Leben und Sterben in God's Pocket

John Slattery's feature film debut is a competent if small-scale effort. Faithfully adapted from the 1983 novel of the same name, it is an enjoyable snapshot into a dark lower Philadelphia Neighbourhood.

What is obvious is the affection for the source material. The film differs little from Pete Dexter's book, and is better for it. The sometimes lethargic pace is livened by some genuine surprises, and there is always that all important sense of atmosphere.

If there was ever an actor who knew not how to overact, it was Philip Seymour Hoffman. In his penultimate appearance, he and Christina Hendricks both deliver an underplayed performance as the central couple, allowing the rest of the ensemble the more colourful scenes.

It is not without it's faults. The story is told over a period of three days, and it is perhaps for that reason that it sometimes feels episodic. The whole film plays like one of Slattery's self- directed episodes of Mad Men. The ending does not escape the clichés typical of its genre. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining watch, a promising debut, and another sad reminder of why Philip Seymour Hoffman will be missed.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's stepson's dead body is used, not in the best possible taste, as a comic prop, and Eddy Marsan does a funny turn as the undertaker who won't extend Mickey any credit. Turturro's wife runs a flower-shop and proves to be handy with a hand-gun. The comedy is mixed with rough sex scenes and more than one savage beating. As in Nicolas Cage's JOE, GOD'S POCKET delivers visceral violence in a beautifully shot movie with fine performances from its ensemble cast.

Despite the moments of comedy and the pleasingly upbeat coda, the overwhelming mood is grimness and grunge. But this is how people live in today's city slums (1980s Phildelphia looks pretty much the same in 2014), scratching a living, fighting off creditors, killing each other.

"Until recently you only had to die once in this city, even if you came from God's Pocket." Mickey Scarpato (Hoffman) is the step-father to a kid that no one in the city really likes. The son gets killed at work one day but no one will tell the truth about what happened. This doesn't bother Mickey and he is ready to bury him right away but his wife and the boys mother demands the truth. Mickey does what he can to find out what happened but between finding out the truth, trying to make his wife happy and finding a way to pay for the funeral things begin to pile on top of him. When his wife turns to news reporter Richard Shellburn (Jenkins) for additional help things really begin to spiral out of control. This is a tough movie to review. I did think the movie was good and tense but did move very slow and was hard to stay focused on. The acting was great and this was very realistic but again though the pacing made it hard to stay engrossed in. Hoffman did a great job of playing someone who seemed lost and under an immense amount of stress and Jenkins was great as a sleazy reporter. The number one reason to watch this is for the acting. The movie itself, again, is pretty good but it is one you have to be in the mood for otherwise it will be a struggle to make it through. Overall, a movie that is worth seeing if you are in the mind set for it. It's too bad that Hoffman died because he is great in roles like this. I give it a B-.

Like a Bukowski poem set to music and sung by Tom Waits, a rancid, deep dark comedy of errors in an urban hell. An amazing ensemble of great actors. Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Eddie Marsan and many more of some of the finest drunks and lowlifes you'll see on film. Christina Hendricks, unfortunately, is out of place and out-skilled. The script walks with a limp and probably has a disease.

This film tells the story of a man whose son is killed in an workplace accident. His wife insists on finding out the truth, and things descend into a downward spiral.

"God's Pocket" is a very sad film, as many tragic events happen in a deprived neighborhood. Characters are developed very well, making the film engaging. In the short time that the son appears in the film, he appears so obnoxious that viewers have little sympathy for him. The mother is stricken with grief, and makes poor decisions. It's a real fun about real people. Given it's one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film, it deserves more attention.