Okay, we all have different opinions but, make no mistake, this is an enthralling, absorbing and captivating film. First and foremost Cassavetes makes films for adults - a phenomenon that doesn't seem to exist for film studios nowadays. As for the comments and questions of one of the other reviewers - well, there aren't necessarily any particular answers but the point being, I guess, that life's like that - things are never quite as clear cut as cinema (especially Hollywood cinema) makes out. An over-rated director like Scorsese could only dream of making a film as realistic and mature as this; his films are generally (and I'm excluding Taxi Driver and Raging Bull here) for adolescents. Compare this masterpiece with Goodfellas, for example - it's like comparing a Rembrandt to a Rolf Harris; there's no denying the latter has some quality, but the former is operating on a different level entirely. Incidentally, I'd particularly recommend the longer version rather than the 108-minute version, as that fills in some of the plot gaps that other reviewers seem to be querying. Having said that, the shorter film has a few scenes that aren't actually in the 134-minute cut, so why don't the powers-that-be re-edit it entirely so that a, let's say, 140-minute version was made available? Despite that minor quibble, this is as good a film as I've seen in a long, long time.