This movie didn't have to rely on BIG NAMES to make this movie great. It didn't have to rely on lots of on screen killing to be great. This movie was great because the dialog between the characters as well as the screen play were excellent all by themselves. The people who did play the parts DID justice to the characters they played. As the movie started and in the first 15 minutes, all I could think was this kid (Sean Nelson) was a punk trying to make a buck. I didn't realize, like most, until the end of the film what this kid was actaully doing, which was playing everyone like they were live chess pieces. He got what he wanted all by playing one against the other. This movie proved that a film does not have to be high budget or big names to be great. If that were the case, The Last Action Hero or Reindeer Games should win an OSCARS for Best Movie.
Add a Review
-
jtfsouth14 April 2000
-
=G=14 August 2003"Fresh" (Nelson), the title character and a black kid in his early teens, is a runner for low level drug distributors in the mean streets of NYC with a plan to get out of the ghetto. He plays speed chess with his estranged father and stashes money in a tin can but his plan goes well beyond just saving for a bus ticket. "Fresh" offers good production value, par performances, somewhat stereotypical characters, and lots of grit. However, what sets this critically lauded flick apart from its peers is a human drama with a clever storyline which transcend the usual stuck-in-the-ghetto flicks full of sensational crime stuff. An engaging watch for those into drug/ghetto/crime flicks. (B)
-
ivony14 September 2003I have very little criticism for the movie Fresh. There just isn't really anything there TO criticize. This movie is one of the few that is close to cinematic perfection...yes, it's THAT good.
Young Michael (or Fresh) witnesses the horrors of street life every day. His mother is gone, his father is a virtual bum, he loses his friends to violence, his sister is a prostitute, and he is a runner for the drug lords of his neighborhood. Not surprisingly, Fresh isn't content with his lifestyle and is determined to make life better not only for him, but for his sister as well.
The movie sounds like a standard cliche film, but this is far from the truth. Fresh is a breath of fresh air in the realm of movie redundancy and predictability. There is no overacting, use of gratuitous violence or sex, or unbelievable plots to spoil this little gem. Young Sean Nelson is as gifted as any veteran actor and carries this movie on his small shoulders. Yes, he is simply *that* good. Fortunately, he is supported by a fabulous cast in Samuel Jackson as his father, N'Bushe Wright as his prostitue sister, and Giancarlo Esposito as the local drug dealer.
There are no big budget shootouts, no computer enhanced scenes, or ridiculously cliche special effects. No, Fresh relies on the very basics of moviemaking: acting, plot, setting, and direction. And it succeeds where so many others have failed.
All of this is woven into an intelligent and entertaining movie that is as close to perfection as Pulp Fiction. Undoubtedly, it is that good.
Fresh earns a 10 out of 10 stars rating and I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys seeing what movies SHOULD be. -
Fresh is one of those movies that you never see coming. From the opening credits until the end, it provides you with this deep, gritty, yet utterly realistic portrayal of a youth's mind on the streets. While our normal society will shrug a struggling African American living in the ghetto as someone without the intelligence to go forward in life. It is a sad reality in which we live, but it is a thought that goes through suburbia's minds. This film proves the age-old saying that you should never judge a book by its cover. What begins as a normal urban drama quickly unfolds into this tightly woven crime story where we have this unexpected hero that arrives from nowhere to pull of this incredible feat. With perfect acting, the right combination of drama and action coupled with suspense, and a story that literally keeps you glued to your seat until the very end, it surprises me that more people haven't discovered this cinematic gem and attached themselves to it.
To begin, Sean Nelson is brilliant. I have not seen better acting from a young adult in my entire film life. Dakota Fanning comes close, but Nelson's emotion seems to be raw and uncreated by Hollywood. His reactions and passion behind his eyes is intense and compelling at the same time. You cannot watch this movie without keeping your eyes glued to this kid. I am very surprised that he has not done more roles that would be able to showcase this young protégé's talent. He interacts well with the other actors as well, giving us this rare glimpse into a world that many of us may not be familiar with. He takes us away from the clichéd child abandoned on the streets with nothing to loose and gives us faith in the family structure and bonds that are created between humans. Sometimes I think we forget this as we watch our televisions, buy our cars, and spend our money. There are important aspects in life, but at times our ideas of that can be skewed. That is what I love about Sean's role in this film. He defines himself early, and allows us to see his change clearly throughout the film. He begins as wanting to have a lot of money and power to using what he has earned to save his family and his friends. There is something redeemable about that which isn't shown as much in films today.
