Les rues du vice

Ever since I've saw the independent thriller film "Family" released way back in 2006, I've started to take an interest in Renee Humphrey's films. She's a talented actress, but in her earliest appearances in film, you can see how she's really grown throughout the years; here, she plays a young girl searching for her sister in a seedy part of Los Angeles. Let me tell you, out of all the films I've seen throughout the years, none have captured the grime, destitute, sleazy streets of Los Angeles so perfectly and you really get a sense of danger and uneasiness as the film goes along.

And speaking of the film, it's an enjoyable thriller, though nothing too special despite raving on the performances from the main cast. C Thomas Howell does an admirable job as a no-nonsense cop who gets tangled with the young girl and the journey is filled with twists and turns with all kinds of shady characters in seedy locales. Some questionable gaps in logic aside, it's their relationship with each other that really gets you hooked in, even if at times it becomes a bit formulaic. The final showdown between the cop and the high profile pimp is gripping, if not underwhelming, but for this nice little thriller, you can't go wrong. Worth a watch on a rainy day or to just past the time.

I must say a bad and clichéd film like this, manages to be very entertaining for a few reasons. 1- being cleavage, 2- being unintentionally funny- 3- C Thomas Howell who's descended into these B films, through no fault of his own. It's like he has to grin and take it. Not really caring about this film, through his on par performance, he plays cool super loner cop/once a street beggar for all of us to see. Streetwise as this films better known in Oz, doesn't have a bad story to it. A working girl has become a fugitive, after one of her tricks at a seedy motel, gets it in a sensitive region of his anatomy, a shock value scene in the investigation. She was seen leaving prior to the shooting, as she was tipped off by a slug of a character, dressed Hawaiian style, who likes to dog for the police. He mirrors sleazeball characters out of other vice films. Her younger sister, well played by Humphrey, acts tough on the outside, but who's scared on the inside, has just arrived at L.A, of course not knowing her beauty, is a pimp magnet. Her and Howell soon collide (yes they pash A little later) try to track her down (visions of Angel 3, I know) which has Howell visiting old haunts, a big player pimp, who uses his girls in sex tapes. This movie's an all so addictive watch. It's a prime example of how bad can be good. If a Howell fan, this demands your strict attention.

This is one of those movies that really, honestly, and genuinely attempts to make a statement about something that, at least the writer, thought was important and needed to be said. Because of that, when you watch it, you do get the feeling that there was an honest to god attempt at something bigger. There was real emotion and heartfelt sincerity behind it.

So I'm giving it 10 out of 10 for effort. They wanted to say something about the horrors of life on the streets and on the street corners and they gave it their best shot. There is no way I can nay say that and feel comfortable. There was an attempt here, and you can tell.

But it suffers from low production values, and some of the actors saw it as a job, a paycheck, instead of something that could further their career, and the direction was... just god awful.

So, what you have here is a straight to video film with a script that honestly tries, and a director and producers that didn't cared less than the screen writers.

This film is about a 17 year old named Kyle Bradley,(Renee Humphrey) who goes to the big city to find her half sister Merci who is a singer and she has the police after her for getting involved in a murder.

Kyle being a very young girl runs into all kinds of creeps who want to rape her and turn her in on the sex slave market. However, Kyle meets up with Sergeant Lee Teffler, (C Thomas Howell) who befriends her and gives her a place to live at his own pad.

Sgt. Lee finds out he is also looking for Merci and the plot thickens and Lee gets himself involved with a bunch of hoods who are cold blooded and love to kill and torture.

Sgt. Lee begins to fall in love with 17 year old Kyle and her age stops him from wanting to make love to her which causes many problems between the two of them. Entertaining film. Enjoy.

I have seen Jailbait more times than I can even remember. I am not exaggerating when I say that it has the greatest love story I have seen on film, and I never get tired of watching it. I can really sense the chemistry between Howell's character and Humphrey's character (as well as between Howell and Humphrey themselves) and I am more convinced every time I watch it that Howell's detective truly cares for Humphrey's runaway. It is a very inspiring film; it almost makes you want to do the same thing for some underprivileged youth, and makes you a little jealous if you have never had someone in your life that you can look after in such a noble way.