Tragedy (spoiler)

Rating: 9/10 (6 February 2007)

What a cynical film. I don't believe (maybe I don't want to believe) the police are this corrupt. I don't believe that if you try to arrest the bad guy you get shot. Nor do I believe the only effective way to take down the corrupt is vigilante justice. I was becoming depressed and cynical about us (America) about half way through the movie. By the end, I was more disillusioned. The only way to take down the bad guy was to shoot him?! There was no hope to arrest and prosecute him? The guy who grows up on the wrong side of the tracks and tries to live the American dream (pick yourself up by the bootstraps) gets screwed throughout the movie by everyone who should be protecting him. He is thrust into a world where he's killing people (and it bothers him), he becomes increasingly addicted to prescription meds, the girl screws him over, and he get's unceremoniously shot for being the good guy. The guy who comes out of relative wealth and privilege gets the beautiful condo, the girl, the baby, and gets all this because he's corrupt. I'm no idealist about the "american dream," but this was just tragedy.