Cash Only

This is one of those "small" arty films that, going into it, may or may not be captivating. I soon was hooked by a number of qualities -- the freedom from background music (which I'm really getting tired of in movies), the gritty ambiance of actual street locations (in Detroit), and the fine acting. Also, it takes time to establish what exactly is going on, setting the mood & atmosphere of a low-life landlord in a bad area and his shady friends and contacts. We soon learn that the lead role (well performed by Nickola Shreli, a kind of an Albanian Vin Diesel) is a more complex character -- not perfect, a little seamy around the edges, but all the while cultivating an endearingly tender love for his little daughter (well acted by the child actress, either Maia Noni or Djelina Berishaj). The dénouement spirals out of control as Shreli's character (Elvis Martini) gets caught up in a ruthless crime ganglord's vendetta against him, and director Malik Bader handles the tension and climax well. One thread throughout involves Elvis's relationship with his daughter and at least to me, it wasn't clear why he would have a ritual of he and his daughter calling up his wife and leaving messages on her answering machine -- until the very end, when the touching reason was clear, and brought tears to my eyes.