Add to the brilliant work of Sean Nelson are a couple of actors that really played well of the emotional child. Giancarlo Esposito, N'Bushe Wright, Jean-Claude La Marre, Ron Brice, and the unquenchable Sam Jackson are just a few. Nelson's ability to play off Jackson's intensity with the greatest of ease is just another glowing example of the power behind this film. You can honestly see where Fresh's talent began with the strong father/son dynamic that director Boaz Yakin has created. Yakin has crafted this beautiful story of a child's inner demons and desires with the greatest of ease. As a director, he has pulled more emotion out of these children than I have ever seen with any other child actors. Where he takes his story is bold and realistic. The dirtiness and grime of the streets contrasted with the intelligence of this child was nerve racking and intense. I loved it. Yakin had to be proud of himself to find such a great cast to work with as well as create this story that could be enjoyed by audience throughout the ages.
Finally, I would like to comment on one of the most important themes of this film that I didn't realize until closer to the end. Chess is a huge element in this film, and at first you will not see this, but by the end it will hit you like a brick. The power that Jackson brings to this young boy's mind simply by teaching him the strategies of chess is insurmountable. While I thought that Yakin was just trying to define the father/son relationship with this game, there was so much more going on underneath the top layer that I wasn't expecting it from this small title. I think that is what impressed me so much.
Overall, this film is great. It is boldly honest and originally beautiful (in repetition of myself) that needs to be re-released or remembered time after time. I am so glad that I discovered it and cannot wait to show it to friends and family. It is nothing short of the perfect film!
Grade: ***** out of ***** -
Jaime N. Christley4 August 1999Now I have witnessed the third truly great film to have come out of America in 1994. One that can hold its own, and more, against such films released that year as "Pulp Fiction," "Natural Born Killers," and "Vanya on 42nd Street." It's called "Fresh," and I'll go out on a limb to say it's as powerful an urban drama as any other I've seen in my life.
There are no fancy cinematic magic tricks going on in this film, aside from an instance of superimposed images that is so simple it almost seems like a throwback to old silent dramas. There are no choreographed gun fights, no switching film stocks to produce psychedelic effects, nothing like that. Not to say that these things cannot be used appropriately and judiciously to enhance the effect of a particular film, but "Fresh" is stripped bare, and must depend on its performances, direction, and writing alone.
For starters, a young Sean Nelson delivers a performance that puts the lion's share of veteran actors to shame. He's completely lacking in self-consciousness, almost like he's unaware that the camera is on him for nine out of ten of the shots in "Fresh." His character, for which the film takes its title, may be the smartest youth in motion picture history for whom genius is not a gimmick or a joke (i.e. "Good Will Hunting," "Real Genius," stuff like that). Watching him, you see a wise old actor in a teen's body; he does not "act" any emotions or thoughts, but merely feels them and thinks them. He seems to embody bits of screen legend: a little Bogart stalwartness there, some of Jimmy Stewart's quiet charm here, and most of all Morgan Freeman's ability to communicate much while doing or saying very little.
That'd be just enough for most movies, but Nelson is backed by a choice supporting cast: the two most recognizable names are obviously Samuel L. Jackson (Fresh's chessmaster/alcoholic father) and Giancarlo Esposito (the slimy, high-living drug dealer Esteban), and both are perfect in award-caliber performances. Two lesser known actors, N'Bushe Wright (Fresh's junkie sister Nichole) and Jean LaMare (as Jake, the hot tempered low-man-on-the-totem-pole employee of Corky) are also terrific in key roles.
