In
Too Deep
Rated
R
Opens
Wednesday, Aug. 25.
In Omar Epps newest film, In Too Deep, the actor converses
using perpetually changing modes of address. He is always
meeting or, rather, greeting someone, whether it be the homey
on the street ("Yo, yo, whaz up?" or "Keepin' it real?"),
his boss ("Well, hello. How are you?" or "Can we meet at a
coffee shop?") or a woman ("Hey, yeah, are you a dancer?"),
before heading off on some violent, urban adventure. Unfortunately,
we rarely see these adventures; instead, we are perpetually
left waiting to see just whom the hell he will meet and greet
next. Will it be Godot?
No. Actually, it's God...God the gangster. Epps plays Jeff
Cole, an undercover police officer who goes deep into gang
territory to bust a notorious drug lord (LL Cool J) named
God who controls 80 percent of the crack cocaine in the
city. The dilemma? Like Donnie Brasco, Cole becomes too
attached to the life he has infiltrated, and he begins having
an identity crisis. Is he an officer of the law or, as God
states, "just another brother trying to survive"?
Though based on a true story, director Michael Rymer's
predictable and poorly written In Too Deep is full
of holes and feels much too unbelievable. For instance,
it apparently doesn't matter that Cole blew his cover on
another case (when he busted some Latino gangsters); the
bureau still expects him to immediately take on one of the
biggest stings in history. It also seems to be no big deal
when Cole kills one of God's own, leaves for three months
and then returns to the neighborhood. He is as well-liked
as ever.
Of course, he has to be well-liked or this movie has no
point. Cole has to get to God, and in the process
he has to feel torn about it. Though this premise
offers up some interesting shades of both gang and police
life, it falls victim to the nefarious manipulations of
a TV movie of the week.
Only one scene is truly haunting: God and Cole beat up
a couple on the street while God's little boy watches. But
this is the sole standout in a movie filled with boring
talk. And though most of the cast is talented, especially
Epps and LL Cool J--whose criminal is dangerously likable--they
are given little to do but spout out forgettable dialogue
as best they can.
As Cole, Epps is never allowed to do what this movie's
title so boldly proclaims: get "in too deep." Even with
characters stating things like, "Wow, he's in deep," or,
"We better take him off this case because he's in too deep"
or, "That man doesn't even know who he is anymore because
he's in too deep," Epps' character is nowhere near deep
because he can't get beyond simply meeting people. Cole
getting in too deep is like waiting to see if a really popular
guy will cross a crowded room at a party and talk to the
wallflower. It's never gonna happen.
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Willamette Week | originally
published August 25,
1999
|
