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The performances of Theron Depp, and Morton are fine, and they deserve top credit for their valiant work in this mish-mash. Ravich seems to be the one most responsible, writing and directing. What ever did he think he was doing? The IMDb page on goofs says a lot, commenting on such carelessness as the trip to Washington Square that starts at night and ends in broad daylight. Who was in charge here anyway? The pace of this would-be sci-fi thriller is so s-l-o-w. And finally, what about all those strange sets, particularly the huge and dark apartment where the astronaut and his wife live. astronaut A Manhattan apartment that large costs a lot, more than this ex-astronaut could afford. And then there were all those long corridors looking more significant than they were. Just like the movie itself!

Somewhat disjointed in continuity, Like It Is nevertheless did hold my interest. Steve Bell, who plays the young boxer Craig, is effective as the bare-knuckle fighter trying to make his way in the world with his bare fists. At the same time he is troubled by the nature of his sexuality as gay impulses begin stirring when he meets Matt, played by Ian Rose. Their first attempt at a physical relationship is a disaster, but later on they consummate their love in a scene that must have been challenging for the two young actors. The film was obviously shot on low budget but the DVD has a couple of "extras," a sign for me that the producers are aiming to capture a larger audience. Unfortunately a big obstacle is the lack of captions. Much of the film was shot in Blackpool in northern England where the regional dialect is difficult for Americans to understand. It is a "foreign language," and the viewers need a break with some interpretation.

Removing the periods from the title gives the word "lie," maybe too obvious a metaphor for this film about kids growing up in well-heeled suburbia. Behind the outer trapping of beautiful homes set amid spacious green lawns there is lots of trouble for the people living there. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano), grieving over the death of his mother, lives with his father who is preoccupied with new women in his life. He is a hard-fisted operator of a construction business looking only for money and cutting corners on building contracts. Howie and his best friend, Gary (Billy Kay), are somewhat involved with a local teenage gang who break into homes and steal just for the excitement of it. Eventually Howie is befriended by an older man, Big John (Brian Cox) an ex-Marine and a pederast,who at first sees troubled Howie as a desirable target for his affections but later develops real bonds of sympathy for the boy as his troubles at home and school become more and more overwhelming. The performances of Dano and Cox are fine and make L.I.E. a compelling film to watch. (Note to the makeup supervisor: why did the black eye Howie got from his father move from left to right in various scenes?) H