Most of the reviewers must be homesick New Yorkers, nostalgically longing for the "good ol' days." If you're looking for a fresh and original NY coming-of-age tale, you should avoid this film. You've seen it all before, done more effectively, with less gimmick, more focus and less heavy-handed attempts at coming off hip/stylish in its direction. It seems to have very little regard for its subjects; they're simply drawn as rejects from a Scorsese film. Clearly the writer has very little regard for the folks he left behind in his depressing little racist, heated, overly-sexed neighborhood. All the major talent is wasted (Palminteri, Dawson, Wiest, Downey), and the story is so predictable that, like me, you may be fooled into staying tuned in anticipation of a new twist that would justify the story being told, the film being made. Also, I ain't no prude, but I am insulted when a film attempts to supplement its many deficiencies with too many F-words, graphic and gratuitous sex references, and casual racial slurs. Overall, the film is loud, overbearing and offensive. An old story, told in an annoying way. Guaranteed to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Rent Mean Streets, A Bronx Tale, or even The Basketball Diaries instead.
