A film steeped in ugliness and Nihilism

Rating: 3/10 (23 April 2007)

A friend recommended this film to me, knowing that I like kung fu movies. However, in hindsight, I really wish he'd kept his recommendation to himself. It was only at his urging I kept watching this film, as this sort of super-violent film does not appeal to me and it seems disturbing that people find this style of movie entertaining. Not only did the film use the f-word 1488203240234503 times, but it was unrelentingly violent and featured no one to care for during the entire picture. The main characters were tough to like--one was a prostitute and the other a seemingly normal guy that all the sudden becomes the next Rambo--killing with about as much regard as the average person would have about popping a zit! Plus, on top of all this, they are completely morally bankrupt as when they stumble upon a HUGE stash of uncut cocaine and their first and only thoughts were to sell it. The only problem is, the coke belongs to the mob and so much of the film is spent dodging the mafia. And in the end, the foul-mouthed mob has a showdown with the foul-mouthed cops as well as some foul-mouthed security guards and the foul-mouthed "heroes"--resulting in perhaps the bloodiest and most violent five minutes in film--and looking much like the recent massacre at Virginia Tech. And to top it all off, the film then is sure to REWARD the antiheroes and kill off all the gangsters and cops--as if there was some sort of moral equivalence here!
Just WHO is the audience for this film? Is it possible this film was made as a tool to determine who LIKES this sort of violent stuff in order to lock them away where they can't hurt anyone?!?! I doubt it--like most of the super-super violent crap from Hollywood, its sole purpose is to "entertain". When I want this much extreme violence, totally unlikable and sick characters, etc., I really worry about my mental health and the health of this country. What is wrong with America that we put up with crap like TRUE ROMANCE?! Are we really all that different from the ancient Romans who were entertained by seeing people torn to pieces before their very eyes?! Apparently not. If you are one of the ones entertained by this film, apart from a few clever moments here and there, what is it that's so entertaining? Seeing people die?!
PS--One aspect of the film I did like was when Christian Slater was apparently having psychotic hallucinations where Elvis came to give him advice. This was a variation on Bogey coming to Woody Allen in PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM. I just wish these Elvis scenes had occurred more often--seeing a mad man getting advice from Elvis to kill people was pretty compelling.