Early on, I forgot I was watching a movie, which is perhaps the most important litmus test for any film.
This work provides a delightful portrait of two lower middle class males, struggling to get by. They hustle in various strange ways, but they aren't criminals.
The central character is simply looking for a little dignity. It's difficult not to root for someone who cannot recite his ABC's in order and is going back to school to learn to write. His petty deceptions and other flaws are overlooked due to his Don Quixotic love for old flame Linda, and his determination to make an honest living, however strange.
The lead performance by Andre Royo (The Wire is spectacular. His character is impossible not to like. The casting director gets real kudos in this movie. Every performer is superb. The writer helps out in this by adding complexity to each character. No one is even near perfect. There also is no cartoonish villain. The screenwriter drives the story along using the foibles contained in the average human being. These characters are common to all of us. They are a lot like us.
One other refreshing thing to note: this is a film with all black people that is not about black people--there's not even a reference. It's about people.
I gave the movie 8 out of 10. It's biggest weakness is a bit of deus ex machina at the end. Otherwise, it took me into another world, different from my own, but at the same time very similar. Worth the time and money.
