Chalk

Many films aspire to have the suffocating atmosphere of this drama about small-time pool hustlers; few come close. Middle-aged, reformed junkie Earl Watson (Edwin Johnson), a one-time pool hustler in failing health, owns the run-down Crabtree Pool Hall in Richmond, CA. Dark, cramped and scummed over with an oily sheen of desperation, the Crabtree is home to Watson's son Jones (Johnnie Reese) and his adopted brother TC (Kelvin Han Yee). A naturally gifted pool player, TC is nevertheless a disappointment to Watson; he lacks the nerve and drive to parlay his talent into real money, and seems content to hustle amateurs with Jones. Then Jones sets up a high-stakes match...