I was deeply moved by one scene in this film - the "Diamonds" dance scene between the bande de filles - that I felt really made this movie, an acceptable offering, something special. I was nearly in tears. Here you have these girls from an impoverished area, left to their own devices and self-defense in a rough and tumble world that has zero positive expectations for them. All they have is each other to make them feel of value. Stealing tight dresses from the mall and dancing together to a song that would have them feel beautiful in a society that has them feeling anything but. Really poignant what the director created there. I felt more could have been done with the film. The second half failed the first, in my opinion. But the characters were multi-faceted, the acting and dialogue were realistic. I hope to see more films like this.