One of the most overrated films of all time?

Rating: 6/10 (24 February 2008)

I give this film high marks for its editing and ability to hold true to its gut-wrenching focus from beginning to end. It's hard film to watch...but it also lacks much of a reason to.
The story, if you want to call it that, starts and finishes at the same point. There is no beginning, middle or end...it's just a sequence (though a terrifying one at that).
For a film to take itself as seriously as this one does, a viewer should...no wait, NEEDS to care about the characters. For me, at no point did I feel much sympathy or care about any of them, with the exception of maybe the mother.
Despite my frustrations with the script, it is well acted. It's gritty and certainly conveys the despair and dark underworld of addiction. But again, without any sort of arc, I never felt sucked into it and was really expecting some sort of payoff, which never occurred.
The editing is certainly unique and worth showing to film students. I've never seen a film like it from that standpoint.
If you can ignore the writing and just "go along for the ride", then its worth a watch. Personally, I was hoping for more.