Strays

This movie rang very true to me. Excellent dialog for the most part. There were some funny parts as well, but mostly it was an honest portrayal of a similar kind of life I used to live. This is as good as anything Spike Lee has done on a similar low budget and your hat as to go off to Vin Diesel for the effort. The only small negative, as others have mentioned, was some of the confrontational language was a bit exaggerated and unnecessary. One really great scene was Vin Diesel singing "If I only had a heart" from the Wizard of Oz... that just plain worked. The interracial friendships were heartening and rang true.

Strays (1997) is a movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows three friends that share an apartment in Manhattan. They each live their own lives making ends meet, selling drugs and womanizing. When one of the friends wants to change his lifestyle, not be known as just a drug dealer and have an actual relationship, the other friends push back and call him crazy.

This movie is written by, directed by and stars Vin Diesel (xXx) and also stars Mike Epps (Friday After Next), Suzanne Lanza (Dexter), Joey Dedio (Captain Planet) and F. Valentino Morales (The Fast and Furious).

The storyline for this had some potential with unique storyline, characters and circumstances. The cast delivers solid performances and Mike Epps was hilarious, though painfully underutilized. Vin Diesel delivers a relatable performance and easy character to root for. There were some scenes that were odd, whether it was Diesel turning down ladies begging to have sex with him or showing up to a party with nothing but a wife beater on.

Overall, this movie has some potential and worthwhile writing that is worth a watch. I would score this a 6/10 and strongly recommend it.

Sometimes the combination of good writing, good direction and good casting collides into a great movie. Writer/Director Vin Diesel stars as Rick, the emotional center to a very strong ensemble of acquired family. The older brother who is finally facing the future, Rick tries to develop a new life while still taking care of his circle of strays. He rebels from his sex-filled nights against Salvatore, a womanizing freeloader and his drug-providing past with Fred, his not so bright cousin. Their unending loyalty keeps the "family" strong, even when he falls in love with a midwestern outsider, Heather. Perceptive and extremely witty writing keeps the pace throughout the film, and his chemistry with Fred, played beautifully by Joey Dedio, is worth the price of the ticket alone.

Alright, this movie....is for lack of a better word: interesting. It has it's strengths and weaknesses. Strength 1: Vin Diesel looking, a walk through ten miles of broken glass just to drink his bathwater, HOT! I mean, this whole review could be about this fine specimen of man, but I digress. Strength 2: The acting was good. It seemed almost unscripted. The banter between the gang was perfect and very true to life. Weakness 1: THE ENDING!!! What the hell was that? I mean, let them be together! Bad choice Mr. Diesel, but because of those obviously frequent trips to the gym, I am willing to forgive. Weakness 2: Skipping over when they made love. I know it's petty and girlie and even slightly perverse, but I don't care! I wanted to see some skin. So, there's my review. Thanks.

Vin Diesel. He can write, he can direct, and he can act. The movie is a macho man version of a chick flick, and he and a great supporting cast (Joey Dedio in particular) completely pull it off.

Do yourself a favor and read the children's book "The Story of Ferdinand" before you see this movie. It will take all of 5 minutes.

Rick, the main character, has a huge drawing of Ferdinand on the wall of his Bank St. apartment, and the book has had a significant impact on his life (besides the fact that an illustrated bull has been just about the only male role model he has ever had). If you don't know the story, you won't see the (rather obvious) parallels between Ferdinand and Rick, such as: what you look like on the outside doesn't always translate into what you are like on the inside, "life is a matador" and we all know what happens to the bull if he takes the bait and fights, just because you are a bull doesn't mean you have to act like one, and if you make the right choices and stay true to yourself, you can survive and ultimately be happy.

The dialogue between Rick and his posse rings so true that it comes across as unscripted. It's completely natural, as is the acting. The cast genuinely makes you forget that you are watching a movie. Some of the uncensored conversations his friends have amongst themselves are downright hilarious and truthful at the same time. I was genuinely surprised to learn that some of the male cast members had not known each other before auditioning for this movie. The bond between them came across as genuine.

Stereotypes abound, but each and every one is someone most people can relate to knowing or having known. The acting is so good that you forget they are indeed acting and begin to wonder exactly how much of this was drawn from real experiences and conversations. Rick is hot, broke, street-smart and sought after by women who think that getting him into their body will somehow get them into his heart in return. The only problem is that Rick has begun to mature and change, and he is gradually becoming aware of the fact that his life has no real meaning. He has taken care of his body but not his spirit. He desperately wants to show who he really is on the inside, and watching him take each uncertain step towards that goal is poignant.

The blank looks that two of Rick's friend's (Joey Dedio and Valentino Morales) give him when he explodes after hearing them laugh over something truly reprehensible that one has done to his girl, and the pivotal self-realization that Rick experiences as a result of witnessing the callous and clueless responses of his friends is painful to watch, as it should be. Rick, while gradually introspective, is clearly not fully prepared for the regrets and emotional upheaval that true self-examination brings.

Watching Rick make choices that go against everything he (and his life so far) have conditioned him into believing are all that matters combined with the realization that he truly is all on his own, is touching without being sappy. The true extent of his vulnerability becomes apparent in a scene where one of his friends brings up a conversation he and his mother had about Rick. Rick's eyes and face express just how troubled he is over an unresolved situation with his own mother, and it becomes clear to him how this has immobilized him in other areas of his life. He conveys all of this without speaking a single word.

Watching Vin Diesel emote is something most people aren't used to, but he does do it well. Witnessing Rick slowly but surely allow himself to become increasingly emotionally vulnerable and hopeful of the possibilities that may result from doing so, even with an unsure outcome, is moving.

The movie's low budget works entirely in its favor as far as realism goes. Shot entirely on location, everything from Rick's apartment with the bathroom in the hallway to the street scenes around the Bank/11th/Hudson/Bleeker area along with all the West Village locations is a real visual treat. It's Rick's life, and not all prettied up Hollywood style. Rick is a small-time drug dealer, and he doesn't have an unrealistic seven grand a month "Friends" style apartment. Everything on-screen is authentic and real.

I loved it.