Straight Out of Brooklyn

Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991) was a great debut film for Matty Rich (who also co-stars as well). This low budget movie is about the poverty and desperate situation that people live in around the Redhook housing district. One person is a young man named Dennis, he's tired of seeing the effects of racism, drugs and poverty that plague his family and those around him. He decides to make some money fast so he could improve his family's current condition. His family is sadly affected as well. Pop's is under the strong influence of alcohol and his mother is the victim of his violent out bursts. The mother refuses to seek help or stand up to his physical and verbal abuse. When he's not tying one on, Pop's is a great guy. Can Dennis escape the depressing life of Redhook or will he become just another statistic?

Matty Rich made a strong showing with his hard hitting debut but suffered from the dreaded sophomore jinx. His next film The Inkwell wasn't bad but it couldn't stand up to his first. Maybe he'll come back into the mix and make another movie that'll be as great as Straight Out of Brooklyn. Don't give up Mr. Rich.

Highly recommended.

When I was little I remember seeing this movie on tape that my older brother once had and I enjoyed for what it was entirely but having just saw it I felt it that Matty Rich's first movie was a fairly decent movie, not as good as "BoyZ In The Hood" or "Menace To Society" directed by more talented people who know their material inside and out. The acting is decent but to me it got really emotional near the end of the movie. Overall, this film is not hard-hitting per Se, but it shows that desperation can sometimes lead to "success" however a dark cloud hangs over the victims that comes along with it. Not Matty Rich's best work, but it's a solid film for what it is so there's no crime in not seeing it at least once.

This film has many flaws, but many strengths as well. Many luminaries in the film industry have openly criticized this film. I feel much of this is unjustified, because a lot was done on a miniscule budget here. There is also a great performance in George T. Odom's portrayal of the fed up father who has been beaten down by racism. Anyone who has grown up in a low income household can relate to that situation. The ending is sad and real. Also especially noteworthy is Harold Wheeler's excellent and despondent musical score.

This film boasts credible performances by the cast, including some powerful moments. The pacing is uneven at times, almost, but not convincingly, giving it a cinema verite feel. The makeup for the battered wife is obvious to distraction. It is certainly worth viewing, but one has to do so without comparing it to something a large studio would distribute. I would love to see what Matty Rich might produce with a larger budget.

Being from NY originally, one often drives by the Red Hook section, this film doesn't skim the surface, everyone should see it.

While it was a low budget film, the acting is first-rate. George Odom is the father, I also thought the mother was realistically portrayed by Ann D. Sanders... as a woman who simply has no options, and is worried about her son and daughter. When she tries to get help from the employment agency, we see the hypocrisy of the counselor, telling her to get help, when she clearly has no intention of offering help.

Larry Gilliard Jr. is excellent as Dennis (he also had a recent role in "The Machinist", with Christian Bale, where he was quite good). This movie is worth seeing because you feel for the characters, it is not just gratuitous violence, and deals with the mindset of the characters.

Hopefully, Matty Rich will make more movies of this genre. Highly recommended.