This movie is undeniably, extraordinarily... stupid

Rating: 2/10 (18 January 2010)

This is one of those films that everybody talks about as being so disturbing and shocking... well I finally saw it and I think it's neither.
First of all, it's utterly predictable. It's a movie about a bunch of drug addicts (one character is not knowingly a drug addict, but I'll get to that later). How do you think it's going to end up?! Either they sober up or go through a downward spiral, and the director chose the latter for all the characters to make you just think that "Drugs are bad, mmmkay?"
Second of all, it's not realistic at all. So many places to start. I'll just break it down. 1) The 2 guys, on a drug-induced whim, make the decision to become dealers. And somehow these 2 (I repeat, 2) people rise up the complicated ladder of heroin trafficking, making tons of money in the process, making it look like a cakewalk, without the director showing any insight into what exactly they're doing other than a few 2-second clips of them standing on a street corner. That's just lazyness on the director's part in my opinion. To anyone who knows even the slightest about dealing drugs (not saying that I do), "making it big" is not an easy feat that 2 junkies can just start up.
2) The older lady on diet pills. Presumably these contained methamphetamines. It does not make sense that she's just permanently "crazy" from taking them. Sure, you get methamphetamine toxicity from overdose, causing hallucinations and psychosis, but this would have been corrected in the hospital after withdrawing the meth and giving Haldol. She was not on them nearly long enough to suffer any "permanent effects", the existence of which are even questionable. Regardless, Etc (Electroconvulsive therapy) would NOT be used for this. And even if they did use it, the patient would sedated, not wide awake. The director just threw this in for shock value.
3) The guy being sent to jail for his arm infection. This is illegal. A physician cannot deny someone medical care just because they suspect a criminal act. Even a serial killer who goes on a rampage and then tries to kill himself but fails will go to a hospital for treatment (with security present) prior to going to jail. And even if they do suspect a criminal act, it's a violation of HIPAA for the physician to just "tell the police" unless the patient is an actual threat to himself or others. There is tons of medical literature about IV drug users... they are a unique and special patient population that have their own needs. I gotta say the director really makes doctors look like a-holes. And the sad thing is, some poor junkie out there probably saw this movie and thought "There's no way I'm going to the hospital if my arm looks likes that!"
4) Pupils constrict with heroin, they don't dilate like the film shows.
As for the "shock value", what exactly is so disturbing and shocking about this movie? The orgy/sex scene? First of all, you can find more shocking things on the internet. Second of all, I don't feel bad for Jeniffer Connely's character because despite how addicted to drugs she was, she still willingly CHOSE to go the dudes house and later the party. She know what she was getting into, and had other options.
That's it, I'm done. I have to say, I really enjoyed the cinematography in this movie and that actually makes it worth watching. The acting is great as well. But the plot/storyline is unrealistic making the whole thing suck.