Some people in Hollywood still care about making a superb film

Rating: 8/10 (11 September 2005)

This is probably the best film I have seen in a cinema for a good number of years. The script is what I would call close to perfect, with the different story lines all developing in meaning and concluding together into one large important message. Some moments of this film made me laugh, with the two car thieves delivering some fantastic lines. Some moments made me cry, with Don Cheadle's character painfully losing his long lost little brother. And some moments kept me on the edge of my seat, the intense scene with Matt Dillon saving the woman from the burning car wreckage is just unforgettable. The wide diversity of characters is what makes this film so enjoyable to watch.
The underlining message echoing through the film is the effects of racism on the American public, and the attitudes people hold against each other. The film delivers the message in an effective manner, with the ending beautifully rounding off each character's developments and their self realisation. The films basically shows how despite people realising the problem of racism, it is one problem they just won't learn from. The Stereophonics song, Maybe Tomorrow, is strangely ironic in painting the film's final point.
Out of the whole superb cast Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon stand out clearly. Don Cheadle playing the restless cop with a heavy heart for his mother; constantly trying to look out for his brother. And Matt Dillon as the racist cop; who after cowardly abusing a coloured women sexually, seems to learn the most about himself through the events of the film. The resistance and guilt he finds, helps him to finally learn the error of his ways. The sheer complexity and diversity of the storyline and acting will definitely keep you watching until the end and illustrate to you why this film will be remembered.