BLACK AND BLUE
Strife on the streets…
Before she returns as Ms Moneypenny, Naomie Harris commits energetically to her own fieldwork outing in this thematically loaded corrupt-cops thriller. Sadly, Deon Taylor’s draggy direction struggles to provide the back-up she needs. Topical themes aside, Taylor’s sub-Training Day workout undercuts its rebel-cop thrust, resorting to genre rules for guidance when bolder methods are called for.
The thematic is stated upfront, with Harris’ Alicia West harassed while jogging by racist cops who don’t realise she’s a “blue”, but any edge is blunted by formula. On patrol in New Orleans, Harris’ rookie gets into deeper danger when she sees narc Frank Grillo shoot a black kid. With footage on her body-cam, West finds herself hot-tailed by cops and criminals.
While Harris’ tenacious presence commands attention, Tyrese Gibson also banks fully felt work as Mouse, a shopowner who helps West. Mouse’s anguished response to police brutality rings painfully true; likewise, the scene where a cop takes free goods from Mouse’s shop speaks loudly of toxic white entitlement.
Alongside DoP Dante Spinotti’s crisp images, these stinging details hint at potential behind the trudge through cop clichés. Underwritten support characters and sluggish chases slacken the pace; Geoff Zanelli’s bludgeoning score deadens the action. Although a commendable message about bearing witness can be heard amid the climactic noise, it isn’t delivered with fire or finesse.
When West says “It’s a start”, her spirited resistance lands with a resigned whimper rather than the roar it deserves. Kevin Harley
THE VERDICT
Despite Harris and Gibson’s arresting work, Taylor’s thriller stays cuffed to conventions.