With all the awards buzz on this film, academically I tagged it as required viewing, despite the more emotional feeling that it'd be a bit of a dud. The first 30 minutes or so, pretty much confirmed my suspicions; I even considered giving up on the 2 hours to come. But that slow rolling pebble starts to pick up momentum and depth until it very nicely fills out the production's ambitious duration. Happily, the climax and resolution of this gangster film detour from others in the genre. The apt and artful direction bring the film through an extremely healthy arc to a powerful conclusion. Very well done.

In fact, little about this film isn't well done. Yes, the first 30 minutes might have you a bit antsy in your seat. Yes, a few cops-tailing-bad-guys without-getting-detected scenes are a little implausible. But, other than that, this seemingly hokey 70's-TV-style production determinedly matures into a motion picture with cinematic impact. Washington plays the role with welcome understatement, and Crow shows off his ability to make major impact in any role he takes on. Emotionally, the film is a bit barren, save for the powerful conclusion and the scenes with Ruby Dee as Frank's mom.

A very strong B+ or weak A-. I'll round up. (Reminded me a tad of "Copland" which I really enjoyed.)

-- Book Contest --