Crash

Crash; Stellar performances by many (notably Cheadle) can’t save this film from its misguided examination of racism using a soft lens. The movie means well but doesn’t dig deep enough to provide a true meaningful examination yet isn’t very subtle about its intentions either; B-

Dead Presidents

Directed by:  Allen and Albert Hughes
Starring:  Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, Keith David, Freddy Rodriguez
Running Time: 2h 00min

Sold as a bank robbery film, this totally original piece of filmmaking is really about the African American experience in the 70s.  Vietnam, before the war and after, and the social situations many Black people found themselves in.  The disillusionment that the whole country felt, yet seen through the eyes of a young Black man.  The drama is heartfelt, and Tate really matures before our eyes, both as the character and as an actor.  The war is dealt with ferociously, tackled with the fever that the Hughes try to emulate from their idols DePalma, Scorcese, and Coppola.  A real character study that never leaves its mark.  We are aware that this is just one story of one man, yet a story that was felt for many in the 70s.

Grade: B-