasn't got the kind of money needed, not even close, Lucius decides to employ him for a delicate operation ...

A very nice gangster flick that doesn't go for big spectacle but tells a rather intimate story, and as such doesn't only make its fallible main character utterly relatable but also affords secondary characters more of a character arc. And of course a strong cast coupled with a subtle directorial effort that gives the actors enough time to breathe help to give the film come to life and make it a very nice genre entry.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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