Out of control, grim little urban black comedy in the vein (laugh track) of TRAINSPOTTING, this movie makes the most of its very simple premise and today remains most known as one of the two posthumously released Pac vehicles. Speaking of Pac, it's just crazy to think he was like 25 in this movie. He no doubt could've won an Oscar someday. The man dominates any scene he's in. In fact, he really dominates the entire movie, even despite the great supporting performances of Roth, Newton, Bokeem, etc. As far as the 90s New York setting is concerned, there's a beauty in the dirty, squalid flophouses the main characters shoot up in and indeed in the colorful characters standing around the margins. Even the weird Lucy Liu cameo doesn't feel out of place. I just loved the sleazy world and how smoky and seedy but fun director Curtis-Hall makes the place.
When it comes to actors-turned-directors, Vondie Curtis-Hall carved out a nice little niche for himself. He wasn't Singleton or the Hughes Brothers, he was closer to his eventual partner Kasi Lemmons, being the masculine to her feminine. The characters in his worlds defy stereotypes, showing honesty in close bonds and relationships while retaining their flaws. The Pac and Roth bromance really feels lived in, even the whole thruple thing they have going on with Thandiwe Newton (more on her in a moment) is very accurate to the couch-surfing musician routine. I must say, this Newton run from here to like 2006 was crazy. Between her stunning turns in two Demme flicks (BELOVED and THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE) and looking about as beautiful as a woman did in the early Oughts (in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II), she really was on track to overtake Halle Berry for a moment. Could just kick it up to Hollywood's misogynoir and not writing good roles for black woman at large (especially in this era), but she should have been an A+ lister and although she had a decent career, I think her full potential was rather untapped by most of the Hollywood directors that cast her (except Demme).
The gruesome nature of heroin addiction is a topic oft-explored in Hollywood (going as far back as Frank Sinatra in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM) and is for good reason. It's fucking dramatic. It's life and death. The struggle day in and day out to get your fix, to retain your humanity and identity while your body is dying inside and out is an actor's dream. That being said, it's up to the actors ultimately not to overdo it and make the descent feel natural. While Pac and Roth are a little too pretty to really look like addicts (Andre Royo on THE WIRE remains the pinnacle of on-screen junkies), they play things ultra-naturally, focusing more on their relationship as opposed to the drug angle of their characters. And as far as that stuff goes, the movie really breezes along with a sense of humor and late 90s New York vibes. I really like the negative editing tricks as well. Curtis-Hall's direction is subtle, effective, yet brimming with era-specific style that somehow doesn't feel dated.
Kinda awesome little movie, but knocking off points for the poorly-aged transphobic humor at the top of the picture. That wasn't funny then and is certainly not funny now.
Out of control, grim little urban black comedy in the vein (laugh track) of TRAINSPOTTING, this movie makes the most of its very simple premise and today remains most known as one of the two posthumously released Pac vehicles. Speaking of Pac, it's just crazy to think he was like 25 in this movie. He no doubt could've won an Oscar someday. The man dominates any scene he's in. In fact, he really dominates the entire movie, even despite the great supporting performances of Roth, Newton, Bokeem, etc. As far as the 90s New York setting is concerned, there's a beauty in the dirty, squalid flophouses the main characters shoot up in and indeed in the colorful characters standing around the margins. Even the weird Lucy Liu cameo doesn't feel out of place. I just loved the sleazy world and how smoky and seedy but fun director Curtis-Hall makes the place.
When it comes to actors-turned-directors, Vondie Curtis-Hall carved out a nice little niche for himself. He wasn't Singleton or the Hughes Brothers, he was closer to his eventual partner Kasi Lemmons, being the masculine to her feminine. The characters in his worlds defy stereotypes, showing honesty in close bonds and relationships while retaining their flaws. The Pac and Roth bromance really feels lived in, even the whole thruple thing they have going on with Thandiwe Newton (more on her in a moment) is very accurate to the couch-surfing musician routine. I must say, this Newton run from here to like 2006 was crazy. Between her stunning turns in two Demme flicks (BELOVED and THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE) and looking about as beautiful as a woman did in the early Oughts (in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II), she really was on track to overtake Halle Berry for a moment. Could just kick it up to Hollywood's misogynoir and not writing good roles for black woman at large (especially in this era), but she should have been an A+ lister and although she had a decent career, I think her full potential was rather untapped by most of the Hollywood directors that cast her (except Demme).
The gruesome nature of heroin addiction is a topic oft-explored in Hollywood (going as far back as Frank Sinatra in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM) and is for good reason. It's fucking dramatic. It's life and death. The struggle day in and day out to get your fix, to retain your humanity and identity while your body is dying inside and out is an actor's dream. That being said, it's up to the actors ultimately not to overdo it and make the descent feel natural. While Pac and Roth are a little too pretty to really look like addicts (Andre Royo on THE WIRE remains the pinnacle of on-screen junkies), they play things ultra-naturally, focusing more on their relationship as opposed to the drug angle of their characters. And as far as that stuff goes, the movie really breezes along with a sense of humor and late 90s New York vibes. I really like the negative editing tricks as well. Curtis-Hall's direction is subtle, effective, yet brimming with era-specific style that somehow doesn't feel dated.
Kinda awesome little movie, but knocking off points for the poorly-aged transphobic humor at the top of the picture. That wasn't funny then and is certainly not funny now.
