The ever-growing world of independent film is populated by many pretenders to the Tarantino throne. Occasionally, however, a bright and unique voice manages to rise above the cacophony of quirky imitators.
Such is the case of "Gridlock'd", marking the auspicious filmmaking debut of actor Vondie Curtis Hall ("Chicago Hope", "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet"). Written and directed by Curtis Hall, the male buddy comedy boasts the unlikely pairing of Tim Roth and Tupac Shakur as junkie ersatz musicians who run up against a series of bureaucratic brick walls in their attempts to kick the habit.
A Sundance festival selection, the picture is something a bittersweet affair, given that, as the late Shakur's penultimate screen appearance (his final film, "Gang Related", arrives next fall), it offers more than a glimpse into his potential as a major movie actor, delivering an assured, warmly comedic performance.
This Gramercy release should find a comfortable niche for itself in both urban and specialty markets.
Set against the never-dull backdrop of Curtis Hall's hometown of Detroit, "Gridlock'd" follows the exploits of the nutty Stretch (Roth) and level-headed Spoon (Shakur), who reassess their lives when their friend, Cookie (Thandie Newton), who serves as the lead singer in their funky trip-hop, performance art ensemble, overdoses on New Year's Eve and is rushed on foot (no mean feat when you're in a coma) to a particularly understaffed hospital emergency room.
As Cookie recovers, Stretch and Spoon make a resolution to get clean, only to discover that the road to rehab is paved with reams of social service red tape. As they're shunted from one government department to the next, the friends also find themselves dodging a persistent drug dealer and his henchman (Curtis Hall and Tom Towles) looking to take care of some unfinished business, not to mention the police, who mistake the pair for murder suspects.
Cast as the year's oddest odd couple, Tarantino regular Roth and an against-type Shakur have a terrific rapport, with Shakur's calm voice of reason neatly counterpointing Roth's manic outbursts. Shakur's sharp sense of comic timing is especially in evidence during an audacious sequence in which Spoon attempts to hide out in the hospital by having an already injured Stretch deliberately stab him in the gut with a dull knife. Also delivering colorful turns are Newton as the alluring Cookie, seen mainly during flashbacks; and Howard Hesseman as a blind Vietnam vet who goes ballistic at a social services office.
Curtis Hall choreographs it all with a crisp style that puts a fresh spin on a well-travelled genre. He's efficiently backed by some vibrant camerawork, courtesy of director of photography Bill Pope ("Bound"), gritty production design from Dan Bishop ("Lone Star"), brisk editing from Christopher Koefoed ("Menace II Society") and an energetically percussive score from Stewart Copeland.
GRIDLOCK'D
Gramercy
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
An Interscope Communications production
in association with
DEF Pictures/Webster and Dragon Pictures
Director-writer Vondie Curtis Hall
Producers Damian Jones, Paul Webster,
Erica Huggins
Executive producers Ted Field,
Russell Simmons, Scott Kroopf
Director of photography Bill Pope
Production designer Dan Bishop
Editor Christopher Koefoed
Costume designer Marie France
Music Stewart Copeland
Color/stereo
Cast:
Stretch Tim Roth
Spoon Tupac Shakur
Cookie Thandie Newton
Mr. Woodson Charles Fleischer
Blind Man Howard Hesseman
Supervisor James Pickens Jr.
Cop #1 John Sayles
Cop #2 Eric Payne
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Such is the case of "Gridlock'd", marking the auspicious filmmaking debut of actor Vondie Curtis Hall ("Chicago Hope", "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet"). Written and directed by Curtis Hall, the male buddy comedy boasts the unlikely pairing of Tim Roth and Tupac Shakur as junkie ersatz musicians who run up against a series of bureaucratic brick walls in their attempts to kick the habit.
A Sundance festival selection, the picture is something a bittersweet affair, given that, as the late Shakur's penultimate screen appearance (his final film, "Gang Related", arrives next fall), it offers more than a glimpse into his potential as a major movie actor, delivering an assured, warmly comedic performance.
This Gramercy release should find a comfortable niche for itself in both urban and specialty markets.
Set against the never-dull backdrop of Curtis Hall's hometown of Detroit, "Gridlock'd" follows the exploits of the nutty Stretch (Roth) and level-headed Spoon (Shakur), who reassess their lives when their friend, Cookie (Thandie Newton), who serves as the lead singer in their funky trip-hop, performance art ensemble, overdoses on New Year's Eve and is rushed on foot (no mean feat when you're in a coma) to a particularly understaffed hospital emergency room.
As Cookie recovers, Stretch and Spoon make a resolution to get clean, only to discover that the road to rehab is paved with reams of social service red tape. As they're shunted from one government department to the next, the friends also find themselves dodging a persistent drug dealer and his henchman (Curtis Hall and Tom Towles) looking to take care of some unfinished business, not to mention the police, who mistake the pair for murder suspects.
Cast as the year's oddest odd couple, Tarantino regular Roth and an against-type Shakur have a terrific rapport, with Shakur's calm voice of reason neatly counterpointing Roth's manic outbursts. Shakur's sharp sense of comic timing is especially in evidence during an audacious sequence in which Spoon attempts to hide out in the hospital by having an already injured Stretch deliberately stab him in the gut with a dull knife. Also delivering colorful turns are Newton as the alluring Cookie, seen mainly during flashbacks; and Howard Hesseman as a blind Vietnam vet who goes ballistic at a social services office.
Curtis Hall choreographs it all with a crisp style that puts a fresh spin on a well-travelled genre. He's efficiently backed by some vibrant camerawork, courtesy of director of photography Bill Pope ("Bound"), gritty production design from Dan Bishop ("Lone Star"), brisk editing from Christopher Koefoed ("Menace II Society") and an energetically percussive score from Stewart Copeland.
GRIDLOCK'D
Gramercy
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
An Interscope Communications production
in association with
DEF Pictures/Webster and Dragon Pictures
Director-writer Vondie Curtis Hall
Producers Damian Jones, Paul Webster,
Erica Huggins
Executive producers Ted Field,
Russell Simmons, Scott Kroopf
Director of photography Bill Pope
Production designer Dan Bishop
Editor Christopher Koefoed
Costume designer Marie France
Music Stewart Copeland
Color/stereo
Cast:
Stretch Tim Roth
Spoon Tupac Shakur
Cookie Thandie Newton
Mr. Woodson Charles Fleischer
Blind Man Howard Hesseman
Supervisor James Pickens Jr.
Cop #1 John Sayles
Cop #2 Eric Payne
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 1/20/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.