Bullet - Auge um Auge

I saw Bullet about a year ago after really getting into Mickey Rourke films and i have to say i really liked it a lot. I can see why some critics flushed it, yet not all of them the film is very different from Rourke's usual work and nothing like other ghetto greats like 'Boyz n the hood' and 'Above the rim'the film has a kind of quirky way about it especially since it's story centres around a Brooklyn born Jewish junkie(instead of African-American)and his rivalry with drug dealer Tank (a small yet great cameo from Tupac Shakur)and also his social problems with friends Lester (who he thinks might be gay) and his two brothers Ruby (Adrien Brody)a painter who is looking for a way to get out of the whole street life and Louis (amazingly played by Ted Levine) who is a freaked out ex-soldier who still thinks the war rages on. So the story is very different,but in a good way i think. The acting is superb and directing from Brit Julien Temple is great. 9/10.

At first I drifted through this one 'cause it was just there but when I really sat down and watched, they really went in-depth about Bullet(Rourke) and his family. It really makes you realize you can't take life for granted and just how wicked the streets really are, worlds do collide in this. the dude who played Paddy was decent, Jermaine Hopkins holds his own in a small role as Pudgy, and I had no idea that Michaek K. Williams(Omar from The Wire) was in this he too had not too big a part. Tupac as Tank, Bullet's long time rival, gives a tight performance in this as well. This movie is not for everybody and it wouldn't have done well if it was in the theaters anyway, I thought it was decent cause I actually sat through this and tried to understand it...

not that bad 6/10

This is not Mickey Rourke's best work (that title goes to "Barfly"), but it's close. It's a pity that the grittiness of this film made it unacceptable to so many, but for those of us who have known people stuck in the quicksand of inner-city life despite their best instincts (and loved them in spite of their mistakes), "Bullet" rings so sadly true. Rourke, Adrien Brody, and particularly Ted Levine elevate a depressing little gangland story to the level of an epic commentary on the degredation of life at the end of the 20th century. This one is not for the weak stomach, but it IS for the social crusader.

This, in my opinion, is one of Rourke's greatest roles. It's infinitely sad that Americans prefer movies which tend to resemble fairy tales instead of those which reflect real life's hardships. Bullet, superbly directed and acted out with a profundity which we rarely witness in movies of this genre, had been treated with utter injustice for it was released directly to video. It features the day-to-day reality which does not conform to society and its laws as well as the teachings of theologians or those professed by pedagogues in high schools and universities. I had lived in BKLN for nine years before moving to London. There is nothing more sad than wasted youth and drug-induced frustration. Bullet demonstrates that only too well. Those of you who love Bullet might enjoy watching Menace to Society, New Jersey Drive and 187. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or comments. optimism_always@yahoo.com

This film has a feel of a home movie mixed with real actors. It's hard to explain. Nothing is hollywoodized as far as being over the top, yet the characters are "professional" as in comfortable in front of the camera. They are almost stylized.

Back to the realism. The family here is so real they feel like they could be neighbors. However there is an added component of the family being Jewish, and honestly, this is the first time I remember seeing a Jewish family being portrayed in middle-class, "street" style (if anyone has suggestions for other examples, email me).

By the time it's over you feel like you know the characters, or that you've met people exactly like them if you've ever lived in a moderate to large sized city. Mickey Rourke as Bullet is great, as usual. It's almost as if this role were made for him. I see him as a tragic, heroic figure, fighting against the demon heroin. His kid brother is Adrien Brody, a talented artist and headed down the same path as his brother if he's not careful. There's the 3rd brother, played by Ted Levine, who isn't quite right after coming back from the war. You will feel affection for this man before the end credits. There's the mom and dad, who could be anyone's mom and dad (watch it and you'll see what I mean). A real standout in the film is Bullet's sidekick, John Enos III. In 1996 when this movie was made let's just say Enos was a perfect specimen of the male form. YUM. (Mickey was, likewise, in *excellent* shape!) Not only is Enos gorgeous, but he plays the faithful buddy who is also very wrapped up in his looks role well. Tupac, as Tank, the villain, isn't the greatest actor but he does OK. His clothes and his style are noteworthy. A couple of the gang members have screen presence, including Pudgy and Bullet's old pal who is now one of the white guy gang leaders.

There's a day-to-day sort of realness in the plot. It shows probably a week in the life of the characters. Some disturbing images of abandoned buildings-turned-heroin houses (not sure if they are called that, but if you know what a crackhouse is like, it's the same thing but with heroin. who knows maybe heroin houses are the forerunners to crackhouses and I just don't know it.) Lots of sad junkies doing their various things (shooting up, giving blowjobs for drugs, buying, selling, ODing.) Weaknesses in the film have less to do with the plot and the actors as it does with what seems to be sh*tty editing. That's a shame too, as Bullet (1996) has many elements that could have turned it into a classic.

I decided to watch Bullet for 2 reasons: 1) Mickey Rourke; and 2) it was going to be on HBO at a time when I was looking for a movie to watch. I was glad I watched it. I'll watch it again too. Give it a chance and see what you think of it.