A Gangland Love Story

"A Gangland Love Story" is somewhat of a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet. I liked the film but this is the best way to describe it. Here we have a young, beautiful girl who falls in love with a man who is a part of an empire her brother despises. Of course she can't live without him. She has to have him and knowing she shouldn't have him makes him even more desirable. Reagan Gomez offers an excellent performance. I've always been a fan of her work and I am especially happy to see her back at work again. Her brother, Paul, played by Gary Anthony Sturgis, was an over-protective brother. The part was a bit extreme but I found Sturgis' performance to be very honest and believable.

What I can appreciate most about the film was that it was written fairly well. I definitely began to care about the characters. I wanted Julia to find love and not give him up just because her brother didn't want her dating. I also loved loved loved that Romano didn't let Paul scare him off. I'm sorry but men barely pay for dinner nowadays, let alone risk their life to be with a woman! Although the spoken word poetry seemed a little forced, I could appreciate that the film had an even balance of action, roughness, and sensitivity. It wasn't a chick flick but it wasn't a gang movie either. There was something in the film for everyone and ultimately, the characters truly earned their destiny in this film.

While Gangland did not have the poetic language Romeo and Juliet used, it has the hipness and modernization that makes the film completely relatable. I can appreciate the work writer/director Greg Carter invested in this project.

Tiffany Black, Actress/Writer/Director/Blogger Extraordinaire