Gripping multi-faceted tale filmed with all the grittiness that contemporary Detroit can offer. It's a courtroom drama, following the reluctant legal hero as he honors his family and the neighborhood that rejected him in his youth. But it's also a street justice flick, making use of Detroit's desolate setting as a backdrop for the double-crossing warlords. Moreover, it's a tale of corporate intrigue, uncovering the distanced puppeteer that draws in the big bucks while its impoverished, unknowing victims struggle. This corporate robber-baron facet is a delightful twist that would have benefited from expansion in the film, particularly if it had been highlighted in the riveting final courtroom scene. Director-writer Harry Davis delivers this marvelous film deftly, nuancing the unblinking ruthlessness of Training Day or Goodfellas with the character- driven narrative of New Jack City or A Few Good Men. Although the bumpin' musical soundtrack is apt for most every scene, the film's only technical shortcoming is the wavering, whispering sound that relegates some characters' lines to oblique mutterings. Further, the sinewy storyline nearly loses itself in a large number of characters who probably could have been consolidated. Still, AfroPixFlix plants seven joyful-roadie fork tines in this film. Looking forward to more films from this gifted filmmaker. See it!
Review of Joy Road
