"The Local Stigmatic" is a most unusual film. Clocking in at under an hour, it's based on a play by Heathcote Williams. Because of this, it plays like a play...and Al Pacino not only stars in it but directs it. Like his other film, "Chinese Coffee", it's obvious Pacino was not concerned with making a film to make him rich...it was obviously a labor of love.
When the film began, I was immediately taken aback by Al Pacino's incredibly bad accent. He was supposed to be Irish or British...but it sounded much more like a Brooklyn accent. While a very fine actor, he really was all wrong for the film....and I am sure I'm not the only one who could not get past this accent or those of his co-star. They just weren't appropriate to the characters they were portraying.
As far as the film itself goes,...well, it's a labor of love...but a labor OTHERS will have a hard time enjoying. The film is incredibly talky and violent. Overall, I cannot see the average viewer enjoying this or sticking with it for long. I know I really needed to struggle to watch.
