Christmas

I recently viewed 'R Xmas (2001) on Tubi. The storyline centers around a couple, relying on drug-related income, searching for a Christmas doll for their daughter. The husband goes to extreme lengths to find the doll, leading to his kidnapping by a rival drug gang. The wife must take drastic measures to save her husband and salvage Christmas.

Directed by Abel Ferrara (King of New York), the film features Ice-T (Newport Jack City), Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos), Lillo Brancato (Crimson Tide), and Victor Argo (Raw Deal).

Abel Ferrara's vision for this project seems unclear. While the premise had potential, the execution falls short. The storyline and circumstances could are compelling, but the delivery misses the mark. The mother's desperation isn't effectively established, and the portrayal of the drug dealer lifestyle lacks the dramatic intensity it could have had. The repetitive dialogue, centered on tiresome racism conversations, feels inauthentic.

In conclusion, 'R Xmas had potential based on its premise but fails to deliver. I would give it a score of 3/10 and recommend skipping it.

Abel Ferrara is a great filmmaker, hands down. His earlier works are more violent and mean but great films don't always have to be nice. His later works are toned down but the story and characters are carrying the movie nd no exception to this is his R'Xmas. Well acted and shot great. The shots are interesting and worth watching the film alone simply because the camera movements are helping to tell the story when the characters are not talking. Good flick. ***1/2 out of *****

'R Xmas is one of the only films I've seen where I can almost say that simply nothing happens.I felt as though I watched a drug dealing middle- class couple,with child,walk around,eat,smoke,converse(excuse me,swear)through most of the film.And I don't believe I'm missing the point.I think this film was well directed,well acted(although the husband's performance was rather wooden),and the constant feeling of impending doom around every corner certainly kept the viewer involved.But when the dust clears,your left with zero(just a boat-load of fade outs).I didn't want car chases,gun violence,beatings,etc.In fact,I'm sick of violence.But my goodness,let's at least get a bit deeper into all these characters(let's get to know each of these corrupt officers a little better-not just show glancing shots of them as street thugs).Why was the dialogue so juvenile? Everyone spoke as if they were in junior high.I believe even this side of our human race can say something other than fu_ _,sh_ _,etc.The pacing and the storyline of 'R Xmas I found quite interesting,but the execution was plain and simple-empty.4/10

An un-named upscale New York couple (BRONX TALE's Lillo Brancato and SOPRANOS regular Drea de Matteo) are loving parents, who by day, go Christmas shopping for their beloved little girl, Lisa (Lisa Valens). At night, they don street clothes, head for the unfriendly reaches of the Bronx to deal in heroine with dangerous co-workers and drug rivals. The wife learns from a kidnapper (Ice-T) that her husband has been taken. The ransom is due within an almost impossible time limit. ‘R XMAS is free of the drug-movie cliches. Gunplay is at a bare minimum (The only bullet recipient in 'R XMAS is a basketball!) There are no expected car chases (When the wife drives across town for ransom money, she isn't running red lights and knocking over fruit stands, like every rescuer in most other genre film) ‘R XMAS is filled with insight, a peek into the inner workings of drug neighborhoods highlighted with wall graffiti.

I don't know what has happened to director Abel Ferrara. Ever since the "Body Snatchers" remake he seems to have lost it. "King of New York" and "The Bad Lieutenant" remain two of the best films of the '90s: searing indictments of a decade gone wrong. With films like "'R Xmas" (whatever that means) and "New Rose Hotel" he seems determined to disgust and bore his former supporters. This film has NO LIFE in it. While he gets excellent performances out of his actors in all of his projects the result of this mishmash of ideas just doesn't jell. Whatever the point is -- that the new breed of drug dealer is more or less the same as any other upper middle class New Yawkuh -- gets lost in the mind numbing script and boring direction.

I saw this opening night at the 4-Plex in downtown L.A. In the lobby, while buying tickets, I was surprised and delighted to see it filled with a large, racially mixed group of men and women in their twenties and thirties. Then they started into the theater but it was the theater that was featuring "8 Mile" not "'R Xmas"! The theater showing "'R Xmas" (keep in mind, this was opening night!) had a total of 4 people watching it, myself, my wife and two others!

Way to go, Abel!

2/10