A harrowing,brave,tortured love story not for the faint of heart or those with a deficit in empathy, for this film asks the viewer for an open, compassionate, feeling heart. The truth of the matter is, the culture that is revealed to you in this movie is a reality and nightmare for those entrenched in it. Ms. Argento makes a masterpiece that takes no sides; instead she boldly lays forth a landscape of love, abuse, and how one will do just about anything to feel needed and worthwhile, even if that means going back again and again to the hand that hurts you and abandons you. If you don't get this film, it is either simply not for you, or perhaps you have not read the addictive literary achievements of J.T. LeRoy. If the latter is true, go now to you local bookstore and buy any of his courageous works; they will literary bring you to your knees...or at least they did to me, gripping me with raw, honest ferocity. If you just didn't get the film and the challenging material it presents, i encourage you to see it again; honestly, it just keeps getting better and better. Let it enter you...and feel, for once, your self, your discomfort, whatever emerges. Outstanding performances of an all-star cast, this is sure to be a cult film that, once on video, you will want to own.