The screenplay, by director Boaz Yakin, is doggedly unpredictable, but in retrospect it all makes perfect sense -- nothing in the movie pushes the bounds of credibility. I've seen truckloads of thrillers, most of them are wearily proficient at making you guess what's next. None but a few, however, kept me guessing WHEN to guess, or surprised me with such affecting emotional developments. None but a few moved along with such self-assured grace and style. "Fresh" knows its territory, the time and place it's set in, and it provides characters who talk like they do in real life -- not ones that sound like they're in a movie where they talk like they do in real life.
The use of violence is admirably restrained. Most of it takes place off camera, silhouetted, or cut away from quickly. The two scenes of bloodletting, when they are shown to us, are literally heartbreaking. Not only does "Fresh" keep us off guard on a psychological level, but on an emotional one as well, something few films ever think of doing.
If I were to offer one criticism, it would be that the chess metaphor was pressed just a bit too hard by Yakin (though the final scene is devastating): we already know that this kid is thinking like a master strategist, we don't need quite so many shots of him playing the game in his room. That's a small quibble, though, because the chess metaphor is entirely appropriate, and Jackson's early speech about the game is an ingenious device. -
This is simply an incredible film. Deeply thought provoking, it is not for those of you who like your films to have guns, sex and violence. This is NOT a typical 'hood' film - there are no banging hiphop beats, no flash cars, and no cheesy action scenes.
It tells the story of a clever 12 year old brought up in a culture of danger, mistrust and urban decay. Sean Nelson displays a maturity which would guarantee any adult actor many millions a film, and the film never wavers from the incredibly high standards set by its fabulous scripting and casting.
The storyline is oddly compelling throughout, and never veers either towards the 'nannying' line that plagues so many drugs films, or the insane satire that kills off others. It moves at a healthy, but not crazy pace, and there are some truly chilling moments, which really make you ponder over humanity's capacity for mindless violence.
This is certainly the best film I have ever had the pleasure of seeing, and I advise anyone who craves intelligent, thoughtful films to go out and buy this one. -
This slice of ghetto life is like nothing else I ave seen. A young drug runner decides he wants out of the life. He also wants to save his sister, who has taken up with one of the kid's drug kingpins. In order to get out, he has to do some pretty fancy footwork. But he is a master strategist as we see when he plays chess with his dad. Wonderful location photography and acting, with a large cast of mostly unknown actors except for Sam Jackson as the dad and Giancarlo Esposito as the drug kingpin. The plot doesn't necessarily go in the direction you might think. There is a fair amount of violence, but most of it is off camera or quickly cut away from.
-
jotix10028 January 2005Boaz Yakin, the enormously talented writer/director of "Fresh" has done the impossible, a real movie about real things that offers a sharp contrast with other films about the subject we have seen before. Mr. Yakin working with what appears to be a cast of non professional actors, mainly, presents a gripping tale of life in the ghetto that will probably be a classic in this genre.
If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading now.
Fresh is the young boy at the center of the action. We follow him as he runs illegal drugs for the dealers of his area. Fresh comes from a broken home where the mother is not around and the father is absent from the picture. His kind aunt Frances has gathered about a dozen youngsters in the home she shares with her mother, who is the grandmother of all of them. In spite of the poor surroundings, this is a decent home.
Fresh probably learned quickly in his young life he must be a step ahead of the drug dealers and their henchmen in order to survive in that world. It's a heavy trip for a young child to deal with in his own life and still have a head in his shoulders. What Fresh does, of course, is illegal, but this is a determined young man that is looking for a better future in spite of what he sees around him.
Fresh loves to play chess. We watch him win games in Washington Square Park over more skilled players. Sam, his absent father, is a master of the game. Sam teaches his son the game and how to think the way the champions do. Sam is a highly intelligent man who has had the misfortune of falling victim to the bottle. His son, admires him but bears a resentment against him for abandoning him and Nicole, his sister. One thing is sure, Sam always wins when he plays Fresh. Only after all the big events at the end of the film, Fresh beats the old man up. In doing so, we see tears coming out of him because maybe then, Fresh realizes the enormity of the events he's been involved in, and the fact that his father, in yelling at him, perhaps shows the boy how much he cares for him.
