John Ridley should stick to coming up with basic plotlines for other people to turn into good (or, in the case of "Three Kings", great) movies. If this film is any indication of his undiluted intent as a screenwriter then it serves as a case in point as to why some scripters just shouldn't be allowed to sit in the director's chair. The plotting is tiresome and utterly implausible in too many places (Caruso's escape from the hospital is ridiculously easy - and where does he get the money for the used car immediately afterwards? I suppose the cops just let him keep that big fat wad of bills in his hip pocket). And what is the point of having Stacy Dash's character narrate this whole inane, seen-it-a-million-times-and-always-done-better story? The only reason I can figure is that it fits in with all the other tired, overused 'noir' cliches with which this film overflows. One more thing: I swear I am gonna go ballistic the next time one character says to another character who has clearly just come out of hair and make-up, "You look like s--t." Talk about hackneyed dialogue! Give me a break...