Bluehill Avenue (2001)

Growing up in the rough Roxbury neighborhood in Boston four childhood friends find their dreams come true too easily and too quickly through dealing drugs... but the repercussions are deadly.Features: Full Screen Version Deleted Scenes with CommentaryAudio Commentary with Craig Ross Jr. Director; William L. Johnson (E-Bone); Aaron D. Spears (Money) Behind-the-Scenes/Final Shot ComparisonsThe "Blue Hill" InterviewScene IndexInteractive Motion MenusSystem Requirements:Run Time: 120 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012236141891 Manufacturer No: 14190 Product Description

Good movie with very interesting characters

The market is presently over run with urban drug gang movies, but this one is a standout good story with great interplay between the actors this film was made over ten years ago but you can still see the solid effect it has to present day living. February 5, 2008

GREAT GANGSTA MOVIE!

I WOULD RECOMMENED ANY ONE WHO IS A FAN OF BLACK GANGSTA MOVIES TO BUY OR WATCH THIS. ITS A GREAT MOVIE THAT SHOWS HOW 4 BOYZ STARTED THEIR STREET HUSTLE WHEN THE WERE YOUNG AND CONTINUED UNTIL THEY WERE OLDER AND IT WAS TIME TO TAKE OVER THE STREET. GREAT MOVIE! August 16, 2007

Blue hill Avenue

Excellent movie. Being a resident of Rhode Island and spending much time in Boston, I certainly related to this movie. Outstanding performance expecially bt Alan Payne. July 15, 2007

Another pretty good urban drama.

Allen Payne did a pretty good job playing a hit man slash drug dealer in this urban drama 21st century classic. Even though he'll mostly be remembered for his roles in such films as "New Jack City and Jason's Lyric", he still showed a little bit of more range as an actor in this film. I was pretty pleased with this movie and i personally think it is worth having in one's archives. July 3, 2007

A low-budget, black GOODFELLAS. Unoriginal, but entertaining.

Director Craig Ross seems inspired by Martin Scorsese. As in GOODFELLAS and CASINO, Ross's BLUEHILL AVENUE charts the rise and fall of gansters. Ross also uses similar filmic techniques. He introduces many peripheral characters, panning over them as they work in their growing drug trade; a voice-over explains in detail each person's role in the crime operation. And it's a long film, epic length at 127 minutes.

BLUEHILL AVENUE is low budget, and it shows. The art direction and special effects aren't as "big" as in CASINO. Yet despite its smallness, BLUEHILL AVENUE isn't shabby. The acting is first rate. The writing is sharp. The cinematography is moody and textured. This is no direct-to-video cheapie with bad acting and flat lighting.

The film lost me in some places, mostly where it seemed torn between a gritty realism and hyper-stylized violence. For instance, much of the film opts for the gritty realism of a Scorsese film. But then there's a shootout, and BLUEHILL AVENUE forgets its realism, opting instead for a hyper-stylized battle where the outnumbered "good guys" are ambushed and outgunned, yet still manage to kill all the baddies, without suffering even a flesh wound.

That sort of fantasy shootout may work for Shaft or James Bond, but it undermines the realism that BLUEHILL AVENUE had set up.

This is a guy's film. Despite her prominent billing, Angelle Brooks's role is minor. Mostly she worries about her hubby, and nags him to quick the gang.

BLUEHILL AVENUE is not a great film, and certainly not original. At times its sharp dialog verges on the cliche. Yet it's a well made film, polished and entertaining.

March 9, 2007

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