Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Paulo Corceiro Watched it on cable, didn't know nothing about it but felt like a really well built drama. Loved the way the story was told through the eyes of the different characters (although not terribly original. I tend to not to like movies with Ethan Hawke (sorry Ethan, I can't explain it), but I loved this one. I live in Portugal and the cable channel where I watched it - AXN Black or MOV, I'm not sure - translated the original title ("Staten Island") to "Não Há Crimes Perfeitos" - "There are No Perfect Crime". This, clearly low budget - indie movie is inspired by Cohen Brothers, Tarantino but also by classics like Hitchcock. I believe that was not a waste of time.

chocolatechickenpie It's phenomenal -- especially Ethan Hawke whose acting is absolutely brilliant. If you're an Ethan Hawke fan then you'll love this movie simply for him; although all of the acting is excellent -- in some scenes facial expressions alone speak volumes. There's some gruesome stuff too, as you might expect, but no gratuitous gunfire. The entire movie is damn good right down to the end. It reminds me a tiny bit of the TV series "Damages" the way Past, Present and Future all seem to be in random order. You need to pay attention. It's not all spelled out for you which is another reason I like it so much. You can definitely watch this one more than once and catch new things you might have missed.

ajs-10 I hadn't heard much about this film before viewing it, but I do remember seeing a clip somewhere or other. It follows the lives of three people living on the island and shows what happens when their lives intersect. It is made in a very interesting style, almost what I would expect to see from a French studio, but when I saw that one of the producers was none other than Luc Besson, I was less than surprised. But more of my thoughts later, here's a brief summary first (summary haters please protect this small forest while I write the next paragraph).Sully Halverson cleans septic tanks for a living. He's not the sharpest blade in the box, but when he and his wife, Mary, decide to have a baby, he begins to get ideas. He sees a treatment program they are running at the hospital that genetically changes an embryo so the resultant child will be smarter. Now, if only he could get some money to pay for it… Parmie Tarzo is an ambitious mob boss. He lives alone with his mother and wants, more than anything, to be famous. His mother was recently shot during a robbery at his house and Tarzo and his gang are after the perpetrators. After he decides to take over the entire Staten Island operation and an attempted hit by a rival gang fails, he kind of loses the plot a little. He is found on a platform up a tree, trying to protect an area of forest due for demolition… Jasper Sabiano is a deaf mute who works in a deli and does 'disposal' jobs on the side for Tarzo. He has a liking for gambling on the horses and when he wins big he feels he might be able to help his friend Sully… These three characters are about to collide and things will never be that same for any of them.As I said at the beginning, this film has very much the feel of a French art house film, but its set in New York. It's kind of strange to watch if you're not used to that sort of thing, but if you stick with it, it will pay off in the end. Great performances from all of the main cast; Ethan Hawke plays the dumb Sully Halverson with great aplomb, Vincent D'Onofrio is perfect as Parmie Tarzo and Seymour Cassel is superb as Jasper Sabiano. Oh, and an honourable mention must go to Julianne Nicholson as Mary Halverson.Over all, I really enjoyed this film. It has quite a gentle pace that I found quite fitted the style adopted by the director. I loved the way the characters at some point all look wistfully across towards Manhattan, as if wishing they could be over there. It's not perfect by any means, but enjoyable none the less… Recommended.My score: 6.9/10

girlocelot This was lots of fun, if slow to develop & move forward. Minor quibble because of excellent acting from all leads, & equally good supporting cast performances. Apt, oddball choices of songs commented on the action and characters. There are brief scenes of intense gore, but you can close your eyes for a second.I agree with another poster that parts of this don't mesh as a whole, but it didn't bother me because of the film's almost happy-go-lucky vibe, a little wistful and silly, funny in places. It was saved by balancing those elements or attitudes with a fresh take on 2nd rate mobsters in - not that I agree, since I was born there - a second rate burg. The local color is done well - it's very particular to SI, though not the whole story.Seymour Cassell was especially good - it's great to see a guy who's seen it all display depth and nuance in what's essentially a light but highly entertaining flick.If you like off-beat, unusual films, and directors who aren't afraid to go out on a limb, and sharp small characters, you'll have a good time with this one.