Arc is the story of an ex-cop turned drug addict who teams up with a prostitute named Maya Gibbs to find a missing child to somehow redeem himself. Paris Pritchert is the junkie and pusher who remains high constantly, while in pursuit of the vanished kid. The hooker quotes Maya Angelou because she is very well read, in spite of her chosen profession. The usual mix of street characters and a doctor who likes boys, plus the expected tough and smart cop who helps Paris out for old times sake.
The cop and the hooker start out rocky, but over time develop a friendship, which is standard in these kind of dramas. The acting is o.k. and the script nothing special, with the streets of Los Angeles used as a realistic and gritty backdrop. Arc doesn't break any new ground; it is just another cop gone bad movie.
Plot summary
Set in the belly of Los Angeles' criminal underworld, Arc is the story of Paris Pritchert, a former police officer turned drug dealer and addict, who embarks on a quest to find a missing child in the hope of redeeming his eroding character. The only catch is, like all addicts, Paris' confidence completely relies on the drugs in his system and -- in this case -- his firm belief that he can succeed in his mission if he can just stay high 24/7 and alive long enough to see it through. To aid in the endeavor, Paris enlists the help of Maya Gibbs, an African American prostitute versed not only in the language of the street, but also in the words of Maya Angelou and Nadine Gordimer. And together, the path of this dysfunctional duo crosses with those of the child's parents, a doctor with a penchant for soliciting "Street Boys", a self-ascribed King Of Porn, a drug supplier with a gift for making impeccable hors d'oeuvres, and a hardened cop with more scams than the most adept street hustler. Told through a variety of visual techniques and color schemes, Arc unfolds as Paris' search leads to places he never expected. It is a search filled with the dimness of an addict's life, the shadiness of perverse characters and the budding friendship of two people with nothing to lose and everything to gain. And most of all, it is a search filled with answers. Answers to the child's whereabouts... answers to Paris' relationship with his own mother and father... and answers to the existence of a criminal mastermind known only as "The Wolf".
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Nothing New
Slow starter that proved worth getting into
Arc started very slowly, with the look of a pretty typical drug-life low budget indie movie. Something to watch with half an eye while going through the paperwork. Then it started to pull me in. Somewhere along the way I stopped working through the accounts and became glued to the screen. Sure it has a few clichéd set pieces and a few moments of wooden acting, but after the first 30 minutes or so it pans out to be a nicely put together movie. I'm giving it an 8 based on the way that it managed to involve me in the characters and the story. Don't expect any fabulous Hollywood sets, this obviously hasn't got a huge production budget, but the story arc is well done and satisfying. For some reason it reminded me a bit of Running Scared. Worth watching.
Gove it points for trying something different, but take some away for a well worn plot and over length
Ex-cop, now drug dealer and addict tries to redeem himself by finding a missing kid with the aid of a hooker. Low budget film that strives to be more than a run of the mill story of a man reaching for redemption. Shot in a variety of different color schemes and styles the film makes the effort to be more than it well worn plot would lead you to believe it is. Peter Facinelli in the lead is merely adequate in a role that requires him to be stoned much of the time. I don't think the film really succeeds in what its trying to do, but I will give the filmmakers points for at last trying to spice things up. I think that one of the problems with the film is that its way too long at around two hours since its slender clichéd thread of a plot doesn't really have the strength to support the tale. I can't recommend it unless you're someone like me who is tired of seeing these ultra-low budget direct to video films that all look and sound the same.