R (1:28)
Limited release 5/9/2014
Saw it at The Loft on Friday, 5/16/2014
RT Critic: 32% Audience: 35%
Directed by John Slattery
IFC Films
Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins
My comments: I kept wondering where this was going, since they showed the near-ending at the beginning and then told the story leading up to it. Was it supposed to be a dark comedy? There were a few tongue-in-cheek places that made me laugh, but not enough comedy to count it as a COMEDY. Yes, there was a feel for this neighborhood (a real one? in Philly?), but it was bleak, dark, depressing and filled with alcoholism. I did think the ending was particularly good, however.
Rotten Tomatoes says: In the gritty, blue-collar neighborhood of God's Pocket, Mickey Scarpato's crazy stepson, Leon, is killed in a construction "accident," and Mickey quickly tries to bury the bad news with the body. But when a local columnist comes sniffing around for the truth, things go from bad to worse. Mickey finds himself stuck in a life-and-death struggle compounded by a body he can't bury, a wife he can't please, and a debt he can't pay. Acclaimed actor John Slattery makes an impressive jump behind the camera with an assured directorial debut that shows he has a razor-sharp eye for conveying the absurdity, cruelty, desperation, and tragic optimism of the people he portrays. Like life, his scenes seamlessly fuse humor and heartbreak, but it's Slattery's wit and confident style that make the portrait so authentic. Featuring a top-shelf cast and impeccable cinematography, God's Pocket oozes with talent and marks the emergence of an inspired directorial presence.
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