Waist Deep
I thought I’d be adventurous this week and watch a movie not normally in my comfort zone. I decided to watch the new DVD release called Waist Deep directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall.
This movie is about an ex-con named O2 who is trying to go straight. A sudden turn of events unfolds as his car gets hijacked with his son inside. At this point O2 who is played by Tyrese Gibson is obviously furious. To make matters worse the LA area kingpin named Meat played by rapper The Game is holding O2s son hostage for a ransom of $100,000. O2 in turn meets Coco a street hustler played by Meagan Good and together they turn the day into a Bonnie and Clyde adventure all in hopes of getting his son. This was also the feature debut of The Game, which due to his rap career and persona likely found himself typecast into his role in Waist Deep. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Lorenz Tate, who was also in the film as O2s cousin Lucky. His role turns into a mediator and he must choose between family or his scandalous loyalties. Kimora Lee Simmons also has a cameo in this film. She’s the owner of the Baby Phat Empire and wife to Russell Simmons the hip-hop king. I love her attitude but the woman can’t act. She just needs to stick to designing cute clothes.
The story is pretty straightforward and predictable at times. Overall I did like the film. It was a more urban take on a classic scenario. Tyrese, truth be told, was actually believable. He had some real emotional intensity in the part and fit the role perfectly. Meagan Good, it should be noted, was also a good fit. Her role complemented O2 in every way.
What I liked most about this DVD was that the focus was always on getting the son back. There was little in the script about the relationship between O2 and Coco. Which in turn left out all the dramatics of a hot and steamy romance between the two. Personally, the attempts to develop the romance was a bit too much and made the film seem a bit corny.
I feel, the film depicted a believable gang driven Los Angeles. It wasn’t over the top and all over the place, which is often the case with similar films. In general the film was enjoyable. The plot is not original but given how the story unfolds it works well enough.
The DVD itself also had some interesting bonus features. Besides the popular deleted scenes section it had an analysis of a scene, a drive-by filmmaking, and a music video. I recommend this film to anybody willing to spare an extra hour and 30 minutes.
Story B-
Acting B
Visuals B-
Originality/Innovation C
Enjoyability Grade B+
Overall Grade B
|
