Virgil Bliss

Virgil Bliss (Jordan) has been in and out of prison for as long as he can recall, but this last stretch has persuaded him to go straight. Having to share a room in a halfway house with Manny (Gorman) hardly bodes well for life back in Brooklyn. The volatile parolee alternates between trying to pick fights with Virgil and proffering forbidden booze, weapons and blowjobs from worldweary junkie hooker Ruby (Russell), for whom Virgil, a romantic innocent, immediately but inconveniently falls. He just wants to put the past behind him, find work and help his woman regain custody of her four-year-old - but she's not so sure. Life's tough for their kind. Joe Maggio's no budget debut may not be the most original or polished movie in town, but at least it's pleasingly pacy and well played. Jordan especially is excellent, investing Virgil with credible integrity and charm, while Russell and Gorman lend robust support, despite a few unfortunate wobbles in the script.