Splinter

Though not completely awful, this film disappoints. Though independent directors bemoan the studio system and how it stifles creativity, there is at least one thing that the studios have done fairly consistently: they've been able to remind directors that good acting is highly desirable. Too many indie directors take a concept and some creative ideas and then simply relegate the acting to the lowest priority possible. That's one of the problems with "Splinter"...budget-level acting. I don't consider Sizemore to be an outstanding actor, but he truly embarrasses virtually every other actor in this film, especially Atis, who simply appears amateurish and uncertain in every scene.

So, sorry...can't recommend this one at all. Crummy acting condemns a movie, regardless of the concept, story, and other production values.

Splinter tells the story of Paradise Gardens and Greenville rival gangs in the setting of a rough part of Los Angeles. A cheating girlfriend ignites violence between the two gangs. There was a heavy emphasis on the cheating girlfriend. One could easily expect to see passion burn up the screen. Instead the sexy love scenes in this film could be described as an after school special romance. It did not fit with the overall gangster style that is down and dirty.

Veteran actor Tom Sizemore as corrupt Detective Cunningham lit up every scene he was in. Great to see the man back in films instead of the now canceled reality TV show "Shooting Sizemore". He gave a strong performance in this one. The kind of shady Detective that is more gangster than cop. Another stand out performance was Enrique Almeida who played Dreamer. Keep an eye out for this actor.

The main reason I did not give this one a higher score was because the worst lines I've experienced in a film happened. The corrupt cop played by Tom Sizemore forces the viewer to listen to a long and painfully bad speech about how gang war is like Chinese food take out. Using Orange Chicken, Beef Broccoli, and rice to make his point. It was awful. The rest of the writing in the film was good and then this scene happens. I was watching the film with a group of friends and it was agreed that might have been one of the worst scenes we've ever watched. Splinter it a hit and miss. It has an interesting plot that might keep most viewers tuned in.

I give this one four stars, solely because of Tom Sizemore who, for me, was the only interesting thing in this whole film. Though getting top billing, he isn't in this one nearly enough to rate it any higher. Why he wasn't given more screen time is beyond me. In fact, Resmine Atis seems to get as much, or more, screen time and, in my opinion, is as wooden an actress as I have seen on film. I kept waiting for some kind of real emotion to come out of her character, but it just wasn't to be.

I guess, perhaps, I am the wrong demographic for this kind of film, as I found the story and most of it's characters extremely dull and unimaginative. I found myself counting how many times they called each other "dog" just to keep myself amused. And, no, I can't give you the actual final count...you'll have to watch and count for yourselves....

Lost among millions of Hollywood flicks and translations of life in the barrio, urban thriller fiction and urban friction have never been translated and amalgamated into a digestible and acceptable product until the conception of Splinter. In the footsteps of its successful filmic predecessors "Ghost World," "History of Violence," or possibly "The Walking Dead," one might consider this to be another wonderful comic book/graphic novel come to life. However, not quite manufactured into an actual tangible book like its famed literal leaders, Dark Horse Films (Sin City, HellBoy) along with director Michael Olmos give life to an inner-city story that follows the conventions of traditional story telling in movies, but flesh out the skeletal in such a purposeful and personal way as to entrap us in the confusion that binds all of its characters. Entwined in a lysergic and cathartic weave, everyone, actors and audience members alike, will find themselves trying to escape from the volatile streets of Paradise Gardens and Greenville Heights acid-mimetic tirade. Supported by such talents as Sizemore, Olmos, Almeida, Gugliemi, Atis, Rivera, and Cypress Hill, you'll want to bring the homies Dusty, Trigger, and Happy along for the "trip." You betta axe somebody!...

I rarely comment on here about films I have seen, although I do tend to give them a vote.

This one made me make a comment, its an unusual film, I won't go into specifics, but when you watch it you will see what I mean. Its not the usual Hollywood blockbuster, and that's what makes it great.

Watch it and it will no doubt make you question a few things in your own life. Any film that makes you do that, is certain to be a great film.

Its a great shame I didn't watch this earlier!

Just watch it.....