This well-crafted, gripping documentary contains a plethora of astutely framed images, revolving around of the struggles of outliers who live in a section of Modesto, California known as "The Nine". Moments of visual respite come from lingering glances of the surrounding nature. This film has challenging sequences, because of the harsh environment these people dwell in. That said, there are threads of quiet hope woven throughout. Several grueling scenes felt stuck in dark emotional waters, and a tighter edit would have been beneficial. In fact, if this film had been 20-30 minutes shorter, it might have been just as pungent. The soundscape is finely tuned, including songs sung from the people themselves, periodic muddled dialogue, TV clips, prayers, and the sounds of ambient traffic and nature. There is an effective, dizzying tone in this audio soup. Films which feature those who live outside the norms of society walk a fine line... if the project goes too far, it can feel invasive and opportunistic. If they don't go far enough, we then question their authenticity. For me, this film hit a fairly nice balance of portraying harsh realities tempered by the promise of better things.
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