thndrbass-1 I had this movie several years ago and loved it. I have since lost my copy and would like to get it back. The reviews here give an excellent review of the movie and its content. Chris Smith movies will gain more popularity I hope!! If anyone knows how I can get a copy of this movie or any other Chris Smith movies I would greatly appreciate it. The film explores the awful monotonous plight of the minimum wage worker which I happened to be in for a time in my life. It seems easy to get stuck there and seems to me to be another form of slavery in which the person has so few options that the best thing to do is to stay in the situation and moving from one low paying job to another may be the only way to get a break. Drugs and alcohol also play in heavy to keep the situation going in this direction.

jaan-3 I saw this film about three years ago in a traveling film festival, and ever since it has resided on my proverbial top ten list of great films, along with such masterpieces as Fellini's 8 1/2, Kurosawa's Dreams, Nic Roeg's Walkabout, and Truffaut's 400 Blows. As with those much-celebrated films, this film possesses a quality that is the rarest in cinema; strong unique auteurism. Though it may not be the most entertaining of films, and it may be a little technically rough around the edges, it offers something that any and all viewers who see it should cherish... a privileged glimpse into someone else's truth, via the cinematic medium. I've wondered what would become of the filmmaker's career, fearing that he would be punished with obscurity for opting to make a film with much more integrity than entertainment value. But hopefully due to the success of his newest film, American Movie, I'll have the opportunity to see more works by a (so far) great filmmaker.ps. Even though I've mentioned a lack of entertainment value in this film, it's still very witty and funny, and I would highly recommend it to anyone... even those of you who like cinematic dog-poo such as Titanic.

m_parker8 This is a good movie, but not an enjoyable one. Sometimes i found it painful to watch. I've known people like the 'hero' Randy, sometimes I've been like him, and I've worked in jobs like the one's in the film. I'm lucky enough to be able to move on to something that fulfils me, but i fully understand the lifestyle. I don't know how much of the acting was acting, it was either uniformly excellent, or just completely real. Randy Russell's physical appearance carries his character perfectly. It would be interesting to see how he carries himself in real life. While sometimes boring as entertainment, the tedium was necessary. There were three or four points in the film that brought it all together, the beginning and the end especially. The first three minutes could be an amazing short film in itself.The appearance of the woman at the reception shows everything that Randy isn't. The ease of conversation and the happiness with one's self that these few lines show are quite heartbreaking when we come back to our hero. I think the film is more about the social issue rather than about the system where one works. Yet then again it could be argued that the worker is a product of the system and society that he is immersed in. Tribespeople in Africa may have many many problems but from my experience they don't suffer this level of alienation, loneliness and despair that exists in the work structure. I don't know what the purpose of the film is. People existing under these conditions won't want to sit through this, and for people who've never experienced this life it seems like a nasty voyeuristic thrill. I only hope that seeing this film will make people want to change these conditions. A sad film, without much hope, but an essential one, if only to make people get up and make things better.

jtuss I caught this film on the independent film channel and found myself immersed in this man's life as he wanders from one dead-end job to another in contemporary America. It is understandable that this is not a movie for everyone as it could be considered slow and tedious, however I think this movie shows that everyone has a story. Everyone's journey through life is not always like Indiana Jones or James Bond. Here we get life...plain and simple with all it's harsh realities.This is obviously not an escapist film but worth watching if you can find it.