There is a scene in the film involving pit bull fighting that will make, even the coolest viewer cringe. Fresh's dog wins a match, but it is a menace that has to be put to sleep. The scene where Fresh hangs the dog by his collar is one of the most horrible things we watch in the movie. Fresh is venting his frustration at a dog he clearly loved, but now he cannot keep.
The acting by all the principals is first rate. The only problem is that sometimes some of what he hear in the dialog is incomprehensible because of the use of street slang most of the viewers don't know. Sean Nelson makes a perfect Fresh. He is one of the most natural actors we have seen in a while. The lack of formal training works out as we watch a portrayal that is devoid of any mannerisms, or other cute poses that someone with more experience would have done with this role.
Samuel L. Jackson makes another incredible appearance as Fresh's father Sam. Mr. Jackson's take on this man is an excellent example why he is on of the best actors working in films today. Giancarlo Esposito as Esteban, the nasty drug dealer, adds another great role to his brilliant film career.
Adam Holender, the cinematographer, has given the film the right look. The dreamy scenes where Fresh is seen looking toward Manhattan at different times of the day, is pure poetry. This is an important movie dealing with an important subject. Thanks to Mr. Yakin, we go into that world that, for some of us, might as well be in another continent, but never right here in another part of town! -
Keltic-226 September 1998I enjoyed _Fresh_, in particular the way the repeated image of chess and chess players mirrors Fresh's machinations. However, I found it very difficult to empathise much with Fresh, apart from one or two scenes. Here we have a kid who we see dealing drugs and running errands for dealers and wheeling and dealing in a *very* adult manner; in light of this the ending was, for me, more than a little unbelievable. Overall though, I found the film enjoyable.
-
WestSider30 April 2001This film will completely astound you. Unspoiled by the gangsta rap, and glamorisation of street culture that normally pervades a 'black' film, it tells the story of the 12-year old, chess-playing, drug-dealing streetwise genius, Fresh.
Living in poverty with 11 others in his aunt's house, and using his wits to survive, he slowly gets trapped deeper and deeper in the world of drugs, a world in which all his loyalties are challenged.
Most 'hood films either satirise black culture completely with their loud, cool attitudes, or on the other become touchy-feely anti-drugs schmaltz. This is the ONLY film I have seen to tread the thin line between them and come away looking not only credible, but superbly enjoyable.
Both Giancarlo Esposito (the smooth talking drugs dealer) and Samuel L. Jackson (the alcoholic chess-master tramp) give strong, realistic performances in challenging roles. The other characters (like N'Bushe Wright's portrayal of Fresh's sister) are also incredibly well played, and every single one of them is believable.
However, the main credit HAS to go to Sean Nelson. I have never seen such a dignified performance, and i can honestly say that I was AMAZED at how involving the film was. You could empathise with him every step of the way. He was never overly emotional, yet never came across as being arrogant and calculating. He plays the 'streetwise genius' role to perfection, again, remaining completely credible.
The script was also fantastic. Full marks to Boaz Yakin for such an accurate picture of life in the ghetto. This is not a film for those who want the cheap formulaic thrills of violence, sex and guns that are so prevalent today. There are no special effects, no overly violent scenes. Instead, the movie relies on superb acting and a relentless drive for gritty realism.
I cannot recommend this film enough to anyone who appreciates drama - it will really open your eyes. -
I must say that the first half of this movie didn't really do it for me. I know that many people will not understand that, but for me this was yet another movie about a poor, yet smart black kid growing up in a bad neighborhood full of crime and without any opportunities of escaping it. It has been done many times before and I didn't want to see it once more. But than the movie offered a new and more original approach in the second half and from that moment on, it captivated me.
