Review of Life Is Hot in Cracktown (2009) by Zarinah H — 28 Aug 2009

The 4* here is for the above average quality of direction, acting and cinematography. I got this movie as part of the Vine program, but honestly, this was way too brutal for my tastes, and I probably would not have watched it otherwise. The movie takes the format of multiple story arcs of those living on the fringes of society, many of whom would be considered as bottom-feeders. There's Marybeth who is a trans-sexual [played quite convincingly by Kerry Washington] who lives with her drug-addicted partner Benny. There's the pair of siblings who are at the mercy of crack-addicted parents and living on welfare [outstanding performance by Ridge Canipe as the young boy],there's the security guard who is a nice enough family man, but who is also chafing against his intolerable life, struggling against financial woes, all the while veering towards the edge. And of course, we have the baddies as embodied by the local gang of hooligans, led by Romeo [amazing performance by Evan Ross].

This is not a movie for the faint of heart or the overly sensitive - it is brutal, gripping, and compelling despite its gritty subject matter. I could not help but flinch throughout this movie - there are so many scenes of violence and brutality [involving scenes of abuse, children being beaten, young girls getting assaulted, etc], that I am amazed I made it to the end of the movie. This is a a very 'real' movie, in a sense that it portrays the dark and hopeless life led by many in such situations- a life that has little to no chance of redemption, where hope of being saved from one's self and malevolent outside elements is but a dream, unattainable and out of reach. Only recommended for those who can stomach the dark subject-matter.