Uncomfortable truths of social relations in the "City of Angels"

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2011)

This movie commendably portrays the reality of social relations in one of the biggest and most important cities of the world: Los Angeles. Interwoven into this tale are the stories of several inter-related characters who are all portrayed to live quite separate lives,but still somehow come across each other in the course of their daily lives.
To start with, this movie quite effectively portrays the vile manifestations of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in the months following the 9/11 attacks, where a Persian store-owner suffers a break- in and then breaks down mentally.
Cops are portrayed nonchalantly as racist and potential racist enforcers. Particularly interesting is the case of the young Officer Hansen played by Ryan Phillippe who initially is prone to non-racist attitude, but is instructed by his senior one time partner, played superbly by Matt Dillon, regarding the "realities" of being a cop. Hansen eventually succumbs to racist prejudice.
The film also includes a few people of the non-upper classes: two black youths who are led into crime and portrays a kind of catharsis for one of them when he is forced to go against his "principles" in a car holdup. Then there is the touching portrayal of a South American immigrant and his family. There is also the reality of human trafficking which is quite explicitly shown.
All in all, this is a movie which brings out many uncomfortable truths, in the midst of which the real sufferings of humanity in the midst of the so-called "City of Angels" stands out.