This had the potential to be something. Its the cliché about the white teacher/social worker who saves the troubled inner-city teen/s. There have been enough films made with this theme for it to be its own genre. Having said that, this film captures you. The acting is superb and you watch the film trying to figure out the back story behind angel.

Angels friend is a transsexual or transvestite or something, who seems like a love interest at one point, and then at another point you aren't sure if Angel just hangs out with him because he is also a social outcast.

Angel doesn't seem like a bad kid, but he does bad things. He steals from a social worker who lets him stay in her house, he almost strangles his step mother to death, and yet you still like the kid and root for him. he put a human face on a troubled inner-city kid, it is difficult not to like him.

Having this great setup and these developed characters, and a plot with so much potential, nothing happens. Its like getting in your car on a trip towards a destination and then veering off the road into nowhere, after you are 3/4ths of the way there.

There are millions of unanswered questions in this? Does the social worker find out Angel Stole from her and how does she react, does she still support him, does it change her? Does his step mom call the police after he nearly kills her? Is Angel gay, and afraid to confront his sexuality or is he just hanging out with the only kids who will befriend him, even if they are gay?

I had no problem with the movie ending with him finding a job if the above questions are answered, but it is just bad to have a movie have this many HUGE loose ends.

Finding a job means nothing if the police are gonna lock you up for almost killing your step mother?

I still intensely watched the whole thing, I wanted it to develop but it just didn't.

One other annoying thing about the movie is the shots lasted too long. There was more than one occasion where we watch a scene and NOTHING is happening for like 30 seconds. that is an eternity in film, the director could have used that time to tie up some of the movie's loose ends.

I still give it a 6 because its good enough to make me watch it to the end.

Jim McKay, a director we have admired from his previous work, is back with a new film about a problem teen ager in Brooklyn. This interesting account about an inner city young man trying to cope with what life has given him, was shown recently on HBO. It is surprising it didn't get a commercial run. After all, Mr. McKay clearly understands the people he presents us in this surprisingly gritty film, and deserves better.

Mr. McKay, whose excellent movie, "Our Song", was a joy to watch, follows with "Angel Rodriguez", a more introspective work, which might be perceived as not in the same category as his previous work, but those who think so, might be the losers by dismissing this new picture. The new movie is more ambitious in many ways.

We are given a situation about a sensitive teen ager who is taken into the home of the kindly Nicole, a social worker that has been helping Angel. In spite of being a computer expert, Angel doesn't take advantage of this change in his life. He has been evicted out of his house by his father. Instead of renouncing to his bad ways, Angel goes back to doing the same thing. His friend Raymond, a boy that is into computer games, and the young transvestite, Jamie, figure prominently in the story.

Nicole, who has her own problems, confesses to Angel she is expecting a baby. Angel feels as though she will be abandoning him, but she reassures him she'll work until almost the end, although she is beginning to feels the effect of her pregnancy. Nicole also is having her own problems with her family. Having the young boy at home poses a challenge for her.

This production was blessed by the presence of Rachel Griffiths, one of the best actresses working today. Her Nicole shows vulnerability and questions herself as she is preparing to bring her own baby to the world. Jonan Everett makes a good impression as Angel, the confused youth at a crossroads in his life.

Jim McKay has to be congratulated for his courage in showing every day people dealing with every day problems in a film that will not disappoint.

WOW!

This was a waste of film i mean i look at the previews an d thought this movie was going 2 great! Boy was i wrong , the only thing good this movie did was pay attention to details, every tiny , obscure detail until u just loss focus. It had a hardly any character development and had plot at all , just a lot of random scenes put together to make an 87 minute film . my Advice if is for anyone suffering from insomnia , THIS MOVIE WILL PUT YOU 2 SLEEP! Also The acting was a little off but with a plot like this easy to fall out of character