Directed by Abel
Synopsis: A drug lord who is just released from prison at Sing Sing returns to the streets of
King of New York is, in my opinion, one fo the two best "gangster films" of the 90's (the other, of course, being Good Fellas). It captures its time and place perfectly, with a gritty, interesting script and a load of fine actos, some of whom would become stars or noted actors, but who were relatively unknown at this time.
The protagonist of the story is Frank White (Christopher Walken), a big time drug dealer in the Big Apple who is being released from Sing Sing just as the movie opens, in concert with the, seemingly, random murders of some other New York drug lords. We learn that Frank's posse has been loyal and anticipating his release, so they move on some of Frank's competitors...in a very final kind of way. The leader amoung Frank's lieutenants is Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishbrurne), an almost maniacal hit man who oozes cool and seems to be the closest to Frank. You'll also recognize some of the other soldiers, in much smaller roles, including Giancarlo Espisito (Waiting to Exhale, Ali, Do The Right Thing, Last Holiday), Steve Buscemi (Con Air, The Sopranos) , and Paul Calderon (Pulp Fiction, Cop Land)
Frank obviously does not hurt for female attention, either, as he has a stable of young ladies at his side, including Theresa Randle (Bad Boys) and his main girlfiend-and attorney- Jennifer (Janet Julian). From the moment, literally, that Frank returns "home" to his posh apartment at the Park Plaza hotel, a coterie of narcotics officers (Victor Argo, Wesley Snipes) are hot on his trail and will stop at nothing to put him back behind bars.
Not that Frank isn't giving them some reason to feel that way. His burning desire is to live, at least, for one year so that he can "do something good", which in his view is to fund a new general hospital for a poor neighborhood. Undaunted by the 12 million he has to raise for this project, he starts out trying to work with some of the remaining crime lords, but when they-not surpsingly-aren't as interested in humanitarian efforts as he is, he figures it will just be easier to whack them and take their assets. And so he does.
The film is fast paced and captures the essence of
Being an urban gangster movie, there is plenty of violence and language, but none of it feels gratuitous or superficial. I think the main theme that comes across here is that, at some point, the difference between the bad guys and the good guys is not all that great, either in their actions or in their codes of honor. As someone with experience in lawq enforcement, I would say on the surface that the tunnel vision that the cops in this flick have for Frank White is a little unrealistic-especially when he and his posse are just killing other drug dealers-but the film makes it easier to buy as its clear that it becomes personal with everyone involved.
The cast is outstanding. Most of the recognizable names have small roles, but everyone delivers in their short time on screen. (Also look out for a cameo from a very, very young Harold Perrineau-OZ- near the beginning of the film. I bet you don't recognize him) Christopher Walken has a patent on the mostly understated, occassionally maniacal villain. No one could play this part better, it had to have been written for him. I think what makes Walken so easy to like as a bad guy for some, and scary to others, is his low key, soft spoken approach to evil...until the inevitable explosion. Its classic in this film and you root for him all the way, mainly because its clear that he is, at least in his mind, trying to be a good guy.
He is the only one in, including the politicians, who seems to want to fund the hospital at any cost. He adheres to his friendship to Jimmy Jump when its implied early that Jimmy abandoned him during his time in prison. Frank's not a good guy, of course, but imagine the villainous-yet likable-Walken answering the question of whether or not he really expecte to get away with killing all of those people like this: "I spent half my life in prison...I never got away with anything. And, I never killed anyone who didn't deserve it." Believe me, in the history of gangster flicks, only Al Pacino's Tony Montana eclipses Frank White as the crime figure you most love...and despise.
Walken is not alone as this is also, in my opinion, one of the best things Fishburne has done in his varied career. His character of Jimmy Jump is maniacal with a purpose...yet even he has his good traits.
I'm not sure why so many people don't like David Caruso, I think he's a good actor and he certainly brings top level energy to his role as the most vocal of the cops who, in the words of one of their older brethren, belong in a "f******* rubber gun squad". Why? Well, it seems that Caruso, along with best pal Wesley Snipes and a couple of other energetic young cops, want to skip the slow and ineffective process of arrest, trial, and conviction...and go right to execution. Which wouldn't be so bad except, as most of you might know, the death penalty had not been reinstituted in
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