Hoodlum
3/4
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Chi McBride, Vanessa Williams, Cicely Tyson, Andy Garcia
Rated R for Graphic Gangster Violence, Strong Language, A Scene of Sexuality and Some Nudity
Typically in gangster movies, the guys with the tommy guns are Italian. From "The Godfather" to "Goodfellas," the two are synonymous (although lately, Russians have taken over the job with the likes of "The Boondock Saints" and "Running Scared"). So here is "Hoodlum," a gangster movie where the central focus is on African American gangsters.
Interestingly enough, there's really not much difference in how Bumpy Johnson (Fisburne) and his crew operate, as opposed to say, the Corleones. There is a godfather (well, in this case, a Queen), generals, foot soldiers, etc. Director Bill Duke, who is black, deliberately does not make an issue of race, and that's a wise decision. Black, Russian, Italian...they're all human beings, and a gangster is a gangster. Could Duke have given their way of doing things a different "feel," if you will, and still made a dramatically compelling movie? Absolutely, but to do so would be a disservice to the story. Duke does show the racism that blacks faced, but for the most part the fact that these gangsters are black is mostly irrelevant to the story.
Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson has just gotten out of prison and is going back to his old life working for "Queen" Stephanie St. Clair (Tyson), a powerful woman who runs a lucrative numbers racket. But there is an intruder on their turf. Dutch Schultz (Roth), a gangster who is working under the local mob boss, Lucky Luciano (Garcia), who wants to run his own racket. Tensions boil over and a war erupts between them. The body count rises dramatically and no one is safe from either the law or the gun. Bumpy has to decide how far he is willing to go to win.
The acting is on the good side of variable. Laurence Fishburne, an imposing actor who possesses a great range, is outstanding as Bumpy. He is delicate but powerful, and wants to do the right thing. He has his own set of morals, which, while not revolutionary in a gangster movie, gives the character depth. Dutch Schultz is another one of Tim Roth's hyper and off-the-wall villains. It's a good performance, Dutch is the perfect adversary for Bumpy, but this is something that Roth can do in his sleep. Andy Garcia is flat as Lucky Luciano, but his role is small. Character actor Chi McBride is also very good as Illinois, Bumpy's right-hand-man. Also worth mentioning is Cicely Tyson. Tyson has gone on record saying she will only portray strong images of women, and they don't get much stronger than Madame St. Clair.
Bill Duke, a character actor in his own right,has created a sprawling gangster epic. The scope is vast, the characters are well-developed and well-acted, but the film suffers from some clunky development. In other words, it could have used a few rewrites. It is also about 20 minutes too long (the subplot with a sleazy lawyer, played by William Atherton (who is the go to guy for these types of roles) doesn't make a lot of sense and adds little to the proceedings). To Duke's credit, the film is visually dynamic and almost always interesting.
If you're the kind of person who can't get enough gangster movies, here's another one to add to your collection.
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Chi McBride, Vanessa Williams, Cicely Tyson, Andy Garcia
Rated R for Graphic Gangster Violence, Strong Language, A Scene of Sexuality and Some Nudity
Typically in gangster movies, the guys with the tommy guns are Italian. From "The Godfather" to "Goodfellas," the two are synonymous (although lately, Russians have taken over the job with the likes of "The Boondock Saints" and "Running Scared"). So here is "Hoodlum," a gangster movie where the central focus is on African American gangsters.
Interestingly enough, there's really not much difference in how Bumpy Johnson (Fisburne) and his crew operate, as opposed to say, the Corleones. There is a godfather (well, in this case, a Queen), generals, foot soldiers, etc. Director Bill Duke, who is black, deliberately does not make an issue of race, and that's a wise decision. Black, Russian, Italian...they're all human beings, and a gangster is a gangster. Could Duke have given their way of doing things a different "feel," if you will, and still made a dramatically compelling movie? Absolutely, but to do so would be a disservice to the story. Duke does show the racism that blacks faced, but for the most part the fact that these gangsters are black is mostly irrelevant to the story.
Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson has just gotten out of prison and is going back to his old life working for "Queen" Stephanie St. Clair (Tyson), a powerful woman who runs a lucrative numbers racket. But there is an intruder on their turf. Dutch Schultz (Roth), a gangster who is working under the local mob boss, Lucky Luciano (Garcia), who wants to run his own racket. Tensions boil over and a war erupts between them. The body count rises dramatically and no one is safe from either the law or the gun. Bumpy has to decide how far he is willing to go to win.
The acting is on the good side of variable. Laurence Fishburne, an imposing actor who possesses a great range, is outstanding as Bumpy. He is delicate but powerful, and wants to do the right thing. He has his own set of morals, which, while not revolutionary in a gangster movie, gives the character depth. Dutch Schultz is another one of Tim Roth's hyper and off-the-wall villains. It's a good performance, Dutch is the perfect adversary for Bumpy, but this is something that Roth can do in his sleep. Andy Garcia is flat as Lucky Luciano, but his role is small. Character actor Chi McBride is also very good as Illinois, Bumpy's right-hand-man. Also worth mentioning is Cicely Tyson. Tyson has gone on record saying she will only portray strong images of women, and they don't get much stronger than Madame St. Clair.
Bill Duke, a character actor in his own right,has created a sprawling gangster epic. The scope is vast, the characters are well-developed and well-acted, but the film suffers from some clunky development. In other words, it could have used a few rewrites. It is also about 20 minutes too long (the subplot with a sleazy lawyer, played by William Atherton (who is the go to guy for these types of roles) doesn't make a lot of sense and adds little to the proceedings). To Duke's credit, the film is visually dynamic and almost always interesting.
If you're the kind of person who can't get enough gangster movies, here's another one to add to your collection.
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