Michael, who goes by the name of Fresh when he is on the street, is a 12-year-old drug pusher, living in a half-way house for children without their parents. Even though he isn't allowed to see him, he regularly meets his father, a man who lives in a trailer and in the park, where he plays chess with him. Despite the fact that he is a smart kid, he will once become a big dealer and the boss of his neighborhood, because there are no opportunities for him outside the ghetto. But when he sees the consequences of it all and is confronted with his sister who works as a prostitute, friends being murdered for no reason,... he decides that drugs isn't the way of life he is looking for. What he wants is revenge and his knowledge of chess will help him getting it.
Despite the fact that there aren't too many known names in it (I only know Samuel L. Jackson and the director, Boaz Yakin), I must say that this is a decent movie. It isn't as perfect as some people try to make you believe, but the story works and especially the second part in which he takes revenge is very original. The acting is OK and it all looks believable. The only problem that I had with this movie was all that macho talk from those 12 year old kids and all their "yo yo yo's". Man, I don't know if they are really like that in the ghettos, but I just wanted to kick them in the butt and tell them to go back to their mama, where they belong, instead of acting like the grown-up which they may never become. But despite that little 'problem' I still consider this a decent movie that sure deserves to be seen. This is a movie that will be loved by all the fans of ghetto/crime movies and I rewarded it with a 7/10. -
jlm-63 August 2003Perfect accident because as director Yakin explains, while casting, he almost overloooked Sean Nelson for the part of Fresh and then there would have been no Fresh.
Perfect accident because, tired of Hollywood, Yakin had almost given up on ever making something he felt he could identify with, till friend and producer Lawrence Bender hit the jackpot with Reservoir Dogs and made space for Fresh to be born.
Perfect accident because former The Police-drummer Stewart Copeland writes a beautiful non-rap score that frees Fresh from becoming just another political statement about inner-city living conditions, yet highlights the sparkle and charm of the characters.
Perfect accident because the mastery of Samuel Jackson and Giancarlo Esposito blend to perfection with the innocence of such a young cast.
Perfect accident because Boaz Yakin - away from the constraints of major league production (THANKS AGAIN MIRAMAX and French producers Lumière!!) was able to smash this trash some call Political Correctness to pieces and tell a great story, the way he felt it, not caring where he trod, unafraid of those susceptible-many who confuse storytelling with an accusatory poke in the ribs.
I honestly don't see how such thrilling honest and human films will ever be made while US citizens keep sending signals to Hollywood that all they want is something brainless to go along with their soda and popcorn. Take drugs! They're far more effective and leave cinema to those who want to use their imagination. -
Horst_In_Translation14 May 2023"Fresh" is a co-production between the United States of America and France from 1994, but I am not sure at all where the French impact comes from as this is a film as American as it gets really given the subject and people who worked on it in front of and behind the camera. Let's look at the basics: The writer and director here is Boaz Yakin, who was not even 30 when he made this film. It was his first directing credit and third writing credit. Judging from the film's success and his age back then, you surely could have thought that he would have a bigger career afterwards and I mean it is not awful what he did in the almost 30 years since then, but he peaked early apparently and did not really manage to follow up. Yakin is by the way from New York, but my guess is he has Turkish roots too. Anyway, it is not too important. I already described the age of this film and this one will have its 30th anniversary in 2024 indeed, so maybe it happened already if you get here a little later to read this review of mine. Of course, this was also not the occasion on which I watched this film, but it was part of a retrospective on Black America in the movies and well it does fit in nicely from this perspective and I am not surprised they included it. I am more surprised that I never really heard of it before, even if there are at least two actors in here that I like quite a bit. The first would be Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson of course, who plays the protagonist's father. I could also say who plays the title character's father as the name Fresh is indeed the name of the boy. Or nickname. He says early on that it is something that only his friends call him when another character calls him by that name. One who is not his friend at all. And the second actor I am referring to is Giancarlo Esposito that most people today know from "Breaking Bad" and I must also say that it took me quite a bit to understand who he is in this film, even if it was a crucial character. One of the most central characters even if we look at what happens at the end. It is a bit entertaining though how you will always immediately identify Jackson, but Esposito not at all. I mean I saw him in a Spike Lee film the same day and did not recognize him at all there. He had quite the transformation as he got older.
