My Thoughts/Themes

SPOILER ALERT!

I thought this was a great thought provoking film.
The boy is no devil, he just lacks parenting and is desperate for love and attention. But if you saw a child stealing would you think what he needs is help or a smack in the face (i.e. the man who slaps him around in front of a crowd that does nothing)?
Often the only people that show troubled teens the attention they crave are other criminals/gangs (i.e. the kitchen employee who gives him food but then recruits him to steal more).
The mother, although despicable, is a child herself and is ill equipped to provide for both their needs. It brought to mind the term 'Children having Children' that often comes up in the abortion debate and isn't that far off from the original title of the film.
The film also emphasizes the contrast between the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy high above enjoying mountain luxury oblivious to the poor suffering down below. I particularly like the wealthy mother doting on her children while our character so desperate will pay his own mother $200 for a hug.
I was left thinking that it should be no surprise to anyone this boy becomes a criminal coming from such circumstances and he would probably be better off away from his mother who constantly disappoints and hurts him. Also, as a society what can we do to assist those in this kind of situation? Especially children, and obviously the mother was a child herself when she got pregnant.
I liked the final scene which I felt showed them going in different directions away from each other (forget about who's going up or down or whether this cable should be running).