Film review: 'In Too Deep'
The resilient Pam Grier appears only briefly in "In Too Deep", but her presence recalls the vibrancy that once was blaxploitation moviemaking. This Dimension release is such routine stuff -- without any aspiration to transcend or transform its genre trappings -- as to make one long for the energy and spunk of those low-budget black action movies Grier starred in 25 years ago.
There is little chance for crossover with this movie, and even young black audiences may be growing weary of movies that portray their career opportunities as divided between being a gangsta or a Tom who betrays this "culture."
"In Too Deep" is a variation on Al Pacino movies such as "Serpico" and "Cruising", in which an undercover cop gets into role-playing so deeply that his purchase on the line between reality and fiction weakens.
The target of the undercover operation is a Cincinnati drug lord who likes to call himself God. The filmmakers have cast this role with charismatic rapper LL Cool J, who has a likable presence on camera. On the other hand, the undercover cop is played by Omar Epps, who acts as if he were in a supporting role rather than the movie's leading man. This casting throws the dynamics somewhat off kilter, making the bad guy at times more sympathetic than the hero.
As Epps' cop gets closer and closer to his target, he starts getting into his character with dangerous relish. He does wrinkle his nose a bit when God tortures one of his closest lieutenants -- in a scene that's more graphic than it needs to be -- but he's into being a gangster in such a big way that his commanding officer (Stanley Tucci) wants to pull him out. But the D.A. is so close to his prey that he insists Epps stay in just a little while longer.
This is a plausible situation, but it does not unfold convincingly. For one thing, the transitions in Michael Henry Brown and Paul Aaron's screenplay are often abrupt. And it's possible that Michael Rymer, an Australian who has directed two previous pictures, is out of his element with a 'hood movie.
Certainly little in the film feels organic. Events transpire without any sense of cause, effect or motivation. Epps' attraction to gangster culture seems to have less to do with getting in too deep than his affinity for the man called God. The two actors constantly exchange soulful glances that even continue through the trial where Epps "betrays" his pal by testifying against him.
Production values are OK but at times appear hampered by budgetary limitations.
IN TOO DEEP
Dimension Films
Suntaur Entertainment Co.
Producers: Paul Aaron, Michael Henry Brown
Director: Michael Rymer
Writers: Michael Henry Brown, Paul Aaron
Executive producers: Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Jeremy Kramer, Amy Slotnick
Director of photography: Ellery Ryan
Production designer: Dan Leigh
Music: Christopher Young
Costume designer: Shawn Barton
Editor: Dany Cooper
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jeff Cole: Omar Epps
Dwayne Gittens: LL Cool J
Preston Boyd: Stanley Tucci
Angela Wilson: Pam Grier
Myra: Nia Long
Breezy T: Hill Harper
Pam: Veronica Webb
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
There is little chance for crossover with this movie, and even young black audiences may be growing weary of movies that portray their career opportunities as divided between being a gangsta or a Tom who betrays this "culture."
"In Too Deep" is a variation on Al Pacino movies such as "Serpico" and "Cruising", in which an undercover cop gets into role-playing so deeply that his purchase on the line between reality and fiction weakens.
The target of the undercover operation is a Cincinnati drug lord who likes to call himself God. The filmmakers have cast this role with charismatic rapper LL Cool J, who has a likable presence on camera. On the other hand, the undercover cop is played by Omar Epps, who acts as if he were in a supporting role rather than the movie's leading man. This casting throws the dynamics somewhat off kilter, making the bad guy at times more sympathetic than the hero.
As Epps' cop gets closer and closer to his target, he starts getting into his character with dangerous relish. He does wrinkle his nose a bit when God tortures one of his closest lieutenants -- in a scene that's more graphic than it needs to be -- but he's into being a gangster in such a big way that his commanding officer (Stanley Tucci) wants to pull him out. But the D.A. is so close to his prey that he insists Epps stay in just a little while longer.
This is a plausible situation, but it does not unfold convincingly. For one thing, the transitions in Michael Henry Brown and Paul Aaron's screenplay are often abrupt. And it's possible that Michael Rymer, an Australian who has directed two previous pictures, is out of his element with a 'hood movie.
Certainly little in the film feels organic. Events transpire without any sense of cause, effect or motivation. Epps' attraction to gangster culture seems to have less to do with getting in too deep than his affinity for the man called God. The two actors constantly exchange soulful glances that even continue through the trial where Epps "betrays" his pal by testifying against him.
Production values are OK but at times appear hampered by budgetary limitations.
IN TOO DEEP
Dimension Films
Suntaur Entertainment Co.
Producers: Paul Aaron, Michael Henry Brown
Director: Michael Rymer
Writers: Michael Henry Brown, Paul Aaron
Executive producers: Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Jeremy Kramer, Amy Slotnick
Director of photography: Ellery Ryan
Production designer: Dan Leigh
Music: Christopher Young
Costume designer: Shawn Barton
Editor: Dany Cooper
Color/stereo
Cast:
Jeff Cole: Omar Epps
Dwayne Gittens: LL Cool J
Preston Boyd: Stanley Tucci
Angela Wilson: Pam Grier
Myra: Nia Long
Breezy T: Hill Harper
Pam: Veronica Webb
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/25/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
REVIEWS IN REVIEW
ASSASSINS
Warner Bros.
