And Corky gives Fresh crap for wanting to demand his money. We see a foreshadowing of Jake's evil nature in which Jake threatens to kill someone because of a personal debt he is owed. The next day we see the typical daily operations of Corky's crime family, consisting of Fresh, Jake (Jean La-Marre) and Red. His sis is fed up with him coming home late, and says that if they end up in a group home because of him, she'll kill him. After Fresh hides his money, in order to evade being caught by cops, he comes home late. After that we see what the kids do in school all day, including one graphic scene where the kids talk about smacking girls who they think are bitches and act "all that," including not wanting to be with guys they deem as beneith them. He then goes to school where his teacher scolds him for coming late. We then see him go into Herbie (Yul Vazquez) store, who counts the drugs for Fresh to give him the money. He spends his day in the opening, running drugs for both Corky's and Esteban's gangs. He lives in a housing project in Brooklyn with his Aunt Frances and his sister Nicole (Wright), a low-self esteem girl who doesn't make being taken advantage of and his bros, after his parents divorced. The story revolves around 12-year old Michael, who goes by his street name Fresh. It was released in August 1994 by Luminiere Pictures and later distributed, in some cinemas by Miramax. Thanks to Mr.Fresh is a classic part-noir/part thriller crime movie starring Samuel L Jackson, N'Bushe Wright, Sean Nelson (as the eponymous character) and Gian Carlo Esposito. This is an important movie dealing with an important subject. The dreamy scenes where Fresh is seen looking toward Manhattan at different times of the day, is pure poetry. Adam Holender, the cinematographer, has given the film the right look. Giancarlo Esposito as Esteban, the nasty drug dealer, adds another great role to his brilliant film career. Jackson's take on this man is an excellent example why he is on of the best actors working in films today. Jackson makes another incredible appearance as Fresh's father Sam. The lack of formal training works out as we watch a portrayal that is devoid of any mannerisms, or other cute poses that someone with more experience would have done with this role. He is one of the most natural actors we have seen in a while. The only problem is that sometimes some of what he hear in the dialog is incomprehensible because of the use of street slang most of the viewers don't know. The acting by all the principals is first rate. Fresh is venting his frustration at a dog he clearly loved, but now he cannot keep. The scene where Fresh hangs the dog by his collar is one of the most horrible things we watch in the movie. Fresh's dog wins a match, but it is a menace that has to be put to sleep. There is a scene in the film involving pit bull fighting that will make, even the coolest viewer cringe. In doing so, we see tears coming out of him because maybe then, Fresh realizes the enormity of the events he's been involved in, and the fact that his father, in yelling at him, perhaps shows the boy how much he cares for him. Only after all the big events at the end of the film, Fresh beats the old man up. One thing is sure, Sam always wins when he plays Fresh. His son, admires him but bears a resentment against him for abandoning him and Nicole, his sister. Sam is a highly intelligent man who has had the misfortune of falling victim to the bottle. Sam teaches his son the game and how to think the way the champions do. Sam, his absent father, is a master of the game. We watch him win games in Washington Square Park over more skilled players. What Fresh does, of course, is illegal, but this is a determined young man that is looking for a better future in spite of what he sees around him. It's a heavy trip for a young child to deal with in his own life and still have a head in his shoulders. Fresh probably learned quickly in his young life he must be a step ahead of the drug dealers and their henchmen in order to survive in that world. In spite of the poor surroundings, this is a decent home. His kind aunt Frances has gathered about a dozen youngsters in the home she shares with her mother, who is the grandmother of all of them. Fresh comes from a broken home where the mother is not around and the father is absent from the picture. We follow him as he runs illegal drugs for the dealers of his area. Fresh is the young boy at the center of the action. If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading now. Yakin working with what appears to be a cast of non professional actors, mainly, presents a gripping tale of life in the ghetto that will probably be a classic in this genre. Boaz Yakin, the enormously talented writer/director of "Fresh" has done the impossible, a real movie about real things that offers a sharp contrast with other films about the subject we have seen before.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |