this was just as fantastic as any scorcese gangster film (pileggi produced this too!). charismatic acting, great wardrobes, and an amazing soundtrack. this is certainly one of the better scott films i've seen in awhile and this really exceeded my low expectations.

while some facts and figures may be new to people (though i'm sure not entirely surprising), this doc's real way of getting your attention was through the telling of heartwrenching experiences from americans, of all walks of life whose lives or family members' lives have fallen apart. in my opinion, the most informative segments to tune to were the conversations with elizabeth warren and the candid rantings of two young men in the business of debt-buying and collection agencies.

i believe that most americans will find so much of the information in this general knowledge and with the recent decline in american economy, are already certainly very wary of credit cards and loans. maxed out cetainly wouldn't be irrelevant to everyone though, i definitely recommend that all teenagers and those inexperienced with credit view this. while the fear of having bad credit may be a slight deterrent for some, hearing horror stories of people's lives in tatters due to insurmountable debt may hit a slightly different chord.

cj7 is undeniably cute, but unfortunately i found the plot to be pretty lame. if you take out all of the slapstick antics which served as fillers between moments of true plot significance, then there really wouldn't be much of a movie at all.

this review sounds quite sour, but i really did find cj7 to be heartwarming! i especially loved the final scene, a multi-coloured army of cj7s coming to spread the cuteness!

a politically conscious well-informed individual will find nothing new or exciting in this. it is interesting seeing him interact and dispel stereotypes, but this is far from groundbreaking or fresh.

blerg, one long period k-drama. i may add though- the wardrobe and sets were great.

i loved this- everything seemed quite plainspoken and natural. unfortunately the plot is loose and bujalski should have edited the film a bit more, especially toward the middle where things begin to slow down considerably.

one of the best political documentaries i've ever seen. a very blunt glimpse into urban politics, racial identity, generational gaps and people's strong resistance to change. considering the upcoming election, this film is also quite relevant and highly recommended.

finally while curry is somewhat of an amateur, i feel there is nothing more he could have done to enhance this, keep in mind- this is a documentary and he showed everything as is. the amount of insight one will gather greatly outweighs any amateur film flaws.

finney and hoffman's acting was fantastic, hawke and tomei seemed really awkward and somewhat miscast. i also have mixed feelings about the time jumps, while i think it was a good idea i felt some of the transitions were too choppy. nonetheless i enjoyed the final scene, cold and unflinching until the end.

i disliked all of the characters (though they so closely mirror many people i've encountered), but for some reason loved this film; i believe it may have to do with the ending, if josh and emily would have ended up getting engaged i believe i would have smashed the disc into pieces.

very powerful accounts and gripping readings.

anyone who saw this should also read iris chang's book, "the rape of nanking."