Four inner-city teens (Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Moises Arias, Rafi Gavron) get mixed up in a drug deal and cross a ruthless crime queen-pin (Linda Emond) after stealing a car that's stashed with drugs.
The Land isn't a perfect film, but it is a hell of a good start, and director Caple Jr. -- and his young cast -- are artists to keep an eye on, for sure.
The Land is dedicated to exposing the human story behind inner-city crime, and the film deserves credit for exploring a diverse cross-section of humanity.
Caple emphasizes the desperation that breeds street crime, and he never tries to puff his kids up into heroes. They're just kids who feel insulted by the few prospects that seem available to them.
Unwilling to turn his characters into easily categorized stereotypes, Caple takes his characters in directions that make us rethink our preconceived notions.
Caple and his cinematographer Steven Holleran definitely get the look even if the story doesn't quite deliver, suggesting more and better to come in the future, especially if they get the opportunity to work from a more polished script.
