Almost.

This could have been so much more. Seriously, this was right on the cusp of being a brilliant indie movie, but the director, who obviously has talent,(the scene in The Silver Dollar was one of the most visually arresting, get-right-to-the-point retribution sequences I've seen in a long time), desperately needs the services of a writer. Specifically a writer who does not deal in cliches and tropes, or lift character idioms from other films within the genre (Ahem, Heat. Ahem). Robbing a hotel, and having to deal with the individuals inhabiting the establishment, is a great idea - but it was never fully explored (beyond Frenchie and his BLT). It's almost as though, halfway through the script, someone said, "Ah, *beep* it, this is difficult - just tie them all up and stick them in the same place." What happened to the CEO and his mistress? The suicidal guy? The soap opera sissy? They ended up being caricatures instead of characters.

That being said, I love the music, the gritty visceral shots, the editing - Guzman seems to have so much to show, but not much to say. As a writer, he's the kind of director I'd like to work with.

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