A smart 12-year-old drug dealer plots his way out.
Wow. Just wow. Michael lives in a group home, goes to school, and then to his afterschool job selling crack for the local major dealers. He's a quiet but smart kid. Unaffected. Resourceful. The local dealers like him, think he's cute. And they underestimate him.
When he has had enough, he decides to get out by playing the dealers against each other, brilliantly setting them up.
His intense situations are enhanced by visits to the park to visit his estranged father (perfectly played by Samuel Jackson) who schools him on chess and life.
Young Sean Nelson is phenomenal. He carries the weight of this movie without flash or overacting. His performance is right up there with any tenured movie actor.
One of Giancarlo Esposito's most memorable performances as well, as a slick, smarmy heroin dealer with an interest in Michael's sister.
The Writer/Director, Boaz Yakin does a superb job of telling a great story effectively and simply, without any extra bells or whistles.
One of my all-time favorites. Such a great film.
Mini-Synopsis
I got
the stupid
juice
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