Brooklyn Babylon
It's fitting that this latest feature from Marc Levin, the director of the acclaimed "Slam", should be receiving its U.S. theatrical premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rose Cinemas, since the venue is but a stone's throw away from where the story is set. A tale of interracial romance between a young Hasidic woman and a Rastafarian rapper, "Brooklyn Babylon" is a well-intentioned effort that unfortunately suffers from melodramatic excess and overly familiar themes.
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/8/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brooklyn Babylon
It's fitting that this latest feature from Marc Levin, the director of the acclaimed "Slam", should be receiving its U.S. theatrical premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rose Cinemas, since the venue is but a stone's throw away from where the story is set. A tale of interracial romance between a young Hasidic woman and a Rastafarian rapper, "Brooklyn Babylon" is a well-intentioned effort that unfortunately suffers from melodramatic excess and overly familiar themes.
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating
Set in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that in 1991 erupted in violence between African-Americans and Hasidic Jews, the film depicts the uproar that ensues after a relationship develops between Sol (Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from the band the Roots) and Sara (Karen Goberman) after they are involved in a car accident that nearly leads to a riot. The pair are immediately drawn to each other, infuriating both Sara's hotheaded fiance Judah (David Vadim) and Sol's best friend Scratch (Bonz Malone).
The burgeoning courtship is depicted with a delicate sensitivity, most notably in such scenes as when Sara tentatively and delightedly touches Sol's impressive dreadlocks, and in the inevitable nude love scene, which is marked by a gentle eroticism. But the film degenerates into a "West Side Story"-style depiction of racial tensions and violence, and the largely improvised dialogue is ultimately unable to hold our interest. The fact that the story is meant to be an updating of the Solomon and Sheba fable doesn't help matters.
Trotter, in his screen debut, displays an undeniable charisma, and Goberman, though not quite capable of fully conveying the extent of her character's emotional turmoil, has a lovely screen presence. Music fans will find satisfaction in the filmed performances by The Roots and by the presence of various hip-hop figures, including Rahzel, Slick Rick, Bounty Killer, Common and others. Also exhibiting his musical skills, not to mention a surprising visual image, is Hasidic guitarist Yossi Piementa.
BROOKLYN BABYLON
Offline Entertainment Group
in association with Canal Plus and Artisan Films
Director: Marc Levin
Screenwriters: Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, Pam Widener
Producers: Henri M. Kessler, Ezra Swerdlow
Executive producers: David Peipers, John Sloss, Alex Gibney
Director of photography: Mark Benjamin
Film editor: Emir Lewis
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sol: Tariq Trotter
Sara: Karen Goberman
Scratch: Bonz Malone
Judah: David Vadim
Narrator: Rahzel
Ras Don: Earl Contasti
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/28/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.