Patrullero Lattimer

"Top of the Heap" is a film written, directed, produced AND starring Christopher St. John. And, while I wanted to like the movie, it was just a jumbled mess and figuring out what St. John was trying to say wasn't easy to determine as I watched. Perhaps there's a good movie hiding under all this...but as it is, I cannot recommend this one.

George (St. John) is a middle-aged DC cop who is clearly disaffected with his job and his life. He's been passed over for promotions several times, his marriage is on the skids, his daughter is using drugs and George has to deal with racism all the time. All of this is VERY interesting...or at least should have been. Sadly, the film didn't seem to know where it was going and so many times when the film started gaining some momentum, the plot would go off the deep end! Again and again, you see weird interludes...like day dreams...right in the middle of the movie. In many, he's an astronaut...or, more precisely, an astronaut who's helping fake a moon landing. Why? I honestly have no idea whatsoever....and the same could be said about the scene with his personal nurse....no idea whatsoever why it went there.

It's all really a shame. The movie could have been a wonderful blaxploitation film with a point to make about black men working within the system....but the weird storytelling, editing, bizarre dreamlike sequences and writing really leave you confused and disappointed.