The movie, directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Paul Bettany, is made with sympathy and compassion.
Its intentions are noble.
Its gaze is harshly realistic.
But its also overly melodramatic.
Bettany has the makings of better director than screenwriter.
As the film goes on, her circumstances begin to come into focus.
Together, these two doomed, forgotten people form a bond (first platonic, then romantic).
In the margins, there is strength in numbers.
They are each others shelter.
But their friendship is too metaphorically loaded to be entirely believable.
The film doesnt ask for your heartit holds it hostage at gunpoint.
But each of them has their own individual tale of woe.
The problem with Bettanys overwrought script is that hes saddled his pair of down-and-out protagonists withallof this populations misfortunes.
In the end, its too heavy a burden for two isolated soulsor even two dozento bear.C
