Definitely not for everyone, this brutally stark drama centers on 15- year-old Brandon (Jahking Guillory), who's mired in poverty in the East Bay, Richmond, California. He's constantly bullied for his diminutive size and for the fact that his footwear is so poor, in a culture where sharp sneakers mean status.
Brandon finally gets enough money together to purchase his dream sneakers from a street vendor, a pair of original red and black Michael Jordan's. As soon as he begins to wear them, he can see his confidence soar, as well as his status among his peers.
However, soon thereafter a bunch of thugs confront him, beat him, and steal his new shoes. Brandon decides he's going to get them back no matter what the cost. Thus, he embarks on a dangerous odyssey, with his two best friends, to Oakland to retrieve his sneakers, which will result in lots of tragic violence.
There's pervasive explicit and raw language here, lots of on screen drug usage, and various sexual situations.
The acting in the movie is incredibly realistic on all fronts, and I read that director and co-writer (with Joshua Beirne-Golden) Justin Tipping grew up in that area, which would account for this stark realism.
All in all, if one has the stomach for it this film can be painfully intense, yet it left me with a lingering sense of sadness as well.
Brandon finally gets enough money together to purchase his dream sneakers from a street vendor, a pair of original red and black Michael Jordan's. As soon as he begins to wear them, he can see his confidence soar, as well as his status among his peers.
However, soon thereafter a bunch of thugs confront him, beat him, and steal his new shoes. Brandon decides he's going to get them back no matter what the cost. Thus, he embarks on a dangerous odyssey, with his two best friends, to Oakland to retrieve his sneakers, which will result in lots of tragic violence.
There's pervasive explicit and raw language here, lots of on screen drug usage, and various sexual situations.
The acting in the movie is incredibly realistic on all fronts, and I read that director and co-writer (with Joshua Beirne-Golden) Justin Tipping grew up in that area, which would account for this stark realism.
All in all, if one has the stomach for it this film can be painfully intense, yet it left me with a lingering sense of sadness as well.