The Five Rules of Success

The Five Rules of Success is a thrill ride from start to finish. The film tells a moralizing tale of an enterprising ex-convict turned busser who attempts to alter his own destiny. The 80s-inspired lighting effects, unique and tantalizing musics choices, and overall gritty ambiance make it hard to stop watching this movie. The movie is real and raw, without falling prey to Hollywood's typical entertainment value-boosting copouts: sex and gore. It doesn't need them. The lead, Santiago Segura, carries the movie with his award-worthy performance. He carefully chooses when to restrain his acting and when to let loose, all at precisely the right moments to give the movie power and aid the flow of the plot. The other leads, Isidora Goreshter and Jonathan Howard, excel in their antagonistic roles as well. Without spoiling the movie, I highly recommend you watch this right away. It's themes are hard to grapple with, but well worth it for anyone in search of a movie with a moral.

To expand... a totally cheesy attempt at filmmaking, with horrible directing and cinematography -1980's color effects, fades, blurs etc. And what's with the pretty much square screen-to-film ratio? Square tube TV's ended in the 1970's. Annoying af having huge black boxes on each side of the screen. The story was boring and unfulfilling. The acting was either bland or overboard. Even the little action it had was poorly choreographed. This felt like a 1980's VHS camcorder high school drama class project - that got a failing grade. It's a generous 2/10 from me.

This is a pretty well-made movie. It reminds me of Layer Cake but from a different perspective. Lead character is proper looking for shot at redemption but gets caught in the nasty net called reality.

Normally, when I start watching a movie and realize that it has an offbeat style and a much lower budget than what I am usually accustomed to, I turn it off. However, I stuck with it for fifteen minutes and became hooked until the end. A parolee tries to make a go of it once released from behind bars. He encounters an assortment of people; some who are helpful, and others who are a detriment to his success outside of prison. I had a feeling how it would end for him, but was more interested in the journey rather than the destination. 7/10 Stars.

I absolutely love this film. This is what cinema has been missing. A gritty, raw, inspired, and unapologetic trip from start to finish. I highly recommend finding and watching this with friends. It will surely be a ride.