Crack

A feature-length crime drama written by Nino Cimino, directed by Gregory Hatanaka and starring Marquis Moodie, Charda Jameson, Cimino and Zoe Meehan.

The title probably gives away a lot. Yes, this is a film with a story that involves drug dealing and like many films with such a plot, there are criminals, shootings, beatings and murders. In this case, the story takes place in Los Angeles, where Byron (Moodie), a young African American, makes a living by selling drugs for Mickey (Cimino), his long-time friend and mentor. Things are going smoothly, until Didi (Meehan), Byron's sister, gets into trouble with her boyfriend (Omari Washington) and complications arise between Byron and his partner, Venus (Jameson).

This feature works well as a crime story with the heroes (or maybe antiheroes) doing what they tend to do in their line of work: sell drugs and eliminate anyone who tries to harm them. The screenplay does a good job in exploring the characters, revealing the loving relationship between Byron and Venus, how much Byron cares for his sibling and the unstable relationship between Mickey and his partner, Annette (Heather Marie Zagone). As mentioned, there are plenty of crimes taking place and there is also romance, arguing and soul-searching. Regarding the directing, there are well-executed aerial shots and as for the soundtrack, it gains from the addition of some good songs.

It could be argued that it might be hard to comprehend what kind of story this actually is. For the most part, it appears to be a serious, hard-hitting film about living a life of crime, with violence and drama present. However, there are times where things move towards comedy, particularly during scenes that involve Mickey and Annette. These scenes do not seem to go with the dark atmosphere of the rest of the film.

Moodie's character is a well-meaning guy who happens to be a drug dealer. He is willing to resort to violence if he believes it is necessary, yet he loves and respects those around him. He embraces the life that he has, even if it involves illegal activities because that is what he has always known. Venus is the love of his life, the kind-hearted person who wants him to stop being a criminal. Cimino is the one who steals the show with the portrayal of his character, a seasoned gangster from New York City who knew Byron since he was born and used to do (illegal) business with his father. Mickey's friendly and lively attitude make him stand out from the rest. He is a man who is enjoying life, understands his line of work and makes sure that he is protecting the ones that he cares about.

Obviously, this is a story about drug dealing and urban crime in general. Additionally, it also explores romantic relationships, family relationships and loyalty. Furthermore, it is a story about self-reflection and making life-changing decisions.

Fans of the crime genre fill probably find this feature to be worth their while. There is nothing original to be found, but the narrative and the characters are interesting and Cimino's performance adds a great deal of value.