Detroit

It's depiction of a city in crisis is right on target. The economic meltdown of Detroit is fair warning of what will (and to some extent has) come to pass nationally. Post-World War II Europe (especially Italy) provided the inspiration for the Neo-Realist movement in film. Current American industrial/urban decay gives rise to modern neo-realism embodied in this striking motion picture.

Director Brian Lawrence, Cinematographer Lon Stratton and composers Dan Lawton and Gary Haverkate have created a strangely beautiful portrait of desperation.

What's most surprising with this movie, and maybe that has to do with the fresh, ensemble cast, is how fun it is to watch these people struggle just to survive. Highly recommended.

This film is exploitive and really raunchy at times. Many of the story lines don't make sense and the characters act in unbelievable ways. It really is bad storytelling at a low budget - the worst of both worlds. I suppose a couple of moments work in the film, but I am guessing that is by accident when compared to so much else that didn't work.

On a good note, the cinematography was decent. The city looks awful which, I guess, is what the makers were going for with this film. Yes, Detroit is a tough town with its share of problems, but do we need a Detroit cast to get together to make the city look even worse? (thanks guys).

The exploitive scenes of drug use, rape, and prostitution don't help much. Just more nudity and sexual situations added in for kicks - which will only appeal to those with the most puerile of interests.

I could give a litany of problems with this film, but heed my warning and stay away.

I thought the story was good, but the thing that was great was seeing inside the train-station and other buildings that either aren't there anymore or won't be for long. Insightful look at the city, been there a few times certainly a rough place. Some of the acting was good, some of the acting was so-so but the camera quality looked great. I didn't know what to expect at first, so it turned out to be a pretty good rental. I like movies like this so I may be a little bias but it's worth checking out if you are into crime dramas. Also, the script was good but would have been even better with some big name actors, though like I said some did a very good job.

Very happily surprised by this independent... found it at blockbuster and decided to check it out when i found out the setting was Detroit. I didn't know what to expect at first, but after an exciting beginning I was hooked in to the rest. Good moments and excellent camera work, especially for a low-budget film like this. The 35mm film made some of the shots look really good, and the locations were cool. Overall pretty good. I would have liked to see some of the actors have longer roles, there were so many stories that some didn't seem to go as far as I would have liked. I would be interested in watching the next film by this director, and with some more talent and a higher budget I would expect to see a more impressive follow up.

A major American city has rarely appeared as seedy and decrepit as in "Corrupted Minds." Known pre-release as "Panic in Detroit," the movie follows the story of four groups who travel over the Ambassador Bridge from Canada into Detroit. The intertwined stories explore themes of pride, violence, power, passion, drug abuse, lust, misplaced trust, racial and sexual politics, and desperation to survive. In this dark world honesty and true friendship are rare, while deception and raw self-interest are commonplace, and everyone is at risk of betrayal or victimization.

Realistic, emotionally compelling performances by just about every actor and actress involved add enormously to the power of this absorbing drama. Many of the strongest scenes are between Tris (actress Aida Muñoz), a strikingly exotic Hispanic beauty who works as a prostitute but dreams of a better life, and Nick (actor Elton Litzner), her former boyfriend and pimp who, despite his other women, cannot tolerate Tris escaping his domination. Meanwhile, Jack (actor Mark Brock), a sleazy pimp who likes to put on an air of respectability, seeks to woo Tris, while at the same time cheating and exploiting her.

Actor Dale Reynolds puts in a sensitive performance as Sonny Montgomery, a well-known former college sports hero tricked into assisting a criminal, politically motivated plot. On the run from police and the conspirators, including The Reverend (actor Scott Wyckoff) and his henchman Ahmad (actor Walter Harris), his fight to survive seems doomed, while Manuel (actor Derek Denham) the friend that he trusts, ponders his orders to kill Sonny to keep him from talking.

Other story lines center on a film crew from Canada making a documentary, encouraging the locals to say bad things about Detroit, and two white suburban young ladies (actresses Candace Posluszny as Staci and Deirdre Tracey as Margaret) who are unsure whom to trust when their car breaks down in a run-down area of Detroit near the bridge.

Because of nudity, sex scenes and adult themes, the film is inappropriate for children. Despite the degrading nature of some of the sexual relationships, unlike just about every other movie the nudity and sex themselves are never sensationalized or idealized, but instead are portrayed truly and honestly.

Although the film was shot on a limited budget, great attention is paid to the cinematography, which is beautiful, and the sound, which is always right. The musical soundtrack is interesting and appropriate, and normally unobtrusive. There are also some good special effects, though not extensive. The plot is about relationships and human motivations, not explosions. Yet, it is also about the City, a character whose presence is always felt.

By the end of the film there are many losers, but a few winners as well. The biggest winner is the audience.

Producer, director, and screenwriter Brian Lawrence (not related to reviewer) has labored for years to bring forth a well-crafted product that entertains as it asks disturbing questions about contemporary American life.

James S. Lawrence, ynot@earthlink.net