Blue Hill Avenue (2001)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Best movie ever!

Beautiful, moving film.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I see a number of viewers gave this film such high praise and I ask, for what?The story of boyhood friends falling into the world of drug dealing could have been told in a number of realistic ways but the screenwriters of this flick didn't use any of them. The story arch about a bunch of 14-year-old novice criminals successfully gunning down their drug dealing rivals just didn't ring true.But my biggest critique of this film is the dialog. I don't care what ghetto you grow up in, people must speak in a realistic way and the cast didn't. I feel sorry for the cast of pretty good talent having to try to make this script palatable, and failing miserably.EXAMPLE: ACTOR 1: "What do they call this?" ACTOR 2: "They call it crack."Awe-inspiring stuff, right? And the dialog in the opening drug deal scene was flat and formulaic, not to mention corny.I know you must toss in a liberal use of the word "fuck" in any gritty-urban drama *yawn* but it seems a little ridiculous here.So to recap, keep most of the cast (Maybe recast Allen Payne for someone who actually appears like they could have come from the streets), but re-write the lines for every single scene and you might actually have something.

There was a depressed market for films the last 3 years or so, mainly thanks to the SAG who's 11th hour decision not to strike created a flood of movies on the market. This threw BHA into a tail spin. Also Artisan was in turmoil at the time of delivery and gave Bluehill a very limp release. This is a good movie! I'm not just saying that because I invested in it. I think people need to see it. Allen Payne did a remarkable job. It's a struggle for indie's to begin with, and having things happen like SAG and 911 may have signed the death certificate for this flick. We shall see. As an investor, sorry to say, I have not seen a nickle return on this. Not to say I won't, but it's taking far too long to recoup my coin.Rick

I am an avid Allen Payne fan, and I do not see enough of his work. Thank you so much for casting him. The character he played was quite well suited to his debonair persona. I also enjoyed the other actors as well. They all portrayed serious life and death issues with sincerity. This cast really fit together perfectly. I must say that none of the actors were difficult to watch, and the director made me see his whole intention. I will probably rent it again to show some folks whom I believe could appreciate the quality that has been displayed in Blue Hill Avenue. The actors who played Tristan's friends were excellent and of course Allen Payne was OUTSTANDING as always. More Allen Payne please.

I can not believe so few people have seen this movie. It is a terrific film. It has all the action, intrigue, double and triple crosses, and tragedy anyone could ask for. The plot and its development is a work of art. It is first class. The characters are so real and the depth of their portrayals goes well beyond most crime films, including the Godfathers. This is a film you must see if you every watched a single episode of The Sopranos, and liked it.