This is the L. A. I remember. This is also Raymond Chandler updated for the 21st Century. This is salvation for the stripper, and powerful women, and good-hearted people in a world full of sin. Don't miss this one if you like crime and/or Neo-Noir.

Greetings again from the darkness. The first feature film from writer/director Dennis Hauck has a number of elements that are appealing to movie lovers on the lookout for something a bit outside the box. It's the type of film that would be a festival favorite, as it provides no shortage of "talking points" for discussion afterwards.

Of course, casting John Hawkes is always a good start. Here he plays a Private Investigator named Sampson. The story is presented in 5 segments – each filmed in one extended shot. Oh, and it's not presented in sequential order, so some assembly is required. The real end to the story is not the same as the ending of the movie, and the beginning of the story is actually in the middle of the movie. Confused yet? Well a loss of equilibrium is what makes this one so much fun to watch. Characters and story lines are intertwined - some accidentally, some secretly, and some surprisingly.

Hawkes appears in each of the five segments, and sprinkled throughout you will find such recognizable faces as Robert Forster, Jeff Fahey, Natalie Zea, Joanna Cassidy, Crystal Reed, Dash Mihok, Rider Strong, Vail Bloom, Sydney Tamilia Poitier and singer Sally Jaye. A strip club, the Hollywood hills, a Park Ranger, a suicide, and multiple murders all are key pieces to the puzzle … and none are presented exactly as we would expect.

With an unpolished 1970's look and feel, the film offers a touch of Tarantino (including some of the actors who have worked with him),but mostly the vibe is refreshingly throwback. Even the music … Joe Tex, Cowboy Junkies, etc … is a bit offbeat, and of course, any movie that references Genevieve Bujold and Choose Me deserves a special place in my heart. It may not be the typically structured PI murder mystery that we have come to expect, but an unusual approach and the performance of Hawkes, makes this one to see.

Dorothy Mahler (Crystal Reed) is a stripper drifting through life in L.A. She calls private eye Mel Samson (John Hawkes) for help. While waiting for him, she strikes up a conversation with a friendly park ranger who turns out to be a killer. She is murdered and Samson arrives too late. Her grandmother (Joanna Cassidy) and her mother (Natalie Zea) meets Samson. Jill (Dichen Lachman) is another stripper.

The panning camera moves to follow the dialogue get very tiresome. My brain is drained by it. Filmmaker Dennis Hauck is trying and there is something tiring in the attempt. I don't particularly like the dialogue either but I do understand the style. This is trying to be L.A. noir. The long uncut scenes can be great if the ride is smooth and they do something. All too often Hauck is doing nothing or the wrong thing. His artistic ambition boils down to a gimmick and one great scene. I don't give points to him for the long uncut scenes. I give more credit to the cameraperson who has carry the heavy gear for that long although there is a stumble or two even there. Mostly, jerking the camera back and forth to follow a conversation is a really bad idea. The best praise should be given to Hawkes and Zea. He delivers a compelling connecting central performance while she hits the big scene out of the park. Full marks to them.