Set in the streets of Venice Beach (with a brief U-turn downtown LA!), this punk rock tale follows teenage skater-artist R.J. (Paul Rodriguez, Jr.) on the run for his life after a shocking tragic murder pits him against a vengeful gangbanger, the cops and the sins of a father currently incarcerated for gun dealing. Director Paul Boyd manages to keep the pace fast and loose while delivering an intricately woven non-linear narrative structure. The film is occasionally punctuated with animated flashes of R.J.’s artwork providing context to his world and how he relates to both his predicament and the people surrounding him.
Vicious Circle, a film by Paul Boyd will be screened tonight, Friday August 21th, at Los Angeles Downtown Film Festival.