Carlos (Bradley Gregg) is an aspiring writer who has completed a novel of accomplishment. It describes the turmoil that drives inner city youths to join gangs, and presents what may be a viable solution to the social dilemma. But the publisher, Milo (Mark Gluckman), refuses to print the book, which would be difficult to market, and instead enlists the money-strapped Carlos to write a series of crass, pointlessly violent novels about gang warfare. The phenomenal success of the books gives way to a popular TV series that inspires the very gang violence Carlos abhors. Stricken by the dangerous ugliness he's created, and helpless to stop it, Carlos' conscious confronts him in the guise of the desperate gang members from his novel. They seem to be physically real, and they invade his life until reality blurs, but the danger remains genuine. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
Writer/director Scott Farrell has assembled a genuine if modest art film that is being marketed as a violent urban gang movie. Contrary to the conventions of that often grotesque genre, Vicious Circle has no hip-hop, no rap, no drive-by shootings, no melodrama, and very little gun play. What it does have is a thoughtfully intense performance by Bradley Gregg and a script that deals with several emotionally topical issues at once. You need to pay attention; Farrell asks difficult questions, and even may have found an answer or two, in telling a story that breaks with traditional methods. Some of it is dramatic, a little of it is even funny -- the star of Carlos' TV show is frighteningly hilarious -- but all of it is surprisingly smart, given the brazenly violent packaging. The irony of it all is, Farrell's career is reflected in his fictitious characters' life. He's made a graceful film about social dangers that's being marketed as just another violent action movie. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide