Lisa Muñoz
James Toback tried to send out a message of what white American kids do to adapt to a hip hop culture while growing up. Like the movie Thirteen, it explores themes of what kids will do to fit in. Rich white kids preferring the black hood life of sex, violence and drugs tearing their own lives apart, black kids mingling with whites, trying to claim their own business deals, with guns and taunts when they have the cash, not trying to make their lives better, just expanding their stereotypes. This makes neither the group of whites or blacks likable. There's a lot of different story lines but none of them really click.The one that does is when a corrupt cop (played by Ben Stiller) approaches a black guy with a bribe that turns out to be a con, to get at his friend Rich. When he finds out about it, not only does he screw his girlfriend (Claudia Schiffer) but he also gets one of his white cats to take him out, without even telling him why, and he does it. The girlfriend is neither happy nor sad when she hears the news.There are a hell of a lot of cameos in this movie, including a then fit Mike Tyson, whom Toback is a fan, Brooke Sheilds, Joe Pantoliano, Jared Leto and last but not least, Robert Downey Jr, as a gay man looking a lot like Elton John. Unfortunately all the famous people in the world can't make up for how screwed up the story line is. It could have been a great film about teens, race relations and cultural impact, but it totally missed the spot.
cadmandu
A white woman and her gay (sic) husband are making a documentary about white high school kids who hang with and emulate black people. There are several sub plots, one involving a basketball player who is offered a bribe to throw a game, but it's not clear if there is actually an overall plot to which the rest can be sub.James Toback is a well respected indie writer/producer/director, and he got a stellar and eclectic cast to work in this film. There's Robert Downey, Brooke Shields, Elijah Woods (in probably the only serious role he's ever had), Claudia Schiffer (speaking flawless Americanese), Mike Tyson (worth seeing just for the novelty), Joe Pantaleone, Ben Stiller, and some folks who are probably famous rappers but I am not acquainted with that world.What happens when you put this wildly inconsistent cast on a film that has a very loose plot and a kind of cinema (quasi-)verite style (shot with steady-cam) it's a little like watching an ice hockey game in which all the players are chess masters -- it sure is strange. I didn't say bad, or uninteresting, or unworthy -- just strange! Mike Tyson playing himself in this film is about what you'd expect -- shallow, unreliable, and self-absorbed, like any ex-con you'll ever meet. Elijah Woods gets what amounts to a cameo of no substance. Robert Downey Jr. does a clichéd gay man, and I couldn't help but think he looked very worried what his friends would think about it. Claudia Schiffer absolutely cannot act, but fortunately she gets to play a woman who is twisted and obscure anyway. Putting her in this film was a poor choice, but casting Ben Stiller as a NYPD detective and Claudia's ex! has to be the casting blunder of all time.So this is not your ordinary flick, but if you're up for something different you might enjoy it. Fans of James Toback will no doubt enjoy it for its subtler fine points, but I think most people will just be baffled by all the noise.
teddyryan
BLACK AND WHITE contains Mike Tyson playing himself, which is interesting since Mike Tyson as Mike Tyson advocates some interesting things in this film. Else than that, I found Bijou Philips irritating, the storyline poorly done, and Ray Allen's performance not exactly oscar worthy.
maros612
I bought this title because I felt familiar with its name and I saw a trailer on some other dvd (baby boy if i remember well). Truly, I expected more of this - like some kind of a celebration of diversity, coexistence, relationships, partnership and romance. But this wasn't really present there, not in a straight, healthy way. It looked to me like it's more celebration of an unjustice and even sickness in some moments. I didn't like how an evil survived everything. What's the message of this? Well enough of complaing, this movie was still good to the point, but I really mean it when I'm saying I expected more from this.
AD
