Consignment is a action packed low budget film about drug dealing. There has been a flood of gangster films like these recently. The strong point of this film was the feel of realism in the story. I enjoyed watching a story about drug dealers and gangsters that did not have a housing project as a setting. Consignment did not show the typical inner city side of drug dealing often portrayed on screen. I liked the fact Writer and Director Sid Kali showed a different side to things. Drug dealers do live in the suburbs as well as the big city.
I think Jerome Hawkins gave a break out performance as trigger happy gangster Carmelo. It was surprising to me that an unknown actor could be as good as he was in the film. One thing I really enjoyed seeing was a wide mix of characters through out. That's not the norm in straight to DVD gangster films. Extremely colorful cast.
I liked the story. Most of all it wasn't too long. It was crisp and to the point. It didn't waste my time as a viewer. One of the more sexy parts has an extended striptease done by a curvy latina with a great rear. I don't think I ever recall seeing that long of striptease in another film. Clearly not a scene for the kiddies to watch. This ranked high as a low budget for me. The overall production quality was better than many straight to DVD offerings. Like another reviewer commented the soundtrack was really good. Exceptionally good.
Low budget films can be hard to judge because we are all used to expensive Hollywood offerings with stars. I viewed Consignment a with a critical eye and was not disappointed in renting it. As a latino I appreciated the realism of a few of the words spoken in slang Spanish. It wasn't clichéd or cheesy to fit the mold of what you expect to get from a low budget gangster film. Writer and Director Sid Kali understood his subject enough to deliver an entertaining film.
I was highly disappointed in a few of the scenes that involved the main character Tommy and his wife. I never felt that they had a connection that expressed true love. I did feel for Tommy when he was struggling. Tim Beachum as Tommy was believable and likable even though he was a drug dealer. It could have been making him laid back while dealing with panic disorder. Overall this wasn't in the league of Hustle & Flow, but still worth renting.