Anyway, as I said I did not know much before seeing this film, only the two actors and good ratings that got me curious, but I did not expect a film that was really so shocking and sobering from any perspective. And not light at all. I mean if we ignore for a second that the main character was working as a drug courier in his quarter when the film begins, it starts mostly harmless. He has his best friend, he is a smart kid, he even has a girl he likes and she likes him too, but yeah things really go south from there. The girl is shot on a basketball court when a man whose ego took a blow because a kid had better than him pulls a gun and shoots said kid and accidentally also shoots Fresh's crush. And as for his bets friend, who has some Asian blood in him, well they are really close as you can see when Fresh tries to somehow help the boy get away before he is shot in cold blood by some mysterious figures. Don't mistake the scene before that with the officer in the subway train for something that shows that Fresh did not care about his buddy. On the contrary, what he said there made sure that the officer would not take his friend to the station, even if the Asian kid does not understand that, but oh well.. now we know that if he had taken him to the station, he would have saved his life. Unknowingly, of course. The killing still could have happened a few days later then. And the Asian kid likes Fresh too as we see when the girl is shot and Fresh stays there and the Asian boy tries to convince him to run before he heads off without him. It was probably these two key incidents that broke something in Fresh, something that could not be fixed and repaired anymore and reflected an amount of loss that no boy should have to experience. The result was also the scene in which Fresh kills his dog. I am unsure what to make of this scene. Maybe there was no deeper meaning and he just had to let the violence out. Maybe it was because he did not want the dog to take part in these bloody dogfights anymore and die there at some point or maybe it was just because he knew he would be leaving soon and nobody would take care of the dog or maybe it was because he knew the dog could make him vulnerable, make him unsure if his decision is the right one. Or his decisions I should probably say with all that happens in the last hour.
This film is also a great watch for those who like the game of chess and for me personally, this definitely helped too. The connection there is crucial if you look at the talks between his father and the boy on numerous occasions and how all he tries to do there is make the right moves and this is just as true when he makes sure that the lives of all these criminals around him have to end. Or at least their freedom comes to an end and they are arrested. This includes planting drugs and firearms under the bed of the guy he wants to get rid of eventually. The king if we are going back to the chess approach. And that is Esposito's character in this scenario. And the boy does succeed. We understand his mother has a double-digit number of children and mouths to feed and she cannot deal anymore with Fresh and his troubles and there is talk about giving him to some institution, but even there Fresh comes up with his own plans and these involve most likely a witness protection program. This way, he even saves his sister who is a drug addict by the way. He does not care too much about leaving his siblings and mother, but he does care a lot about this one sister who has been going through a lot as well. And he also cares about his father as we see towards the end, even if he is not father-of-the-year candidate, but in a way he was the one who taught Fresh how to make the right moves. On the chessboard or in real life. You can see how much he cares when he starts crying for the first time pretty much and this is when the movie ends and it hurts him that the only way to get out is by leaving his dad behind. That was one of the most touching moments the film had to offer. Speaking of chess again, I must say I really hate lightning chess or whatever the name is. It already stresses me out to only watch them play like this. I need time to plan my moves when I play, but yeah there are other references here. Some names are mentioned as well, most of all the legendary Bobby Fischer.
What else can be said about this film? It is a fairly long film and much closer to the two-hour mark than to the 1.5-hour mark, even closer to two hours than to 100 minutes, but still not an extremely long movie. I would say the running time is accurate and how it should be and I would not have cut more than five minutes. Admittedly, if I have to look for flaws here, then I would say that maybe, as smart as the kid may be, it is just not realistic how he is literally such a perfect schemer that he manages to take them all out one-by-one. And also that he survives it all. Nobody, not even 99% of adults, would have been this good in pulling all the right strings, so maybe the film is not the most realistic overall, but it is not too difficult to look beyond and ignore that for the most part because it is an entertaining watch, even if this is probably not the best adjective to describe the movie. Awe-inducing sounds fine. You will not find any spectacular careers here with the exception of the two I mentioned early on. The one who plays the cop that helps the boy or wants to help the boy was in "Twilight" at least". For lead actor Sean Nelson this was not the first role of his career, but the first big-screen role and still the defining performance of his career. He even got a bit of awards recognition for it. Most of the other went to Yakin. Esposito also got in once and the film itself also made it to Cannes. But as for Nelson, this will probably stay the biggest role of his career. He appeared on many television series in the last ten or even twenty years, but usually only one or two episodes per show. Still nice to see he keeps acting, even if he has turned into a bit of a journeyman. He is in his early/mid 40s now. Who knows what will come, so I shall not judge too early.
