It’s a shame we don’t get movies like this as often as we used to, because when they’re executed right they’re usually among the best films of the year (_La Haine, This Is England, American History X, Cidade de Deus, Boyz ‘N The Hood_; to name a few). This movie grabbed me right from the opening scenes because of the excellent directing, outstanding performances and interesting stylistic choices, and it never really lost me until the final moments. There are some story similarities to _La Haine_, but it does manage to carve out a lane for itself. The cinematography, editing and music are truly superb. The characters are, as you’d expect, complex and occasionally really hard to like, which is sometimes to a fault. I also wanted a little more depth from the story, it doesn’t comment on its themes in a way I found particularly thought provoking. Rather than diving into its plethora of themes, it sometimes prefers to spin its wheels and make the same point over and over again. It works better as an emotional character piece than a social study, that’s for sure. That’s a valid choice, of course, but I can’t deny that I’ve seen this done better with more ambitious writing.

7/10