I think the review is fairly spot on. The film is raw, but it's not a story about dwelling in the gutter, it's a story about not knowing any other way and then having to make a change in your life. We all experience the feeling of not belonging at some point. The main characters in the film have gone through life doing what they do best. But their best isn't what it used to be and all the sin of the past has produced bitter fruit.

It longs to be a story of redemption, and perhaps it is. From my point of view, the film is ultimately about personal loss and making a life for ones self that can't last and how that is reacted to.

About 15 minutes into the film, I was already sympathizing with Rourke's character. This is a sad film. I recommend it, unless you are into tidy endings and the gloss that Hollywood puts on "seedy" life styles. This film is not a glamorization of the characters or their flaws. FREDDY