A long portrait of Alig and the scene he traveled the film is both a enlightening and way too much. Running approximately 134 minutes the film is everything you wanted to know about Alig and New York City in the 1980's and 1990's and a whole bunch more that you probably don't want to know. The film charts Alig's arrival and the up and down fortunes of the clubs and the circles he moved in. Its a film that gives you a glorious sense of time and place and makes you wonder how the hell all that went down really did.
As a glutton for the history of NYC, especially for it's rise from the ashes of the 1970's into the place it is today I was largely enthralled. There are so many interviews with people who were there the film ccould be scene as a vital document. There is so much here I know I'm going to need a second or third time through the film to catch it all.
The problem with the film is it's run time. Running way longer than it really should, the film repeats some things too many times and has several bits that just go on way too long. I got tired before the hour mark especially when I realized there was so much more to go. To be honest the film could lose 45 minutes and not be hurt since most of that would be repetition of several points- most notably everyone saying the same things about Alig.
I like the film a great deal but the repetition makes the film a hard one to recommend since even for me I grew weary.
Taking the problems into account I still recommend the film for true crime junkies, those interested in the club scene and anyone wanting to know what NYC was like in the bad old days.
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