Memorable, crazy movie

Brilliant and touching

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Harlan Junior (Kevin Pollak) loses big on the horses. He runs petty cons with Fiona (Liane Balaban). Their cohort Sonny (Jonas Chernick) owes Mr. Five Wounds $100k and he needs to repay it in 2 days on Christmas Eve. Sonny comes to Harlan with a scheme to buy watches for $150k. Harlan's fence Eddie won't lend him the money so he goes to Mr. Five Wounds.This Canadian production tries to be a hard-boiled noir crime drama but it's not quite stylish enough. Then there is complicated twisty story of backstabbing double-crosses. At a certain point, the movie loses cohesion and falls apart. Pollak and Balaban are good but they can't maintain any intensity.

This is the story of Harlan, an aging small-time grifter, a relic of a bygone age who dreams of making it big. He is encouraged by his partner Fiona, who is young beautiful and treacherous, a classic femme fatale. The story could be taking place anywhere or at anytime, there are no geographical or temporal references. It's as if these cheap crooks exist in their own decrepit universe. The tale has more double-crosses and twists than I could keep track of. However it never looses you and keeps you engrossed until the end. What's best about this film is the acting from a fine ensemble cast and the wonderful black comedy that lies behind the story. Go see it - you won't be disappointed.

Film noir Canadian style shot on a shoestring budget. Kevin Pollak in a rare lead role. Some interesting twists and turns. Lies and deception. Happy ending. It is refreshing to have the film set at Christmas, and creates opportunities for delightful contrasts with low-lifes and Christmas music.I love the genre and I liked the movie. Not great by any means. But it moved along nicely and had enough subtleties and nuances that it felt fresh and not simply derivative. Oh, and Liane Balaban is fetching without working too hard at it.

Kevin Pollack is the best he's ever been as a down on his luck grifter, who gets involved in a scheme to steal some blackmarket Rolexes... which is just the start of dozens of twists and reversals in this wonderfully textured con game. The film has a lot of heart underneath all the deceptions. I can't say it's anything new in the genre, but that shouldn't matter too much. It's skillfully written and directed, with some beautiful, moody photography. If you're into noirish, grifter pieces, then this should be right up your alley.