Posted by admin on August 24, 2011 in Cheese Making ·
| Cast: |
| Robert Downey Jr… |
…Terry |
| Stacy Edwards… |
…Sheila |
| Gaby Hoffman… |
…Raven |
| Allan Houston… |
Dean… |
| Jared Leto… |
…Casey |
| Marla Maples… |
…Muffy |
| Oli “Power” Grant… |
…Rich Bower |
| Bijou Phillips… |
…Charlie |
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- Directed by: James Toback
Written by: James Toback
Rated R for violence, sexuality, and language
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
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| A Conglomerate of Gray |
 There are a couple different ways one can view “Black and White,” the new movie exploring the national fascination with the hip-hop lifestyle: first, as writer/director James Toback’s foray into experimental cinema; having actors improvise many of their lines, using random and often kinetic camerawork, incorporating numerous jump cuts in the editing, basically giving the film a documentary feel. The second way is to see it as an unfolding urban street drama, hoping to get caught up in the lives of its characters. I viewed it more as the latter, which is probably why I’m unable to recommend it. If I had viewed it the first way, I think I would have liked it more.The movie follows a few days in the lives of several characters, showing how their plights slowly becomed intertwined with the lives around them. We meet a vast array of personalities, including Rich Bower (Oli “Power” Grant), a former street gang leader who has decided to trade in his life of crime for a shot at stardom as a hip-hop impresario. The film also introduces us to filmmaker Sam Donager (Brooke Shields), who along with her eccentric husband (Robert Downey Jr.) is shooting a documentary on the fascination of young, rich white kids toward the increasingly popular hip-hop lifestyle. We also get to know a gifted young basketball player (New York Knicks guard Allan Houston), who has so much to look forward to but has a weakness toward monetary temptation as seen when he is confronted by a mysterious gambler (Ben Stiller) and asked to throw a couple games. There are so many other characters thrown into the mix here (perhaps a tad too many) as the movie randomly moves from one to another, giving us a glimpse into their hopes, views, fears, desires, and passions.The movie has been compared in great length to Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”; a comparison that doesn’t quite hold up for me. The main difference is the rising tide of tension in Lee’s film which could be felt as you were watching it. That kind of tension is missing from “Black and White.” Yes, the movie does have some very interesting elements. The best scenes involve Mike Tyson (playing himself) improvising dialogue with the fictional characters surrounding him. (The most intriguing of those scenes has the Robert Downey Jr. character confiding in Tyson a dream he had about him. Tyson’s reaction is a jolt of electricity.) There are a few scenes like that, but the problem for me is their inability to build up to any kind of crescendo. I kept waiting for the movie to involve me with such intent that I was taken by surprise when the closing credits began to roll.Despite my overall negative reaction to the film, it is certainly not a failed effort. James Toback has made a movie with a look and feel all its own. The performances are terrific, the camerawork is unique and inviting, the editing is quick and unrelenting, yet the intertwining stories are just too disjointed to pack any kind of emotional punch. I admired the effort. I just wasn’t moved by the final product. |