Steel City could have used more rhythmic drive, but if Jun keeps weaving together characters this compelling, he could be a major film artist in the making.

The only misstep Jun makes, and it's hard to fault him given the budget, is the mediocre and at times heavy-handed use of music. Still, it's an unqualified success from the heartland.

A quietly, somberly effective American indie drama.

Steel City makes a valiant attempt to add some new tweaks to the genre best described as life-sucks-growing-up-in-a-mill-town.

Steel City may be the only movie released this year that's so observant you can hear what the characters AREN'T saying.

One of the most hopeful movies I've seen recently--not just for its humane, realistic story line, but in its very being.

For the most part, they live life convincingly, in a refreshingly inward-looking, well-made film that's smart enough to stay small, and leave the car crashes to the big summer action movies.

Its honest, unshowy performances and textured depiction of life in a working-class community in a nowhere Southern Illinois town make this modest indie feature an affecting experience.

Jun, a downstate native, has an ear for plainspoken dialogue and neither glamorizes nor patronizes his characters.

It has vivid characters, a strong sense of place, and a free-floating hopelessness that never precludes the possibility of meaningful action.

Mostly Mr. Jun's script is sharp, and Laurie Metcalf, James McDaniel, America Ferrera and Raymond J. Barry in supporting roles help keep the tale mesmerizing, in a small-scale sort of way.

A shaky but promising debut, Brian Jun's downbeat family drama is likely to make you feel a whole lot better about your own life.

The movie's strength is in the performances. And they're enough to make Steel City worth a look.

Whatever Steel City lacks in oomph or even originality, it at least breaks even with its working-class authenticity and unexpectedly well-rounded ensemble.