Uma Questão de Respeito

This is a hip-hop classic that I could definitely relate to being from NYC, and having been in a click of four friends since grade school. The film has a great pace and rhythm from start to finish, never a dull moment. Tupac displayed the raw talent and anger that resides in most inner city youth who simply want respect. Unfortunately respect came at a price, which the film was precisely able to convey, through strong performances by Tupac, and by Omar Epps, as the aspiring DJ, in their first featured roles. Samuel L. Jackson has a noticeable role as a pool hall owner, and young Queen Latifah does her thing as the Ruffhouse MC. Ernest Dickerson does an excellent job with capturing the energy of Harlem in an honest way, not dressed as a stereo-typical slum or focused on the historic 125th street, but neutral to lay the groundwork for the true challenges that living in Harlem has to offer these four young men. A classic!!

This picture is a disturbing but gripping urban thriller that details the lives of four youngsters who drift aimlessly day by day in search of manhood and self-respect. The film offers a realistic slice of street life in a rough neighborhood where families struggle to keep young teens in school and out of trouble. Peer pressure, petty crime and violence mark the lives of the principals and the lure of a gun and its power result in a showdown between the reluctant Omar Epps and the psychotic Tupac Shakur. The young men are on a macho trip throughout the story, squaring off with rival gangs, the police, authority figures and each other. The movie doesn't dwell on the scourge of drug use and pushers but instead essays the coming of age of black youths in an urban war zone and the many pitfalls they encounter as they approach adulthood. Samuel L. Jackson and Queen Latifah are great in supporting roles and the movie has a nifty hip-hop soundtrack that adds pace to a solid uptown crime drama.

Juice is an urban drama set in early 90's New York City. It is the story of four friends who each look to gain respect in the neighborhood one way or another. Q(Epps), Raheem (Kain), Steel (Jermaine ...), and Bishop (The Late? Tupac)have good chemistry as the group of friends looking to earn some props around the way. The standout performances were from Tupac and Epps. There are many cameos by famous hip-hop celebrities in the film. The story is good and there are many memorable lines for those who enjoy this genre.

The cinematography by Dixon gives you the feel of Harlem during that era. This will go down as a classic hip-hop film with a great soundtrack. All-in-all this film is a must have if you are a fan of the genre, and a decent pick-up if you are not particularly fond of these types of films.

Peace,

Buggieblade

Juice is a film about 4 friends growing up in Harlem, it tells the story of how far you will go to get respect and how possessive the need to be respected can be.

I enjoyed this movie, a good solid hood film. The acting is superb, especially from Tupac and Epps. Really strong leading performances. The transformation of Bishop from the start to the end is played out perfectly by Tupac.

The movie has a great urban old school feel with a belting hip hop sound track. It's funny, tense, emotional and gritty. Watch this if you are into this type of genre, even if your not, its definitely worth a watch.

Top performances from Epps and Shakur make this film watchable, the story a fairly mundane one of street youth gangs drifting into crime in search of kicks, streetcred and "juice" (or power). Shakur is the nutter who leads the way on a downward spiral, eager to get involved in any crazy venture and leading his more cautious friends down with him, Epps the good kid hoping to escape the ghetto life through his DJing skills. Uniformly good acting especially from the two leads, cameos from Queen Latifah and Samuel L. Jackson, tense atmosphere and a funny, slang-heavy script all act in its favour, but a lack of originality and a rather mediocre ending bring it down a notch or two. Worth a look if it's your scene though.