Woodyanders
Shrewd, but angry and troubled police officer Russell Stevens, Jr. (a commanding and outstanding performance by Laurence Fishburne) takes a dangerous undercover assignment posing as a dope pusher in order to bust some major league drug dealers. Russell forms an uneasy alliance with high-strung and out of his depth Jewish lawyer and dealer David Jason (a splendidly twitchy Jeff Goldblum) in order to nail ruthless drug kingpin Felix Barbosa (a deliciously nasty portrayal by Gregory Sierra) and a few other biggies. Director Bill Duke, working from a sharp and incisive script by Michael Tolkin and Henry Bean, relates the gripping story at a constant snappy pace, expertly creates an extremely edgy and intense atmosphere, punctuates the narrative with shocking moments of brutal violence, and stages the rousing action set pieces with rip-snorting aplomb. Better still, this film offers a trenchant critique on America's hypocritical war on drugs, the fierce class and racial conflicts raging in every substratum of American culture, the fine line between cops and criminals, personal morality (or lack thereof), and the ferocious things one must do to realize one's grand ambitions in the criminal underworld. The uniformly terrific acting from the top-rate cast rates as another significant asset: Fishburne and Goldblum are exceptional in the leads, with sterling support from Victoria Dillard as the cool, sultry Betty, Charles Martin Smith as Russell's wormy superior Carver, Claurence Williams III as zealous religious fanatic cop Taft, Sydney Lassick as Felix's effeminate toady Gopher, Roger Guenveur Smith as slimy, antsy flunky Eddie, and Glynn Turman as Russell's doomed junkie father. The dialogue crackles with raw profane wit. Bojan Bazelli's glossy cinematography boasts lots of great striking film noir-style lighting. Michel Columbier's funky-bumping score hits the groovy spot. All this -- and a marvelously ambivalent ending, too. A total powerhouse.
lastliberal
Bill Duke has had a long and illustrious career as an actor (X-Men: The Last Stand, Action Jackson, Predator), a producer and writer, and as a director (Hoodlum, Deacons for Defence, The Killing Floor). In what could have been a routine blaxplotation film, he gives us a compelling story that was a thrill to watch.That is not to say that the penultimate chapter could not be predicted a mile away by anyone who is familiar with our government and the fact that they would sacrifice American citizens for the sake of some tin-horn dictator. However, the final chapter in this film gives us some satisfaction as we see those agency scumbags and two-bit congressmen getting their due.Laurence Fishburne was magnificent as a cop sent undercover to bust drug kingpins. He goes deeper and deeper and soon there is no way to tell the difference. Is there a spark of humanity left inside? One can only hope.Jeff Goldblum was equally good as his partner in crime. Clarence Williams III was the best I have seen him as a cop, who was Fishburne's conscience.Great film about undercover police work and the effect it can have on a cop.
momosity
Yes, it was somewhat violent at times, but 15 years later (post-Tarantino) it's nothing a woman who likes an intelligent, extremely well-acted, written and directed movie can't handle. I'm a late convert; I used to avoid movies that I thought might have too much violence. Considering some of the "torture porn" movies of the last few years, this one's easy on the eyes.That being said, this is now one of my all-time favorite movies. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed "New Jack City" plus anyone who's a fan of Mr. Laurence Fishburne and/or Jeff Goldblum. I loved the occasional poetry and especially the relationship between Fishburne's character, the undercover cop, and Clarence Williams III's character, a street cop. It was almost like a father-son type of interaction.Don't believe the few naysayers, SEE THIS MOVIE!
lee3993
In what is probably his best role to date, with apologies to his turns as Ike Turner in the classic "What's Love Got to Do With It", and Morpheus in the "Matrix" series, Laurence Fishburne plays undercover cop Russell Stevens, who poses as drug dealer John Hull to apprehend a notorious drug kingpin. This role is played in a way that only he could, with the zeal that makes him one of Hollywood's most sought after actors. From the moment that he tells the D.E.A. agent that "the n****** the one that would even answer that question" you know that this role was made for him. Also Jeff Goldblum is at his best as a not-so-honest defense attorney. And let's not forget Gregory Sierra as a sadistic crime lord and one of the best character actors of our time, Clarence Williams III as an honest cop. Add the soundtrack and "Deep Cover" is a bona fide 10 in the urban drama genre, a true masterpiece.
AD
