Thomas Lee Wright Movies
- 2000
During the infamous World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in November 1999, TV viewers around the world were treated to explosive footage of small bands of would-be anarchists smashing Starbucks windows and engaging in confrontations with the police. Trade Off, Shaya Mercer's documentary about the protests, gives audiences an alternate and well-balanced view of what happened. Most importantly, Mercer chooses to focus on the months of planning that proceeded the protests, shedding light on the diversity and intelligence of the organizers behind the event. College students, Teamster boss Jim Hoffa, representatives of French farmers' unions, and documentary filmmaker Michael Moore are all given screen time, as are the Seattle citizens who question the protests, and the police who nervously prepare to come face to face with rioters. As a kind of epilogue to the action, the smaller but no less passionate WTO protests that occurred the following April are shown, leaving viewers with the sense that Mercer is intent on giving us the message that this is an issue that will not simply evaporate. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moore, Jello Biafra, (more)
- 1993
Two brothers "Li'l Monster" Scott and "Monster Kody" who moved in their teens from a tranquil suburb of L.A. to the heart of gangsta' country, are shown in their daily lives, as they discuss their gang membership, their history, how they got involved and why, and their political musings. The two men, both in their twenties, admit to participating in drive-by shootings, and feel fully justified in having done so. Both have done time in prison. One of them has basically left the gang scene, and must visit his family in secrecy in order to avoid getting embroiled again. The filmmakers show a great deal of sympathy for the point of view of the gang members in this disturbing documentary, but despite reservations many share about that and other aspects of the film, it offers a compelling window into a violent American subculture. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
The ruthless leader of a New York City drug syndicate battles to maintain his power and avoid imprisonment in this fast-moving action drama. While the film's heroes are Scotty (Ice-T) and Nick (Judd Nelson), a pair of tough, streetwise cops, the main focus is their target, drug lord Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes). A criminal businessman with no room for pity or emotion, the flashy but severe Brown has built an empire and transformed an abandoned Harlem apartment building into a well-defended fortress. He begins to consider himself invincible, but his lust for power and the unpredictable actions of a former client turned police informer threaten to bring about his potential downfall. First-time director Mario Van Peebles keeps the traditional plot moving at an appropriately rapid pace, with stylish action sequences and energetic performances. The film's violence was somewhat controversial on its initial release, especially after shooting incidents marred showings in several theaters. However, the film's moral message is clearly anti-drug and anti-crime, its main intent to provide a high-powered, modern take on the gangster movie. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, (more)
- 1990
- R
Four cops make the painful discovery that not everyone on the force is upholding the law in this crime drama. Frank Daly (Brian Dennehy), Wayne Gross (Joe Pantoliano), Ricky Rodriguez (Jeff Fahey), and Howard Jones (Bill Patxon) are four undercover cops with the Los Angeles Police Department who work as a team to solve the cases that their colleagues consider too tough to handle. Under Daly's supervision, the four are trying to get the goods on a drug dealing operation working out of a meat packing plant. However, a raid on the plant uncovers little practical evidence, and Daly, a moody and hard-drinking loose cannon, is sharply criticized by his superiors for planning the bust without the input from the department heads or the FBI. Convinced that there's more to the case than they've been able to find so far, the four men begin looking into the matter on their own time. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the evidence becomes, as they learn that the police, the FBI, and even the Federal Government are involved in the smuggling operation, and the parties involved are perfectly willing to use violence and murder to keep troublemakers out of their way. After Jones is murdered while collecting evidence on a businessman in on the operation, the other three quit the police force, determined to see justice done even if they have to overstep the boundaries of the law to do it. Last of the Finest was also released under the titles Blue Heat and Street Legal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano, (more)
