In Black and White, James Toback tries to offer a poignant look at the young and vibrant interracial hip-hop scene in New York City.
Grade: C+
It was financed by Chris Blackwell’s Palm Pictures and will be released by Sony’s Screen Gems.
The film also features Ben Stiller as a sleazy police detective, as well as Mike Tyson playing himself and Michael B. Jordan in his film debut (as a teenager).
The movie premiered at the Telluride Film Fest Sep 4, 1999, then played Toronto Film Fest Sep 15, before getting theatrical release in the US April 5, 2000.
Rich Bower (Power) is a mover and shaker in the world of rap music (also involved in other licit and illicit business ventures).
His apartment is a favored meeting place for musicians, hangers-on, and hipster, including a gang of white kids who want to be on the inside.
Meanwhile, Sam (Shields), a filmmaker is making a documentary about Rich and his circle, with the help of her husband Terry (Downey), a homo who doesn’t feel at home in this milieu.
Dean (Houston) is Rich’s black friend since childhood and a skilled college basketball player. He is offered a deal by a bookmaker, Mark (Stiller) to throw a game for a price. Dean takes the money against his better judgment.
Mark turns out to be a cop hoping to dig up dirt on Rich, and Rich decides that Dean has to be killed; however, rather than murder his friend himself, Rich asks a white kids to do it for him.
Unfortunately, the kid is actually the District Attorney’s son
Cast
Robert Downey Jr. as Terry Donager
Gaby Hoffmann as Raven
Allan Houston as Dean Carter
Jared Leto as Casey
Scott Caan as Scotty
Stacy Edwards as Sheila King
Kidada Jones as Jesse
Marla Maples as Muffy
Joe Pantoliano as Bill King
Bijou Phillips as Charlie
Oli “Power” Grant as Rich Bower
James Handy as Sergeant Wright
Raekwon as Cigar
Claudia Schiffer as Greta
William Lee Scott as Will King
Brooke Shields as Sam Donager
Ben Stiller as Detective Mark Clear
Eddie Kaye Thomas as Marty King
Frank Adonis as Frank
Elijah Wood as Wren
Mike Tyson as himself
Jaime McAdams as James
Michael B. Jordan as Teen number 2
Most of the script was improvised by the cast, and it feels that way, rambled, unfocused, and sometimes senseless. While the atmosphere is affecting, the story is too lean and fractured.
Moreover, the film can’t overcome its outsider’s perspective, namely, that it examines black culture from the POV of white youngsters, who are intrigued and fascinated by black music, fashion, and fads.
The movie was a critical and commercial flop.
Credits:
Distributor: Sony Screen Gems
Director: James Toback
Producers: Michael Mailer, Daniel Bigel, Ron Rotholz, (exec) Edward R. Pressman, Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Hooman Majd
Script: James Toback
Camera: David Ferrara
Editing: Myron Kerstein
Design: Anne Ross
Costume: Jacki Roach
Music: (original) American Cream Team; Oliver “Power” Grant
Running Time: 98 minutes
Cast:
Scotty (Scott Caan)
Terry (Robert Downey Jr)
Sheila King (Stacy Edwards)
Dean (Allan Houston)
Raven (Gaby Hoffman)
