The value of this piece of film is to see Keitle and the others 'play' in front of the camera. It and 'Smoke' provide insights into the preoccupations of the very accomplished writer, Paul Auster: New York, parents and parenting, our self-obsessions and self-deceptions; the fact that 'shit happens' usually, but that something musch more beautiful and strange can and does happen unpredictably. One does, it should be said, be a North American city dweller to fully appreciate this film. I, for example 'did time' in Chicago and loved every minute of it.
Apart from the above, I was delighted to see Lou Reed work infront of a camera instead of a microphone, but then I have to admit that I have been a 'fan' since Velvet Underground daze.
It should be mentioned that both 'Smoke' and this film were shown on ARTE, a Franco/German television station and one of the best in Western Europe in the second week of March 2000. In all this film is certainly worth your time. It is better anything that I have seen on 'prime time' television.