A feeling of "almost there" ... but somewhat incomplete No doubt this piece will split viewers between varying levels of enjoyment and complete apathy.
Character development varies as much as viewer responses to this piece. The storyline is of the period and believable. The action, at times, is authentic and flows well. At other points some viewers will be left thinking "why?" as the scene unfolds. Simply put, as a whole, God's Pocket comes across as an incomplete project.
The performances of some cast members vary from excellent to mundane and the ultimate sin - "phoned in".
I've never read the source material so cannot comment on its transmission to film. I'm left wondering what impact Philip Seymour Hoffman's state of mind, at the time of production, was reflected in the finished product.
Some would say that God's Pocket is a scattered effort. That is not an entirely unfair point of view in this case.