You Got Nothin'

I believe this movie has a high potential for finding an audience that will identify with the main character who "can't get out of his own way". The action and interaction between the characters is fresh and funny, and brings me back to an earlier time in my culture when kids with good hearts ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They inspire us to help one another find direction in life and remind us of the need for a good friend or a helping hand. The characters in this movie are extremely likable, and I came to care about them very much. I wanted them to succeed because I was able to identify with their innate goodness despite extraordinary circumstances they got themselves into. The dialogue was cute and funny and kept my interest, as did the twisting plot. I kept waiting for a "bomb to drop" on one of them and hoped things would "work out". They almost did in the end, but at the final moment, the twist was also very true to life and well done. I highly recommend this light-hearted "first effort" because I believe it will go far. I can't wait for the actor's next movie and I hope the public will give this film a chance to shine - as I know it will.

Philip Angelotti and Steven Langa bring likable characters and beautifully executed comedy segments to their first rate debut effort. One memorable scene supports this comment nicely. Philip plays Joey, a not-so-bright debt collector for the mob. Joey is given an unpleasant assignment from his mob boss played by Joseph Cortese. The scene opens with a couple grieving over a deceased relative. The couple is in no hurry to pay their respects and move on. The camera catches the couple in the foreground of the frame and the viewing audience focuses on their performance. Seconds later, Joey's head pops up in the background of the frame as he waits impatiently to carry out his assignment. The timing is perfect and the subtle comedic element works very well.

The screenplay is better than many films that Hollywood cranks out. The story has sub plots that remain interesting and important throughout the entire run. They produced this film in digital high definition format. The DVD copy that I viewed was clear and the colors were bright and natural. It didn't appear that the lighting and cinematography were a challenge although there was no need to create stunning visuals to tell this story. Most of the scenes had a gritty urban setting.

I thought Brian McNamara was too handsome to be the bad guy in this film. His performance was good but I could not lose that pretty boy image when his character reached his lowest point in the third act. Rachel Langa stole this one. I believe she was only twelve when she played this role. This was her acting debut and she nailed it. Her father, Steven Langa, should be very proud.

I recommend this film highly. I viewed this film at the 2004 California Independent Film Festival in the beautiful Livermore wine country. Bravo to Philip, Steven, the entire cast and crew and all the staff at the festival.

I don't see this movie getting wide distribution, not because there are no big names attached but because it's just not interesting enough, uses too many recycled elements, from characters to cinematography to plot points. The acting is competent, the technical side is fine, but these can't make up for the script, which really does need some doctoring, and a fresh set of eyes, sorry guys. I think the filmmakers have become too close to the work to see its problems. I do respect the time and effort put into this movie, though.

This movie better get a big distrubution deal! Very entertaining for all audiences! Absolutely keep a look out for this actor/writer/director guy. The cast and crew did an a fantastic job. I saw it at Cinequest and I thought it was the best film I saw there! I hope more people see it! I would gush but I don't want to give anything away--go see this film if you have a chance!

Just saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival where it picked up the Best Director and Screenwriter Awards. While not my personal favorite of the entire festival, this was certainly the most likable film I saw at it. If this gets distribution, it could become a classic independent hit for sure, I think. Literally everyone I saw the film with loved it. All ages groups and races and everything. Just wonderfully acted and edited and scripted and the whole she-bang. Never dragged, never fell flat, all the humor worked effectively. Those who have never attended a film festival don't know how much of a relief it is when something like this film happens. Magnum energy all around. Just wish they could iron out the music rights so it could have a shot at distribution and the larger audience it deserves. A pure delight, if you don't mind superficial, far-fetched Gangster films...and many don't.