Sugar Hill

I really felt this story starring Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright. It really shows the struggle of two brothers up to their present point in time, of how they were exposed to the drug game at such an early age from the death of their strung out mother to the crippling of their father thanks to the mafia. It was such a real story that sent out a strong message that got through to me - it's kind of a good guy/bad guy hood flick with a strong crime element and brutal murder scenes. Wesley Snipes is great as the hustler w/ a conscience but it was Michael Wright who delivers as the trigger-happy older brother who will murder just about anything that tries to invade his...

Sugar Hill is a movie that packs a wicked punch...great movie - in urban cinema this is easily a classic

I'm surprised that someone else has this opinion, but so be it. I thought this was a wonderful story about a young man from the projects, his close relationship with his younger brother, and his ambitions borne out of a disgraceful upbringing by his absentee, addicted parents. Also involved is his relationship with his brother, who seems to never have grown up at all. They start as drug runners on "Sugar Hill," and eventually run the place, with Romey the big kingpin. What's ironic, though, is that Sugar Hill (sugar = euphoric high on hard drugs) is the same place they grew up, and where their parents got strung-out thereby neglecting their responsibilities in guiding their children. Luckily, Romey came out of it with some sense, street and book, and he takes over as head of the family (the family that's left that is). This is a what I believe is a common tale of the recycling of the same woes that happens to families on the mean streets. I think it's an interesting phenomenon. Also very reminiscent of Scarface, in that the youths grow up with outrageous ambitions that no amount of money can ever appease, a need for power, money, success. The ending is bittersweet, but you feel satisfied with the outcome overall.

Years after they saw their mother OD and their father shot in the legs over drug dealings, brothers Roemello and Raynathan now run the streets of Harlem. However Roemello begins to tire of the trade and looks to leave, a new girlfriend helping to show him what he is missing out on. However getting out is never easy and is made more complicated by Lolly Jonas moving in on their territory with the beginnings of a gang war.

The score to this film is a lazy, rambling blues number that plays consistently at times, like wallpaper. It is this score that I think sums up the weakness of this film - it is too slow, too patient and too lacking in style or energy. That's not to say it's a poor film for it is not, but it could have been better. Much has been done to try and make this quite a serious film that avoids the black gangsta clichés but the plot requires too much talking and exposition. This wouldn't have been as much of an issue if the characters and narrative had been more convincing.

However, I never fully bought Roemello and Raynathan as adults having just seen flashbacks of their childhood. I could accept that they would end up selling the poison that ruined their lives, but would Roemello been as balanced and as suave as he was? Likewise, in the drug game - to get on top wouldn't he needed to have been ruthless and violent? He just seems too nice. This lack of convincing characters is an issue as they were really needed to make the rather slow and talky script more involving. Despite this weakness the film is still interesting, it doesn't really do anything different from things you will have seen before, and parts of it hark back to better gangster-epic style films. It doesn't distinguish itself but I must give it credit for trying to be a serious black gangster film in a sea of New Jack type clichés in other films.

Snipes has become a better leading man with time and he tries to give a serious role here as a younger man but it never convinced me. I never got a sense of any menace or `dark side' to his character - he played him far too upright and moral to be a convincing character - his battle to go straight would have been more interesting if it didn't look like he was already halfway there! Randle is OK but has little to really do, and I never once understand where her character was coming from. Wright is a more erratic performance and more convincing than Snipes. Support is good from a variety of well known faces including Williams, Hill, Hudson and Bottoms.

Overall this is a serious gangster film that had potential but whose delivery is just a little too slow and talky. The characters are more than just clichés but the script can't get them where they need to go - it sets up complex characters with childhood background but then fails to bring that out as adults. Worth a watch but it is quite slow, aiming for the grandeur of better films that it can't quite reach.

Clarance Williams III, Gave one of the best performances by a black character actor I have ever seem, he portrays an elderly junkie in this fast pace and exciting movie. Sugar Hill is a picture that every african american should see, it has all the qualities that make a motion picture excellent, see it, and you will never forget this movie. Wesley Snipes also gave a great part as the head of the herion empire in Harlem, he and his brother started from nothing, and move to become feared by the white society and the mob, what kept them going is there love for each other, it is something that we should always remember between two people, I know that I will never forget the chemistry they had in this movie.

but it can't be.

It's just not that good. The writing is substandard. And the one thing that stands out is the weepy jazz soundtrack that is intrusive and annoying.

The basic plot, how the black drug runners in the ghetto relate to each other and to the Mob, not a bad idea. And the idea that Wesley Snipes gets sick of the whole thing and wants more from life. Not bad. In fact, Snipes is pretty good in the role. Almost everyone else is pretty awful.

It's interesting how lacking in interesting this movie is. Not much seems to happen except once in a while a gun goes off.

I think "New Jack City" is likely a better call, not nearly as stylish, nor as pretentious, but more solid as a story.