Very well put together, but ultimately pointless?

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2006)

This is undoubtedly a very well made film. It has a gritty realism in style, dialogue and acting. The main protagonists are clearly great actors doing a great job. There is also plenty of action - some of it pretty messy (this isn't a film for people who can't stand the sight of blood!). So why the low score? For me the film fails as there is no real character development. As a result, you never really build any empathy with any of the characters. Ultimately, you don't really care who "wins" or "loses" - pretty much all the characters come across as amoral. So you can sit back and admire the technical competence of all involved, though you won't feel involved yourself...