While there may be no new ``Lethal Weapons'' on the horizon, director Richard Donner has found another way to scratch his action itch with ``Assassins, '' a killer of a suspenseful thriller packing a trio of powder-keg performances from Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore. Taut, smart and irresistible, the slick Warner Bros. release should effortlessly hit its target at the boxoffice.
HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT
Universal Pictures
The metaphors are potent and several finely constructed moments of truth are emotionally resonant, but ``How to Make an American Quilt'' is unevenly stitched together and mildly frustrating because of its ambitious design.
Featuring an abundance of great actresses, and a few good men as well, the Universal Pictures release directed by New Zealander Jocelyn Moorhouse (``Proof'') has a lyrical quality that transcends many of its conventional storytelling transgressions. Boxoffice prospects for the Amblin Entertainment production are solid, while post-theatrical action should be doubly impressive.
Women of all ages and mature audiences will find much to ponder and laugh about in this entertaining film, but almost all of the half-dozen or so stories about love and marriage, told in flashbacks, are engrossing enough to leave one wanting much more than just the ``leftover scraps'' shown (HR 10/2).
DEAD PRESIDENTS
Hollywood Pictures
The Hughes Bros. deliver on the raw talent that they exhibited with ``Menace II Society'' with this riveting tale of a young black man whose world falls apart after he returns from a stint in Vietnam. ``Dead Presidents, '' although at times a bit too sprawling and ambitious for its own good, is a stylish and powerful piece of work that could have significant urban audience appeal. It also stands to reap critical kudos, and is one of the few big studio pictures to screen at this year's New York Film Festival.
Although the plotting is a little schematic and heavy-handed, and sometimes the picture seems to be trying to cram too much in, there is no denying the force of the storytelling. Individual scenes resonate with tremendous power, thanks to Michael Henry Brown's razor-sharp dialogue, the Hughes Bros.' stylish direction, and the generally excellent performances. The Hughes Bros. are in striking control of their camera, and the robbery sequence in particular (shot on location on Brooklyn streets) is an amazing set-piece. The Vietnam sequences, too, are quite memorable. The violence quotient, as in ``Menace II Society, '' is at a high and often shocking level (HR 10/2.)
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were the films ``Persuasion'' (HR 9/27), ``The Big Green'' (9/29-10/1), ``War of the Buttons'' (9/29-10/1), ``The Jar'' (10/2) and ``Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers'' (10/2).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Warner Bros.
While there may be no new ``Lethal Weapons'' on the horizon, director Richard Donner has found another way to scratch his action itch with ``Assassins, '' a killer of a suspenseful thriller packing a trio of powder-keg performances from Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore. Taut, smart and irresistible, the slick Warner Bros. release should effortlessly hit its target at the boxoffice.
HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT
Universal Pictures
The metaphors are potent and several finely constructed moments of truth are emotionally resonant, but ``How to Make an American Quilt'' is unevenly stitched together and mildly frustrating because of its ambitious design.
Featuring an abundance of great actresses, and a few good men as well, the Universal Pictures release directed by New Zealander Jocelyn Moorhouse (``Proof'') has a lyrical quality that transcends many of its conventional storytelling transgressions. Boxoffice prospects for the Amblin Entertainment production are solid, while post-theatrical action should be doubly impressive.
Women of all ages and mature audiences will find much to ponder and laugh about in this entertaining film, but almost all of the half-dozen or so stories about love and marriage, told in flashbacks, are engrossing enough to leave one wanting much more than just the ``leftover scraps'' shown (HR 10/2).
DEAD PRESIDENTS
Hollywood Pictures
The Hughes Bros. deliver on the raw talent that they exhibited with ``Menace II Society'' with this riveting tale of a young black man whose world falls apart after he returns from a stint in Vietnam. ``Dead Presidents, '' although at times a bit too sprawling and ambitious for its own good, is a stylish and powerful piece of work that could have significant urban audience appeal. It also stands to reap critical kudos, and is one of the few big studio pictures to screen at this year's New York Film Festival.
Although the plotting is a little schematic and heavy-handed, and sometimes the picture seems to be trying to cram too much in, there is no denying the force of the storytelling. Individual scenes resonate with tremendous power, thanks to Michael Henry Brown's razor-sharp dialogue, the Hughes Bros.' stylish direction, and the generally excellent performances. The Hughes Bros. are in striking control of their camera, and the robbery sequence in particular (shot on location on Brooklyn streets) is an amazing set-piece. The Vietnam sequences, too, are quite memorable. The violence quotient, as in ``Menace II Society, '' is at a high and often shocking level (HR 10/2.)
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were the films ``Persuasion'' (HR 9/27), ``The Big Green'' (9/29-10/1), ``War of the Buttons'' (9/29-10/1), ``The Jar'' (10/2) and ``Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers'' (10/2).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 10/3/1995
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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