Review of The Holly

This must-see documentary is a riveting, unforgettable look at the heartbreak and corruption, entrenched pathologies and dueling interests that enable the cycle of violence in one urban Denver neighborhood to roll on and on. The plot twists and danger, stubborn hope and cynicism in play, the world weariness of people who doggedly continue to try to improve things anyway (often at great risk for their safety), illustrate why problems are so deep rooted and change is elusive. Terrance Roberts has put himself at the intersection of all of it - a maelstrom of gang members, police informants, neighborhood kingpins, developers and the local cops and prosecutors.