Against the Wall [aka Quality of Life] (2004, dir. Benjamin Morgan)

Against the Wall [aka Quality of Life] (2004, dir. Benjamin Morgan)

What Is It?: A well-crafted and heartfelt indie film about two graf writers living in the Mission District in San Francisco.

What About It?: Following Basquiat and Bomb the System, this film, though without the pedigree of the first and without the cash and caché that comes from its NYC location, Against the Wall is honestly a better film than both. Honest being the key word in that this is one of the more genuine films we've seen lately. The story is fairly simple -- and kinda besides the point -- but the director tells it exceedingly well, making the life that these two artists lead more lived in than a spectacle to watch. It doesn't feel like we're watching the characters in a zoo. It's neither preachy nor hectoring about the question of the ethics of street art, and makes the act of "bombing" seem as exciting as to make the characters as junked out as they are about it.

Why Should I See It?: It's a really good film, well-acted and -shot and -directed. And graffiti can be very cool.

What Else Is It Like?: The Graffiti Artist, Groove, Los Angeles Street Art.

Sadly, it's not available at the library as of this writing, but it is available at your local video store and here. Or harass the Multnomah County Library into ordering it.

--ddt/pdx