Oxy-Morons (2011)

Best movie ever!

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

In the late 1990s Boston's streets were hit by a new drug that was seen as the gateway 'drug of choice' to heroin – this was Oxy-Contin and was an opiate based pain killer. It was designed to be a sow release pill and so had to be taken whole. However, if you interfered with it you could break it down and turn it into a 'get away from it all' drug in a matter of minutes. Enter an Irish American mother who has her boys who are low level criminals, they soon realise what they are on to and set about taking over the streets in a very 'in your face way'.As with all drug pushers there is going to be violence, there is going to be profanity, there is going to be sex and there will be heartache. This does all that in spades and a bit more besides. It is wearing its message on its sleeve but we sort of don't mind.The acting is actually mostly very good with some, non fatal, exceptions. The one thing that is an issue is the poor sound quality throughout and that is a production flaw. That lends itself to presenting this as a cheap presentation, which it most certainly is not. It is opinionated, it does have a story to tell and it can be gritty in the violence sense that that particular word is used. However, it is entertaining for most of the right reasons and will keep your attention right up until the last – so on that basis I can recommend.

Welcome to Charlestown, Boston (Ben Affleck's "Town" from the eponymous feature film), a place where the local "custom" of auto theft, robbery, and armored car heists are passed down from father to son and the locals don't talk to cops. Your average, which is to say normal American town has losing your virginity as a rite of passage. In Charlestown, you must commit auto theft before graduation. Allegedly. Nice place, huh?Oxy-Morons is an indie crime drama starring David from Real World Seattle and the writer who lived it. The guy is a crook! That's what makes it realistic. It's a classic (typical?) redemption story, albeit there may have been some recidivism in real life. This film tackles the issue from a social realist perspective, and touches on racism. The plot follows the crimes and punishment of an OxyContin addict, tracing the origins of the pill epidemic in Mass from the time it hit the market. This film is better than Reservoir For a Dream or Rush. There are lots of characters. The mother is a superb character actress also seen in Grownups 2. The accents are real, the story is based on true events, and the settings are on location. They filmed some scenes in an abandoned prison. What I liked about this film is the high level of realism, as compared with the vast majority of crime dramas. The anti-hero protagonist is an addict. This is what drives him to commit crimes, as in real life, rather than a swaggering outlaw or bigshot gangster like the rest of the crime pictures. Crime, like the addiction which begets it, is a bad habit, a compulsion. It's a way to make a quick buck for those at the end of their ropes. Oxy-Morons doesn't sugarcoat it. It's an epic tale.

Hey, you don't know me, but I am a good friend of Joe's. He showed me your movie, OxyMorons.... I have to tell you, I was floored. It was so real.... even the pretty awful and graphic scenes.... it showed EXACTLY how it is.... the good , the bad, and the flipping awful. My hat is off to you. Especially being a first time director!! Seriously, the cinematography, the music, you even got real live Bostonians to play the roles so everyone doesn't sound like they are in Brooklyn!! In all seriousness, the Oxy epidemic has touched the lives in one way or another of pretty much EVERYONE in and around the greater Boston area... and nothing I have seen or read about it has ever struck me as being as close to reality as this flick. You told it just like it is for thousands of people, no sugar coating... no embellishing... just cold, hard, and kinda scary truth. You have a gift dude.... Keep 'em coming!!~Lauren Barry

The movie focuses on the prescription painkiller oxycodone, and how it exploded on the streets 10 years ago, causing many people to become addicted and do whatever it took to get their fix. I have seen the power of this drug and how it has the ability to consume and even kill people. As the movie demonstrates, there is little an addict won't do to get their fix. It's amazing how so many pharmaceutical drugs are over prescribed, causing harm to and even killing so many people, yet marijuana is illegal. It's all about the FDA, drug companies, insurance companies, law enforcement, and $$$$$$$. In the movie, we see the pharmaceutical sales rep persuading the doctor to try this new miracle pill on her patients, and then we see the consequences when the drug is not respected. The film shows the dark side of what happened on the streets- addiction, greed, murder, betrayal, self-destruction, revenge, and misery. The plot is intricate yet highly believable. Some scenes were quite emotional and you couldn't help feeling empathetic for many of the characters, all of whom were a perfect fit for their respective roles. These guys were a real-life crew from Boston (Charlestown) who hustled and did what they had to do to get by. The only big name in the movie was Tim Sylvia (former UFC heavyweight champ) who obviously was believable as a member of the tough crew of oxy bandits. If you or any of your boys used to make plays for a living, or still do, this film is a must-see. If you've seen anyone in your life get bit by drug addiction, this film will really hit home. I'd say it was better than "The Town" as far as plot and action, and hopefully it gets the recognition it deserves despite the lack of advertising. I wish it was a half hour longer! In short- great idea for a movie, well-designed plot, outstanding action, and awesome soundtrack.