Night at the Golden Eagle

NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE (2002) ***1/2 Donnie Montemarano, Vinny Argiro Natasha Lyonne Ann Magnuson, Vinnie Jones, Sam Moore, Fayard Nicholas, Miles Dougal, Badja Djola, James Caan (Cameo) . Character driven piece of pulp fiction with career criminal Montermarano recently released from a stint in the joint and hooking up with his old cronie Argiro whose plans on going straight including his newly returned to society buddy to a jaunt to Las Vegas ends up with some cruel twists of fate on a sweltering night in the titular Los Angeles flophouse. With the feel of a novella come to life the ensemble cast of misfits, losers and degenerates set in this moldy enclave of despair permeates like a rotting carcass thanks largely to filmmaker Adam Rifkin's vision of hell on Earth (kudos to the ace cinematography by Checco Verese for his seamy look at the underbelly of humanity at its worst). Grim, uncompromising and deftly cutting to the bone of contrition.