You have to be in the right frame of mind, but if you can tap into this film's groove, and are wanting a broad tale, then sure, give this a look. The film does have its problems, but I don't think they're egregious enough to keep me from giving it the grade that I am. We do get some good performances though, and the themes and ideas are well established, but then again, I'd expect no less from Lee. I'm all for ironic uses of music, but it's not really done all that well here, and seems kinda corny. The movie was directed by Eli Roth, a prominent terror film director and actor (Hostel, Death. Sometimes it's fine, but at others, it really clashes and sticks out. The cast includes Hollywood stars Jack Black and Cate Blanchett. An issue that really gets to me though is the music. It's a decently well shot film, and the art direction and set design are suitably grimy, gritty, and show the plight of people in the inner city. But, when the film is on target, it's really on target, and makes for some compelling, well done, and entertaining cinema. Watch on Starz Clockers (1995) 'When there’s murder on the streets, everyone is a suspect. By having the film become so drawn out and broad, things tend to lose steam and focus from time to time, and the meandering leads to the grit and intensity losing their edge once in a while. I'm not as thrilled that this film was expanded into a lengthy epic, but I don't think that's a major issue. Instead, this small story is blown up, and used as merely a driving force in a broader story about the trials and tribulations of inner city life, specifically the issue of black on black crime. This seems like a nice, simple, intimate story, and I would have been thrilled had it just stuck to being that. Besides pressure from Rodney, fellow clockers, and his own conscience, Strike also has to deal with the main cops on the case, played by Harvey Keitel and John Turturro. While the film does eventually reveal the truth, the bulk of the story probes whether or not Strike actually committed the murder. Clockers: Official Clip - Disrespectful Cops View all videos (10) Clockers Photos View All Photos (19) Movie Info Nineteen-year-old 'Strike' Dunham (Mekhi Phifer) is a small-time street drug dealer. Strike finds himself in deep when he gets involved in the investigation of the murder of one of Rodney's rivals- a man Strike was told to get rid off. Though Rodney had illegal business dealings, he is also shown to be a mentor to the local youth, and he does give them guidance and opportunities, even if they aren't necessarily the most positive of things. There are many players here, but the film predominately follows Strike (Mekhi Phifer)- a "clocker" or street-level drug dealer who works for businessman/supplier Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo). Based on a novel by Richard Price, who co-wrote the script with director Spike Lee, this is a grim and gritty look at how a police procedural affects the residents of an inner city neighborhood during the aftermath of a murder and the subsequent investigation.
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