Adose After reading a lot of the other reviews, I realized that the context in which this film was reviewed was rather skewed. This film is not like your normal Hollywood film, and yes, I must admit that the plot leads up to a not very exciting climactic ending... but this depends on how you view the film. Growing up in working class resident of Northeast, Minneapolis, I see the struggle and lives of these people daily. I see poverty on the cities north side and I see the dramatic effects of the cities North side. This film was very inspiring to me because it documented these lives in a very emotional way. The film was scattered, unorganized and confused... but the film is beautifully shot and the raw emotions and life stories of the characters mirror the typical members of my community as well as many communities like mine. If you understand that this film is not your typical Hollywood flick and if you just open yourself up for 80 minutes to celebrate the lives of these characters and their story then this film will enrich your life. Watch this film and analyze the lives introduced, set aside your film 101 ego and just learn something. It is a film which documents how these characters come together in a struggle. You cannot critique the beauty of knowledge being documented in this film. So relax, watch, then walk around your community and reflect.

progdirk If you are watching this movie and thinking that perhaps these disparate, banal, meaningless , ordinary threads of interaction are going to lead somewhere into a plot or storyline of some kind, they do so only slightly in the end. About two-thirds of the way through the movie, all I had to do was check the year this movie came out (2009) to confirm my suspicion of what this movie is about: a foil for universal health-care. This script of this movie could have been written in a day. It is utterly blasé, predictable, and uninciteful, unless you think that social network message that infected the mind-numb robots of this summer "No one should die because they cannot afford health care" is genius.

vbmilo I heard so much good things about these but then I saw it and I must say i was not impressed. I thought it was very formulaic and jarring. The characters were indie film cardboard cutouts. None of the performances stood out despite a strong cast but you couldn't blame them as the dialogue was trite and uneventful. This was a standard crash-esquire drama with a decent message that was told more vividly at the Q & A by the director Mark Webber than was portrayed in the film. Sorry, wanted to like it but it just didn't mesh or flow. But I must say a good chunk of the audience members enjoyed it, as it seemed to move them. But as an avid film lover, i was not engrossed in any of the characters(I just wanted the movie to end) It felt like a hallmark special movie albeit with good, urban score that was frankly the best part of the film. The film is way over saturated but I know that's what the director intended.

larry-411 I attended the World Premiere of "Explicit Ills" at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. This film is the stunning directorial debut of Mark Webber and was shot in his hometown of Philadelphia. It boasts an incredible ensemble cast including Paul Dano ("L.I.E.," "Little Miss Sunshine," "There Will Be Blood") and Lou Taylor Pucci ("Thumbsucker," "Chumscrubber").Although Webber has had great success as an actor ("Snow Day," "Dear Wendy," "The Hottest State") he produced, wrote, and directed this project because it was a story which he was compelled to tell. He did it from the heart, and it shows. "Explicit Ills" is simply a masterpiece.The film weaves in and out of the lives of "ordinary" Philadelphians -- kids, couples, and families of all races and classes. From the opening shots of tidy middle class rowhomes transitioning to once-neat houses now fallen into disrepair Webber already appears to be making a bold statement about how our society treats its citizens and how their lives are affected by the state of our economy and attitudes.Separate story lines essentially proceed independently. Given the latest fare out of Hollywood, where one anticipates a "Crash"-like blending of the characters' lives, we wait for these characters to cross paths. But Webber holds back. For how long will it be left to the viewer to discern how they (and we) are connected? The message is not force-fed. Will there be great reveals? There is a message, to be sure, but it's not heavy-handed and only comes about with a bit of thought and an open mind. Such care and trust in the audience's own intelligence shows a true sensibility rarely seen in any filmmaker, let alone one this young.It's always hard to single out individual performances in an ensemble cast. Lou Taylor Pucci's films have held prominent places in the world of independent film, largely on the basis of his intense believability. Paul Dano, who has worked with Mark Webber before ("Weapons"), has recently achieved worldwide fame, garnering a slew of awards and critical acclaim for his performances in "Little Miss Sunshine" and "There Will Be Blood." Other standouts include Rosario Dawson ("Alexander," "Sin City," "Rent") whose performance, along with Francisco Burgos as her young son Babo, stays with you long after the end credits. Naomie Harris, Tariq Trotter, Martin Cepeda Jr., Rebecca Comerford, and Destini Edwards also stand out. Even Webber and his mother Cheri Honkala, a well-known civil rights activist in Philadelphia, make cameo appearances.One of the great strengths of "Explicit Ills" is in its visual style (and there are many). Each storyline has its own. Lighting and cinematography each takes on a different tone for each one. For example, hand-held camera predominates in the story of Jacob and Michelle (Lou Taylor Pucci and Frankie Shaw), who spend their days in bed and on drugs. The look emphasizes their frenetic lifestyle. Similarly, another set of characters are showcased with the use of steadicam and long tracking shots. Another features long takes and the use of stationary camera. Each has its own unique color processing -- intense, bright, subdued, or washed out. The soundtrack has special significance to each storyline as well.I sat with stunned silence as the film ended, both in wonderment at what Webber has been able to achieve as well as in deep thought about what my own role has been in the betterment of society. "Explicit Ills" will definitely make you think. Whether or not it will lead you to act on your thoughts is up to you.