Havoc (2005)

Genre: Crime/Drama

Starring: Anne Hathway, Bijou Phillips, Matt O'Leary, Freddy Rodriguez, Mike Vogel

The grass is always greener on the other side is a very apt statement. That's the case for a group of rich young kids from L.A who wish they would rather have been born gangsters than the children of businessmen. They imitate gangs, dress like them, talk like them, listen to their music but yet cannot be like them. Eric (O'Leary) is a film-maker who is trying to document the life of Allison (Hathway), her boyfriend Toby (Vogel) and their friends and how they juggle their life between the streets and homes. When an adventure one night takes them to east L.A. to purchase marijuana, Allison gets smitten by the raw neighborhood and the way the Mexican's live their life. Along with a group of friends, she decides to head back to the hood and soon befriends Hector (Rodriguez) and the rest of  his gang members. Allison and Hector become good friends with Allison dropping in often and spending time with him, much to the disappointment of Toby. A good portrayal of gangs in L.A and tries to make it look as authentic as possible. Although the movie is fundamentally about good girls chasing bad guys, the story is given a much different treatment that makes it interesting. That said, the movie does not spark fireworks with performances being mediocre and a lot of scope for improvement. An interesting story that could have been given a better treatment.

Thumbs up: Authentic portrayal of L.A streets

Thumbs down: Average acting

Rating: 6.4/10