Kids meets Goodfellas - corrected

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2003)

minor spoilers
Viewed this film at the Angelika last night (only location in NYC at which the film is playing - to my knowledge).
Stunningly good, with the best "twist" ending that I have ever seen. I am surprised to see so many comparisons made to Goodfellas, and yet none made to Kids. To me, this movie is in complete parallel with kids for the fact that it displays in brutal detail a way of life for a particular person during a particular time. I live in nyc and am of the same era as those who starred in kids (in fact I used to see Harold Hunter out at clubs that I frequented once in a while), and so i can certainly vouch for the accurate depiction (allbeit a bit exaggerated) put forth in Kids. I can only assume the same to hold true for this movie, especially based upon what we are shown at its end. stylistically the movie mirrors goodfellas in many ways, though for its documentary-feel, again it gives off the same sort of vibe that kids did when it was released in 1995.
overall, a movie recommended to all who can bare to watch brutality in its harshest form. Holds its own against Goodfellas, though not quite the same calibur of The Godfather in my opinion.
9 of 10. Unforgettable and will have you thinking about the characters and circumstances for days.