Bumble works for loan shark and bookie Bottle. His father died with gambling depths and he sees his neighbours all suffering at the hands of the cruel and demanding Bottle. Can he stand up to the burden he has to carry or will it defeat him? The film asks a simple question and builds engagingly to a rather overblown but striking conclusion. The characters are not detailed enough to really satisfy but it is not really a film that is overly concerned with this side of things. Instead the imagery and moral conflict is all and I suppose it does that well enough to work. The religious stuff is all there although it feels a bit overblown with the whole crucifixion and carpentry thing going on, but at least it is interesting. The performances are good but it is the material that needed to be stronger to provide more depth to the images and action as it is it almost feels like a hollow attempt to shock (almost). Interesting enough but needed more to it to really have a lasting impact on me.
