The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Director and writer James Gray has created a gem in Little Odessa.Starring Tim Roth who has also been in other classic flicks, The Musketeer 2001, Gridlock'd 1997, No Way Home 1996, Pulp Fiction 1994, Reservoir Dogs 1992, The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover 1989, Meantime 1984 and Made in Britain 1982.Also starring Edward Furlong who has also been in other classic flicks, American History X 1998 and Terminator 2: Judgement Day 1991.Also starring Moira Kelly.Also starring Vanessa Redgrave who has also been in another classic flick, The Devils 1971.Also starring Maximillian Schell who has also been in other classic flicks, Vampires 1998 and Cross of Iron 1977.I enjoyed the violence.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic Russian crime flicks, The Mechanik 2005, Mute Witness 1994, Command Performance 2009, Running Scared 2006 and Driven to Kill 2009.

When I saw this film I was a bit bored - after all, the chief protagonist is supposed to be a hit-man, a dramatic role if ever there was one. At the same time I found myself pinned to the screen, watching an extraordinary roll-call of performance from three generations of first-class screen actors. It is a great shame that the plot is so makeshift, so flaky.Roth plays a prodigal hit-man, Joshua, who returns to the town of the title for a contract against his instinct. None of the characters, largely all suffering old, unresolved antagonisms, can help themselves but be drawn to one another on his return, combustibly, tearfully but inevitably. Edward Furlong, a truly exceptional actor in every film in which I've seen him is heartbreaking here. Roth is an empty, jittery presence and the stymied reconciliation with his mother is desperate; Vanessa Redgrave is too much actually, but perhaps it's appropriate given that she is dying. It's too miserable in the end. 5/10

Writer/director James Gray's (We Own the Night) first film was critically acclaimed for it's cinematography and for performances by Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian Schell. It is not an action film, even though the main character is a hit-man. It is a drama about family and shame.Mr. Orange, Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Incredible Hulk) plays a son who has been disowned for bringing shame on the family by his behavior. He returns to Brighton Beach to do a job, and reunites with his family as his mother lays dying. He also reunited with Moira Kelly, much to the delight of movie viewers.About the only one happy to see him was his younger brother Rueban, played by Edward Furlong (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Pecker). Well, mom was happy, but moms are always happy no matter how bad their children are - trust me on that.Violence was at a minimum for a Russian Mafia/hit-man picture, and the focus was on the family. Maximilian Schell was excellent as the father that made piece just for a moment to allow Redgrave to see her son.Gray's first film has nuance and subtlety not often seen in a film featuring the mafia.

WARNING: Spoiler that gives a clue to the ending. Little Odessa is a spinoff of The Godfather. Joshua Shapira is a cold-blooded killer whos family just moved to The US in Brooklyn in, I think it was the 70's. Their family has a dying mother and disgustingly and almost as bad as being an evil killer, an adulterous and even abusive father (Schell). The mafia violence is really graphic and disturbing. Josh's brother rueben (Eddie Furlong) adores him, even after finding out he's evil. Eddie again shows his calm, sensitive, innocence. He's really quiet. Rueben goes all over spying on his brother and witnesses his atrocities. The end is obscure to me, but maybe just cause I'm 17. I couldn't tell, but what it looked like was Rueben went spying on Josh again this time with a gun to arm himself and prevent a heinous act Josh is gonna commit and is seen and shoots and I'm not sure if the person died, then Rueben later gets shot by Josh and Josh gets rid of him and another human form, and has some flashback with Rueben and his mom. I'm not sure if that happened, you should tell me what happens.