Clockers (1995)

Spike Lee adapts Richard Price to mixed effect.  The director's over-
the-top approach reminded me of Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS, 
which may or may not suit the genre of urban "gansta" drama.  Over-
scored and under-lit, CLOCKERS is a surreal murder-mystery-as-
morality-play that takes about thirty minutes to settle into.  (Hip 
hop over street slang doesn't help the acclimation process.)  The 
saving grace is the story.  Price's portrait of a small-time crack 
dealer (Meki Phifer) is *far* more potent than anything Lee can do 
with a camera.  

Grade: B-

Copyright 1995 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros