Gridlock'd (1997)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

A Major Disappointment

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

After their brash jazz singer pal Cookie (the adorable Thandie Newton) winds up hospitalized from overdosing on bad smack, mellow, sensible, long-suffering bass player heroin addict Spoon (a wonderfully laid-back and affable Tupac Shakur) and his wild, irrational, unpredictable keyboardist fellow dope fiend best friend Stretch (a marvelously manic Tim Roth) decide to go into rehab in order to kick their habits. This seemingly simple task proves to be easier said than done when the hapless pair run afoul of both angry drug dealers and a lumbering bureaucracy that's rife with red tape, apathy and incompetence. Writer/director Vondie Curtis Hall expertly mines a savagely funny line in raw, caustic and profane pitch-black humor while delivering a scathing indictment of the indifference and ineptitude of the social welfare system. Moreover, this film has a great rough, gritty edge to it that positively surges with a furiously hopped-up crackling vitality. Best of all, the amazingly springy'n'zingy electric and natural chemistry between the utterly engaging well-matched leads is a constant joy to watch, reaching a hilariously brutal zenith towards the end when Shukar persuades Roth to repeatedly stab him in the stomach so they can both finally get some much-needed medical treatment. Roth and Shakur shine in their roles, plus there's terrific supporting turns by Newton, Hall as a lethal drug dealer, Tom Towles as Hall's equally deadly partner, Howard Hesseman as a weary blind Vietnam veteran with a seeing eye dog named Nixon, Charles Fleischer as a helpful social worker, Elizabeth Pena as a snippy hospital admissions person, Bokeem Woodbine as a volatile junkie, Lucy Liu as a cokehead, and John Sayles as a jerky cop. The movie's refreshingly candid and honest depiction of interracial relationships qualifies as another significant asset; the scene where Shakur chastises Roth for his overly liberal use of a certain harsh racial epithet in particular is a small gem. Bill Pope's slick, accomplished cinematography and Stewart Copeland's funky, syncopated score are likewise on the money excellent. A real treat.

Seriously, next time you hear a black director complaining about how tough it is to get their movie made or how biased the Hollywood system is don't blame 'the man' no matter how tempting...blame Vondie Curtis Hall. Once thought to be the Spike Lee of useless people, Mr. Hall vaulted himself into the loser hall of fame not long after Gridlock'd for his work on the monumental Glitter, which would have been the Gigli of it's day had Mariah Carey not been long washed up by the time of its release. Lil' Vondie did no better with Gridlock'd despite having a decent cast and a plot revolving around heroin, which was like the goose that laid the golden demographic during most of the 90's. Unfortunately, Hall chose to make the actors say line that even Jesus couldn't pull off and throw in every cliché in three books. I guess he thought that making a relevant black movie was as easy as being black and hiring a prominent hip hop star to act in unfortunately his worst, and I believe last, role of a relatively short career. Throw in a little Tim Roth during his "I'm too cool for school because I'm in some Tarantino flicks and can do no wrong" period of overratedness and some absolutely embarrassingly brutal scenes of the two of them in a Jazz club playing stand-up bass and keyboards, respectively, with Thandie Newton on vocals and you, my dear Vondie, have a perfect recipe for a truly pathetic disaster. But you have to give him a little credit, somehow he convinced two pretty big stars to take a chance on his little movie, who most would think was not even quite at first draft stage, (although who knows...maybe it would have been great with a competent director)and somehow after this horrific disaster still lived to magically taint the disease-ridden career of Mariah Carey to irreparable levels. I'm no expert, but I'd say he does a lot of praying.

Pac's not a gangsta! But, he sure is brilliant Pac, Roth, and Pena. Wow. One of the best buddy films of all time. The ingenious of this film is that it is such a simple idea twisted around and made brilliant. The story is genius. Vondie Curtis Hall does his best to dramatize every small event and does a great job. If Tupac would have lived, I would have loved to see him with Vondie Curtis Hall more often. I really can't say enough about how wonderful this film is. It's a new look at the street life and the impact that drugs have on many neighborhoods and kids in this country. The main reason this film was so great was the excellent performances. In most of my reviews I boast on how well the actors are. This is only because it takes a great actor to portray the written word onto the screen. Tupac was brilliant with endless amounts of talent that was wasted. This is the one film that we can look back on and argue the fact that he was multi talented beyond his career in hip hop. Other films were there and where great. But, the difference is obvious. RIP soulja

How about the scene in the burger shop? A silent running, so quick that the cigarette smokes are still in air... THE FUNNIEST SCENE OF ALL TIME. Applause goes to Vondie Curtis-Hall. 2pac shows how to act. Tim Roth shows how to be a black. Gonna Watch it again