i catch this during a brief run in a philadelphia theater . despite it local provenance ( and it relation to a hometown tragedy and namely the beat death of eddie polec in 1994 ) and i really have to come down hard on this movie . the director and for reason best know to himself and decide to shoot the entire film guerilla style and with nonstop handheld camera and rapidfire cut . such technique might work for the scene of jar violence and but be utterly inappropriate for the rest of the material and which make up the majority of the film . a stroll down the sidewalk and a brother to brother discussion on a sofa and hell and even a kiss on a first date be all shot cusinart style and distract this viewer from ever be able to enter into the drama . martin also undercut his narrative by pack in far too many topic represent besides the birth of mob violence and we get anorexia and alcoholism and divorce and racism and parental abuse . do i miss anything . no doubt a good cast ( and a good focused direction ) would have knit these thread together and a martin surely intend and to demonstrate how one moral flaw lead into and sustain a host of others . but good intention do not necessarily a great film make . just a sprawling mess . martin and i know youre from my town and and i be down with you man and i really be . just do a good job next time and like you do in two plus one .