Fresh

This is simply an incredible film. Deeply thought provoking, it is not for those of you who like your films to have guns, sex and violence. This is NOT a typical 'hood' film - there are no banging hiphop beats, no flash cars, and no cheesy action scenes.

It tells the story of a clever 12 year old brought up in a culture of danger, mistrust and urban decay. Sean Nelson displays a maturity which would guarantee any adult actor many millions a film, and the film never wavers from the incredibly high standards set by its fabulous scripting and casting.

The storyline is oddly compelling throughout, and never veers either towards the 'nannying' line that plagues so many drugs films, or the insane satire that kills off others. It moves at a healthy, but not crazy pace, and there are some truly chilling moments, which really make you ponder over humanity's capacity for mindless violence.

This is certainly the best film I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, and I advise anyone who craves intelligent, thoughtful films to go out and buy this one.

I watched 'Fresh' again recently, with several other examples of

its genre (urban crime drama, or words to that effect). It

stands out head and shoulders above the rest as an engaging and

intelligent film. Part of 'Fresh's strength is that it belies

many of the genre's expected conventions. Rap music is vaguely

incidental, giving way to a poignant soundtrack by Stewart

Copeland. For once, gang life, alcoholism, and drug addiction

are never glamourized as they are simultaneously condemned...

the fault of so many films which purport to be morally aware of

the destructive nature of these things (but seem to say,

backhandedly, "isn't T-Bone a badd mutha, though?") And as

another reviewer noted, the central character as an intellectual

prodigy is neither a joke nor a gimmick, his mind is the means

of his survival and eventually his triumph over the forces

around him. The cast is excellent, the standouts being an

extraordinary debut by Sean Nelson as the Fresh and the reliable

Samuel L. Jackson as his alcoholic speed-chess-master father.

The final scene is one of the most devastating and memorable

scenes in the last decade of films. The sincerity and unpredictability of 'Fresh' are unparalleled in films of its

type.

Boaz Yakin, the enormously talented writer/director of "Fresh" has done the impossible, a real movie about real things that offers a sharp contrast with other films about the subject we have seen before. Mr. Yakin working with what appears to be a cast of non professional actors, mainly, presents a gripping tale of life in the ghetto that will probably be a classic in this genre.

If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading now.

Fresh is the young boy at the center of the action. We follow him as he runs illegal drugs for the dealers of his area. Fresh comes from a broken home where the mother is not around and the father is absent from the picture. His kind aunt Frances has gathered about a dozen youngsters in the home she shares with her mother, who is the grandmother of all of them. In spite of the poor surroundings, this is a decent home.

Fresh probably learned quickly in his young life he must be a step ahead of the drug dealers and their henchmen in order to survive in that world. It's a heavy trip for a young child to deal with in his own life and still have a head in his shoulders. What Fresh does, of course, is illegal, but this is a determined young man that is looking for a better future in spite of what he sees around him.

Fresh loves to play chess. We watch him win games in Washington Square Park over more skilled players. Sam, his absent father, is a master of the game. Sam teaches his son the game and how to think the way the champions do. Sam is a highly intelligent man who has had the misfortune of falling victim to the bottle. His son, admires him but bears a resentment against him for abandoning him and Nicole, his sister. One thing is sure, Sam always wins when he plays Fresh. Only after all the big events at the end of the film, Fresh beats the old man up. In doing so, we see tears coming out of him because maybe then, Fresh realizes the enormity of the events he's been involved in, and the fact that his father, in yelling at him, perhaps shows the boy how much he cares for him.

There is a scene in the film involving pit bull fighting that will make, even the coolest viewer cringe. Fresh's dog wins a match, but it is a menace that has to be put to sleep. The scene where Fresh hangs the dog by his collar is one of the most horrible things we watch in the movie. Fresh is venting his frustration at a dog he clearly loved, but now he cannot keep.

The acting by all the principals is first rate. The only problem is that sometimes some of what he hear in the dialog is incomprehensible because of the use of street slang most of the viewers don't know. Sean Nelson makes a perfect Fresh. He is one of the most natural actors we have seen in a while. The lack of formal training works out as we watch a portrayal that is devoid of any mannerisms, or other cute poses that someone with more experience would have done with this role.

Samuel L. Jackson makes another incredible appearance as Fresh's father Sam. Mr. Jackson's take on this man is an excellent example why he is on of the best actors working in films today. Giancarlo Esposito as Esteban, the nasty drug dealer, adds another great role to his brilliant film career.

Adam Holender, the cinematographer, has given the film the right look. The dreamy scenes where Fresh is seen looking toward Manhattan at different times of the day, is pure poetry. This is an important movie dealing with an important subject. Thanks to Mr. Yakin, we go into that world that, for some of us, might as well be in another continent, but never right here in another part of town!

This film will completely astound you. Unspoiled by the gangsta rap, and glamorisation of street culture that normally pervades a 'black' film, it tells the story of the 12-year old, chess-playing, drug-dealing streetwise genius, Fresh.

Living in poverty with 11 others in his aunt's house, and using his wits to survive, he slowly gets trapped deeper and deeper in the world of drugs, a world in which all his loyalties are challenged.

Most 'hood films either satirise black culture completely with their loud, cool attitudes, or on the other become touchy-feely anti-drugs schmaltz. This is the ONLY film I have seen to tread the thin line between them and come away looking not only credible, but superbly enjoyable.

Both Giancarlo Esposito (the smooth talking drugs dealer) and Samuel L. Jackson (the alcoholic chess-master tramp) give strong, realistic performances in challenging roles. The other characters (like N'Bushe Wright's portrayal of Fresh's sister) are also incredibly well played, and every single one of them is believable.

However, the main credit HAS to go to Sean Nelson. I have never seen such a dignified performance, and i can honestly say that I was AMAZED at how involving the film was. You could empathise with him every step of the way. He was never overly emotional, yet never came across as being arrogant and calculating. He plays the 'streetwise genius' role to perfection, again, remaining completely credible.

The script was also fantastic. Full marks to Boaz Yakin for such an accurate picture of life in the ghetto. This is not a film for those who want the cheap formulaic thrills of violence, sex and guns that are so prevalent today. There are no special effects, no overly violent scenes. Instead, the movie relies on superb acting and a relentless drive for gritty realism.

I cannot recommend this film enough to anyone who appreciates drama - it will really open your eyes.

Many comments confirm the strength of this movie in simple manipulation of an camera eye. Well, that's true. You will not find any fancy FXs here. But, does it make the picture less spectacular? Of course not. Script is brilliant. Whole plot resembles well played chess game telling the story about violence and losing innocence. This is not only a game in an explicit chess meaning. Main characters , wonderfully played by S. L. Jackson and Sean Nelson, are playing chess with themselves, struggling with their lives. There is another aspect of chess game that accompanies the plot till the end. Throughout duration of the movie chess puzzle gets clear. We can finally see where 'Fresh' is heading to and what he wants to achieve through his plan. Anyway, Boaz Yakin made one of the best movies of 94' , really worth seeing.

Mariusz Pelka