Monday, August 30, 2010

The Movie Fresh Directed By Boaz Yakin

By Jewel Best

Boaz Yakin isn't the most well known names in film. He's really something of a writer-for-hire for the most part. The vast majority of his films have been studio projects where he was simply brought on board to bring some studio's idea of a marketable project to life. He's made very few movies that have been... More personal, you might say. Fresh, however, is his crowning achievement, and a must see movie downloads for your queue.

Well, before making Fresh, he went into a brief exile, stating that he would not return to film making until he had something to say. And... He lived up to that promise. Fresh is a powerful statement.

The movie is named for the titular hero, Fresh, a young boy who works as a drug mule for various dealers around town. Two of which are at war with one another. So how does he keep his head above water when he would certainly be killed if one boss found out about the other? Well the twenty to fifty dollars he makes per run, he hides it in a coffee can by the railroad tracks and... After a couple years of running drugs every day for twenty to fifty bucks a run... That adds up, and the things you can do with that money if you're smart...

Each week, Fresh spends one afternoon playing chess with his father who offers him guidance and a moment to reflect upon what's going on in his life. These are sort of the Greek chorus scenes of the film, allowing both Fresh and the audience to consider what has happened before and where the movie is going to go from here. The chess also serves as a metaphor for what Fresh is doing while on the clock.

The movie is sort of like Fistful of Dollars as a hood story. Two of Fresh's friends are killed by one of the dealers he works for, and he takes it upon himself to exact an incredible revenge plan that gives you one surprise after another. Fresh is a young man of incredible intelligence, and his scheme is one of the all time greatest plots in film history.

Fresh's scheme to take the badguys down is really incredible, serving as a fascinating parallel to the chess games he plays with his father. The master stroke of his plan is that none of his opponents suspect him of a thing, as he is, after all, just a kid. He essentially manages to play dumb and innocent, while in fact outsmarting everyone around him.

The movie can be brutally violent and shocking, which drives home the reality of Fresh's situation. The villains are truly menacing, especially the young thug who typically gives Fresh his payments and is in a perpetual state of planning to kill somebody. Fresh is a hero who manages to remain pure, knowing where he can compromise and where he cannot.

The film is truly one of a kind. Clockers runs in a somewhat similar vein, but Fresh is built around a truly unique concept. The movie takes a young child, around ten years old, and pits him against ruthless, violent, sociopath criminals. It's not a children's movie, even though the hero is a child. It is a film about the power of morality and righteousness over compromised morality and cruelty, and truly a fascinating thriller. - 40725

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