Lost Angels: Skid Row is My Home

The Skid Row section of Los Angeles is roughly four square miles that contains thousands of homeless men and women. Narrated by Catherine Keener, Thomas Q. Napper's documentary introduces the viewer to eight individuals who struggle to survive within this extraordinary environment. Included here are Danny Harris, a former Olympic silver medalist sprinter whose life was destroyed by drug addiction; an ex-boxer who calls himself KK; and Lee Anne Leven, a self-styled “cat lady” whose mission is to feed the area's feral feline population. Lee Anne witnessed the blurring of real-life and reel-life when she worked as an extra in the Robert Downey Jr.—Jamie Foxx film The Soloist, which was filmed on location at Skid Row (Napper was the second-unit director). Lost Angels also highlights the outreach work of the nonprofits Los Angeles Community Action Network and The Midnight Mission, which work with the area's residents—many of whom struggle with mental illnesses and addiction issues. While the documentary offers hope that residence on Skid Row does not necessarily become the proverbial last stop on the line (Harris managed to complete his undergraduate degree studies and become part of The Midnight Mission staff after filming was completed), the imagery of human misery located at the center of one of America's most vibrant metropolitan regions is hard to forget. A powerful and timely portrait of the down and out, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)