One of my all time favorites.

Best movie ever!

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo) is a drug dealer in the South Bronx. He's made a lot of money with his crew Jimmy, Chedda, and Jay. He calls his area and his product Empire. He gets into a feud with a neighboring rival. His girlfriend Carmen goes to college with Trish (Denise Richards) who introduces them to her Wall Street banker boyfriend Jack (Peter Sarsgaard). Jack offers Victor an investment opportunity which requires him to get a loan from his drug source La Colombiana (Isabella Rossellini).Leguizamo is trying to be hard and he's trying too hard. The narration tries to be hard-boiled. There is a lot of trying but a lot less succeeding. Writer/director Franc. Reyes is trying to mimic better gangster movies. There are ways to make this work but Reyes doesn't have it at this point.

I was very happy after watching the entire movie. When it was first starting I thought that it was going to be a typical, bloody, wannabe gangster film. But as the scenes kept passing Leguizamo's character just kept getting better and better. To watch him go from the man running the show, and getting everything he wants in the South Bronx, to basically being Jack's little you know what was quite the performance. It really was a nice drama movie and one that I would actually watch more than once. It was also nice to see a movie that you could tell the director had some personal experience in what was taking place because when you would hear the voice over's from Leguizamo you felt as though that really was him as the character, and really was him who lived that life. To me that has to mean there was some personal experiences mixed into this dialogue. I recommend to anyone to watch this movie and make sure you give it a chance. Don't give up in the first 15 minutes.

Just caught up with this film on cable. I never saw it when it was released, and frankly, it was my loss. Franc. Reyes has directed a surprising first feature that has a glossy noirish look. It speaks volumes for a new director to have a style that's easy on the eye as well as for the mind.John Leguizamo is a huge talent. I have seen him on stage in almost all of his solo presentations and can tell anyone that this man is a dynamo. He never stops surprising; he has a range that few others have and he uses it to his advantage. Mr. Leguizamo's Victor makes a deep impression. We never let our eyes leave Victor for a moment; this man is the product of the streets, but he proves to have a mind of his own and a sophistication that are not easy to match.The idea of casting Peter Sargaard as Jack was pure genius. This actor is about one of the best working in films at the moment. In the movie he is the suave Jack who has a hidden agenda. Mr. Sargaard perfectly balances the action. His character is the product of the best schools. Victor is impressed because Jack accepts him from the beginning without apparent reservations or prejudice.The problem with the film is that we know how it's going to end, and we weren't wrong. It was predictable, but the director and the two principals made the film a joy to watch.The rest of the cast was fine, especially Denise Richards, a beautiful Delilah Cotto, who can give JayLo a lot of competition in the looks department, and Isabella Rosellini, who is perfect as La Colombiana with her big hair and furs.

This movie was OK, but you can tell is definitely low budget. The whole plot is nothing new. Drug dealer gangster wants to move up in the world and leave his criminal past behind, but it always catches up with him. You can't route for the guy, Vic, because he is nothing but a cold blooded killer. So, what do we care if the drug suppliers he owes money to catches him. Also, as is the fashion, he has some sort of drama with his girl. It was nothing more than a stereo-typical side plot. I agree with the other reviews that this movie would have been a lot better if they just stuck with the story of the rival heroin dealers and what happens when one moves in on another's territory.FINAL VERDICT: It's average. Not really worth watching since it's been done many times.