Never Die Alone

The movie starts with King David in a casket.

Then he starts telling us about his life. He came to Los Angeles to start his life over. Two days earlier, Moon needed Mike and Blue to collect some money from him.

Something goes terribly wrong, and David is left lying in the street. Paul, a white writer with a black girlfriend (Nancy), couldn't just let him die. On the way to the hospital, David pleads with Paul to tell his son his story. Interestingly, Paul was living the life of a black man, while Nancy seemed to have rejected her culture (I'm basing this on one scene, but we never got to know her) and disapproved of his living in that world, but Paul felt he had to in order to write what he wanted.

Paul finds out from a hospital worker that David had rewarded him by leaving him everything--lots of cash, jewelry, and a nice car. And cassette tapes with his autobiography.

As Paul listens to the tapes, we see the events described. Once again, David says he is starting over in Los Angeles. In a scene with three bikini beauties, Paul meets blonde white actress Janet. She becomes the first of his girlfriends that we see. With her connections, and the fact that no one on the west coast has quality merchandise, David becomes a major drug dealer. David meets Juanita, a waitress studying to be a social worker, so Janet is tossed out like yesterday's trash. And she's not making it as an actress, so guess what she does for a living? Poor Juanita. And wait until you see what he does to Edna, who may have had his baby.

To say David is not a nice person is a major understatement. But he's so charming that women want to be his girlfriend. Then they find out what he's really like.

Why would I watch this movie? I'm white and a few months older than Barack Obama. These days, I'll watch anything I haven't seen. At least I'll get it over with. But for me personally, the movie had a few redeeming qualities.

I won't say there's music for every taste. No classical, rock, or country. But nearly every style of jazz is represented. Some examples include muted trumpet with a rap beat, muted trumpet without a rap beat, a beautiful vocal performance in a club, and piano jazz in a nice restaurant. Of course there is gangsta rap. Two rap songs played for the closing credits are actually catchy, even for me.

And then there is the bartender at The Blue Room. She has the same edgy charm that made her so appealing on an episode of My Network's "Tony Rock Project". At least I think that's her.

The crazy judge from "Boston Legal" is a funeral director, but he's on very briefly and doesn't speak. That's a shame.

DMX delivers a very good performance. Like I said, his character is not a nice man at all. And yet you sort of want to like him. You won't when you find out about him.

Some unusual camera and editing techniques should be mentioned. One act of violence is shown from the victim's point of view. We see what he sees. In the scene with Edna everything is green or blue and seems to move in slow motion. The bikini babes disappear gradually as we jump forward in time several times from David's arrival to his first conversation with Janet.

Of course I saw this on a My Network station, so the sound went out many times and the mouth of the character speaking was blurred. Something tells me I should be very glad of that. Once (I mention this because it could happen to you) the sound of dialogue went out for no apparent reason though I could hear music. The violence wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I have a feeling this was a story worth seeing.

.....but it just misses the mark here. I have been a fan of Donald Goines novels since I was a teen. I have often wondered why so-called gangsta rappers of our generation have glorified fictional icons like Scarface (Al Pacino) when there are better real life examples of hardcore gangstas like Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim who wrote about their turbulent lifestyles in graphic, candid detail in several real-life novels. When I heard about NDA I was excited that maybe someone had finally picked up the ball. Too bad this film falls just short of the mark. It tries very hard to lock onto a theme but comes across as disjointed and rambling. DMX aka Earl Simmons produced, as well as, starred in this flick. DMX's gruff demeanor is well suited for the Donald Goines anti-heros, but he needs to work on the acting skillz a bit. A very good supporting cast of known and not-so-well known actors. All in all I would say that this film is just a small step above the flick Belly -- just a little more violent and very crude. 2 out of 5 stars.

For starters story is very smart. That's the stand out thing in the movie. Interesting how one person can affect so many. But it seemed very short.

Acting wise it was average I guess. I'm a fan of DMX and think he isn't a bad actor. But most characters he's played are pretty similar. Good job by the supporting cast as well. David Arquette was the a stand out.

Overall an enjoyable movie. I was looking forward to seeing this movie very much for some reason, and it didn't let me down, but it wasn't perfect either. Once you've watched it you'll probably think something was missing because of the shortness, but there isn't (I think!). I look forward to reading the book.

I remember when I first saw the poster for "Never Die Alone". I thought they were cashing in on DMX's turn in Exit Wounds and now he was getting his own action flick. The trailer just cemented this idea. Now I realize how wrong I was. Yeah, there's gangstas, there's killings, there's dope. There's a DMX track or two within, but this ain't no action movie.

I've seen a lot of dark movies featuring dark characters, but this situation, the main character, you know they exist in real life. This guy - King David - as he's called is one piece of work. I know very little about DMX and I couldn't help but wonder where the character began and he ended. That there is the most positive aspect of "Never Die Alone". DMX can be commended, but the movie on a fundamental level is flawed.

The story, the cast of characters ride the line between adequate and embarrassing. David Arquette's role as the writer - basically the bridge of the tale - is hackneyed and Arquette is no thespian actor. Michael Ealy's character and his connection to both King David and his drug boss employer is mix of lame poorly executed ideas and unsatisfying conclusions. While the whole theme of the movie is obvious from frame one. Intended to be a dark drama, "Never Die Alone" ultimately ends up being a pretentious glance at the surface of a drug pusher and the people caught in his blast radius.

I watched this movie as I read one or two viewers opinions of it. Both must have been white men or women who have lived a protected life. A life that has never been touched by the harsh realities that life as a black person in a large city in the USA faces.

I agree that there is no clear hero or villain in this movie. What upsets me about the reviews I read was the lack of compassion the reviewers of this movie had about it.

The reviews of this movie that I read clearly have not experienced the terrible reality that this movie portrays.

I believe that the persons that dished this movie have never been tested by environment of poverty.

I have. I'm white. I can tell you that to spend your youth in settings of LA will test the mettle of anyone.

It seems obvious to me that viewers commentaries that I read have not.

I didn't like the movie but I thought it was honest.