An astute and genuinely gripping portrait of political back-scratching, street drama and complex social interactions in a typical middle-sized contemporary American city. The crux of the story is an old apartment block which stands in the way of a major commercial development. Joe Rinaldi owns the buildings and is being pressured to torch them to permit the development to occur, his estranged son, Nick, soon becomes a pawn in the power politics of the city, corrupt Mayor Baci and policeman O'Brien are determined to push the development, while idealistic city councilman Wynn soon finds himself torn between what he knows is right and what his black constituents want. Meanwhile black teenagers Tito and Desmond are so fed up with being hassled by racist cops that they mug a college professor, these are just some of the characters in this New Jersey city. Sayles' direction is a real plus and the intriguing depth of the various characters give the film a really absorbing edge.