Virgil Bliss

This is a great indie film. All movie buffs should really give it a shot if they have a chance. Be warned though, if you are easily depressed by people that have it worse off than you, then you shouldn't watch it. My parents and I watched this film and they were horrified. This movie should be viewed by realists.

The acting is superb. The camera handling is great. An all around great movie. 9/10

Caught it on Sundance, didn't expect to watch the whole thing but it was pretty good, surprisingly touching. They could have picked better looking actors for the movie but I guess they wanted to "keep it real."

None of the fancy "Hollywood touch-ups" and all that b.s. Throughout the movie you just want to shout out, "Virgil, stop being an idiot!" But reality is, some people can't help it. Accounts for the high rate of recidivism I suppose.

Good job on the part played by Virgil Bliss, don't know his real name. I suppose he's the director and put himself in the starring role or something.

Good job on keepin' it real!

"Virgil Bliss" tells the story of a revolving door criminal who is released from Rikers to the streets of NYC where we watch his best intentions to go straight dissolve before our eyes. Maggio tells a moving and believable story and delivers a message about social ills while working with the obvious limitations of the truly independent film maker...no small accomplishment. Pound for pound, "Virgil Bliss" is more movie than most of the stuff coming from Hollywood studios. Viewers, however, should be advised the subject matter is gritty and not pleasant. Recommended for realists only.

Ultra low budget movie costing just $700, which is solid proof you do not need any serious money to produce a semi important picture. 'Virgil Bliss', comes from the mud rags and tatters of hyper realism, in fact you are probably watching real people, acting out what appears to be genuine situations but that is where all the skill of the director lies. The chief actor has done real time in prison, so the perfect choice as Virgil, a Southerner that on his release from Rikers (who is then placed in a squalid halfway house), finds himself on the streets of an unkind, harsh and unforgiving reality (shades of 'Midnight Cowboy'). With just a crew of three, this is one impressive and memorable film and free in this instant does not mean cheap.

As a fan of gritty, street-life character studies I looked forward to watching this film for quite a while before it hit the Sundance Channel. As I watched the story unfold it became harder and harder to distinguish between the actors and the roles they were portraying. It's obvious that bad things are going to happen but nothing prepared me for what eventually happened in the end. I was left wondering for days afterwards what happened to these people after the cameras stopped rolling. That doesn't happen often in films for me these days.

While it's sad to say that some people can never change it's also obvious after watching Virgil try to change his life for the better that some people have just not got a chance in this world. Sometimes wanting to be good is not always enough.

Throw in an alcoholic, dimebag hooker as a love interest along with other destitute sociopaths such as pimps, goombahs, ex-cons and the like and it's just sometimes too much to bear. Watching Virgil try to heal Ruby's addictive personality with his unconditional love and affection is just downright painful stuff. The only time he can break down her defenses is when she's so wasted that she's an imminent threat to Virgil's new-gained freedom and sobriety. It explained a lot for me why people in bad situations make things worse with drug and alcohol abuse. Sometimes it's the only way to feel human again.

Anyway, there's a lot going on in this film besides Virgil's love interests. A lot of forces are gnawing at him every day, coaxing him to fail. it's really impossible to guess what which one will do him in. Everyone in this film deserves fame and respect for their treatment of their character roles. Great stuff, just make sure you're not feeling lonely before you watch this movies as it's probably going to make you feel a lot worse.