I have put a lot of thought into this one since I viewed it a few hours ago. Overall, it was not as entertaining as New Jack City, but I wouldn't consider that in itself a failure, since I really love New Jack City. What I thought made N.J.C. work so well was it's depicition of the gangster "family" that Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) was attempting to form and keep together. Belly takes a different approach to look at a similar situation.
In the beginnning on the film we are introduced to the main characters whom we learn are small time felons that quickly enter the big time with some murders at a club. Instead of focusing on these characters and developing a character to be the leader of the gang and focusing on the gangs rise to power, we are instead almost immediately bounced from character to character. Each character's part relies on the previous, but the result is not cohesive. As a result, there is no real main character in the film, which can sometimes work but in this case does not.
I don't understand the criticisms on this film glorifying violence. As with many modern-day gangster films, we have the intelligent gangster trying to break free from the oppression of his gang, and the ending tries to send a clear message. No more violence.
I really appreciated the beginning sequence and was pretty excited at that point. There is some great use of the camera and the "black light" effect in the club reminded me of a modern, ghetto Milk Bar from A Clockwork Orange. Not bad for a first try from Hype Williams.
In the beginnning on the film we are introduced to the main characters whom we learn are small time felons that quickly enter the big time with some murders at a club. Instead of focusing on these characters and developing a character to be the leader of the gang and focusing on the gangs rise to power, we are instead almost immediately bounced from character to character. Each character's part relies on the previous, but the result is not cohesive. As a result, there is no real main character in the film, which can sometimes work but in this case does not.
I don't understand the criticisms on this film glorifying violence. As with many modern-day gangster films, we have the intelligent gangster trying to break free from the oppression of his gang, and the ending tries to send a clear message. No more violence.
I really appreciated the beginning sequence and was pretty excited at that point. There is some great use of the camera and the "black light" effect in the club reminded me of a modern, ghetto Milk Bar from A Clockwork Orange. Not bad for a first try from Hype Williams.