1997 Directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall
After a friend overdoses, Spoon and Stretch decide to kick their drug habits and attempt to enroll in a government detox program. Their efforts are hampered by seemingly endless red tape, as they are shuffled from one office to another while being chased by drug dealers and the police.
The type of film I love; an anarchic, irreverent blackly comic indictment of the system and its failings told from the 24 hour perspective of two struggling musicians trying to kick their drug habit and enter into rehab.
Both Tim Roth and Tupac Shakur give charisma loaded performances as Stretch and Spoon. Roth has one of his finest and funniest roles whilst Tupac is a revelation. On paper the duo perhaps oughtn't work, but they really do. I can't say Tupac's music was ever really my thing, but he impressed me here as an actor and watching it now one cannot shake the sorrow at seeing someone so talented, young and beautiful shine on screen with the knowledge that he had less than a year to live. Both are supported with a nice turn from Thandie Newton as their English poet flatmate and mutual lover.
Tupac improved somewhat in the 5 years between these two films as far as acting goes (err, between filming; he died before it was released, unfortunately, and I do not intend to imply that as an improvement in anyway). This also has an unfortunate transphobic joke in it, and it's less than sensitive on a number of topics. But overall, the film is a critical if darkly comedic look at the social services and health systems in regards to drug addiction. It's not at all nuanced, but it does give a few moments to both sides of the equation.
While I approve of the effort, the film doesn't really succeed. While the unending bureaucracy and disorganization seems fairly realistic, everything…
Now here is a highly appreciated and little seen gem that showcases the acting talent of the late Tupac Shakur. I can't say anything about his music, but on the screen, he sizzles. His intensity greatly matches with Tim Roth's, and the two are a dynamic duo trying to overcome their drug addiction.
It's funny, fresh, and spunky. Then-newcomer Thandie Newton leaves a tasteful impression.
Tim Roth and Tupac are an odd couple and not the first pairing you would have expected to work well together. For different reasons they are both alluring to watch onscreen and are the reason this film gets by, even if Roth is performing much more as a caricature of a drug addict than a real one. But because he's cheeky and funny, his portrayal of addiction doesn't really matter too much at all and he gets away with it.
Tupac's character is an interesting one because as a black lead in a mid-90's film he is actually defined as a normal human being. He's far more level-headed than Roth, less aggressive, more respectful of others and of course he…
Such a brilliant film, I really did enjoy this a lot. The film’s frantic, hectic, fast paced feel is similar to something like the Safdie Brother’s Good Time, and it really does pull you into the story and the lives of the characters, along with the impressive editing style. Tupac and Roth are both great and extremely believable in their roles, and it’s great to see Tom Towles here also (Otis from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer).
Definitely give this one a watch, it’s a truly fantastic film. At times funny, at times downbeat, but always entertaining. Truly brilliant.
A deeply cynical indictment of America’s Byzantine healthcare system and it’s general hostility to addicts and the unemployed, which sees its heroin addicted protagonists given the literal runaround by underpaid government workers who often sympathise with their situation but rarely have the means to offer meaningful support.
Also a whip-smart buddy comedy with Tupac and Tim Roth!
(giving it a star for the ending song alone, ‘Life is a Traffic Jam’ indeed.)
You people are all insane. Gridlock'd is middling afterbirth of Trainspotting at best. Tim Roth isn't great. Tupac, while he may deliver his lines confidently, is totally unconvincing as a heroin addict. I've been hearing that this is good since I put it on the shelf at the video store I worked at. Everyone is a liar.
Kafkaesque, if Kafka made middling 90s wise-assery that only stays afloat because it's anchored by the screen presence Tupac had been honing over his tragically short career.
Notum: 7,5/10
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Rap müzik efsanesi Tupac Shakur’un öldürülmeden önceki son çevirdiği filmlerden olan Gridlock’d, uyuşturucu müptelası iki arkadaşın ABD bürokrasisi içerisinde rehabilitasyon olma çabalarını konu ediniyor.
Spoon, Stretch ve Cookie bir yılbaşı gecesi kafayı bulurlarken Cookie, aşırı dozdan baygınlık geçirir ve iki arkadaş onu zar zor hastaneye yetiştirirler. Komaya girmiş olan Cookie’nin hali Spoon ve Stretch’i epey etkiler ve hazır yeni bir yıla başlamışken temiz bir sayfa açmak isterler ve uyuşturucu tedavisi görmek için hükümetin programlarına katılmaya karar verirler. Ancak bu hayal ettikleri kadar kolay olmayacaktır. Oradan oraya sürüklenen ve devamlı önlerine bürokratik bir engel çıkarılan Spoon ve Strech, gördükleri bu muamele karşısında sinirlerine hakim olamazlar ve ara ara yine kafayı bulurlar.
Gridlock’d yoğun bir sistem eleştirisini içinde barındıran,…
A better film about people who are trying to get help in an unhelpful health system than Joker. Tupac is a pretty funny guy.
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