This is an emotionally riveting story of what's morally responsible in human relations. It hits a perfect high C in revealing the complexities of sincerely trying to help others in big trouble while also trying parochially to help yourself avoid a similarly disabling fate. It's not a pretty picture, but it's given absorbing and entertaining weight by the superb cast and its penetrating acting, the crafty direction, and the piercing dialogue. There are no vacant moments. The contradictions become ever more obvious as the plot thickens. The ironies pile up. The behaviors turn menacing. Fear takes over. Reality sets in. We witness the fragility of the human condition in its myriad manifestations, both for the sadly put-upon and the gladly privileged alike. Any moment, our world could collapse. Any moment, we could be exposed to an ultimate humiliation -- the death of our friendships, family, freedom, dignity, loves, our very lives -- because of the commonplace decisions we often make that turn out to be morally and ethically damaging for all concerned. This movie resides in a loose framework of law and order, but its meaning, purpose, and palpable presentation emanate from the powerfully passionate portrayal of the veteran writer/director and actors who turn what could easily have been concocted as a preachy sob story into a taut and menacing portrait of the human condition and our role, individually and collectively, in making it better or worse. Obviously, I like this film, including the fact it resonated with me because I've had my brief moments in "the system" and know firsthand the hurt and pain it produces, both when it must and also when it mustn't. But, again, this story is about the human condition that gets magnified several decibels because of the punishing context. Once you see it, you can't avoid the question its title asks. Spread the word.