In any case, I don't regret it that I went to check out this film. It was probably not at all what I expected, but it is definitely worth seeing and my positive recommendation was never in doubt here. It is still definitely not a film you wanna see if you are in the mood for a feel-good film. Other than that, it is a good choice and I wish the room could have been more packed during my screening. But from what I have seen so far, the entire retrospective was not exactly a crowd magnet so far (except "Do the Right Thing"), bit I will wait my final judgment there as well until I have seen some of the other films on my list. It is still awesome that something like this, a film like this is shown on the big screen again. Shown on the big screen in a country far away from America. That is almost it then. Let me say before I come to the end that the acting is good all along here and I am still surprised that neither Nelson nor Yakin didn't have bigger careers. If you really want me to name a moment that made me smile when there wasn't really any, I would perhaps go with the scene in which the protagonist beats the random guy at chess there in the park and the man clearly underestimated the kid and of course the boy's father was also watching there, so in a way you can say that he also wants his dad to be proud of him. The tears in the last shot of the movie are telling enough and imply the same. So yeah, it's a thumbs-up from me for this actually really decent movie. Not a must-see, but I say: Go watch it. -
luvley23812 August 2007This had to be one of the worst written movies i've ever seen. I am highly insulted by the ridiculous/fake dialogue. These people are supposed to be in New York. The sad attempt at 'ghetto slang,' and so-called realistic portrayal of 'life on the streets' makes my stomach turn. I am from the Bronx. Most of my family is from NYC. And my childhood/adolescence took part in the Bronx in the early 90s. As a black person I am offended. This movie is a prime example of why movies like 'Hollywood Shuffle' were created--to exploit offensive movies like this. I'm so tired of movies trying to normalize this type of sick behavior. this is where stereotypes come from. And if you believe the lifestyles presented in this movie are realistic scenarios, you're an idiot. Get over it.
and by the way, the plot sucked. I'd have to write another post to address that...
oh, and that little Spanish kid--"She be likin you Homes...I'm kickin the stupid dope moves"?!? what the heck?!? are they in fake south central or fake new york? No one talks like that. seriously, homes.
everyone sucked--from sam jackson to fresh to his crack-ho sister. they can't possibly be proud of this movie. -
gizmiak21 March 2004Many comments confirm the strength of this movie in simple manipulation of an camera eye. Well, that's true. You will not find any fancy FXs here. But, does it make the picture less spectacular? Of course not. Script is brilliant. Whole plot resembles well played chess game telling the story about violence and losing innocence. This is not only a game in an explicit chess meaning. Main characters , wonderfully played by S. L. Jackson and Sean Nelson, are playing chess with themselves, struggling with their lives. There is another aspect of chess game that accompanies the plot till the end. Throughout duration of the movie chess puzzle gets clear. We can finally see where 'Fresh' is heading to and what he wants to achieve through his plan. Anyway, Boaz Yakin made one of the best movies of 94' , really worth seeing.
Mariusz Pelka -
dsablaze1862 May 2003This movie both surprised and impressed me for all the right reasons. I noticed that the acting from Sean Nelson as Fresh was amazing, totally unfaltering. That kid must be from a bad area! There are very good performances from everyone involved especially Giancarlo Esposito. I don't really notice good acting unless it is truly excellent and in this case there is no doubt about that. The look of everyone and the area ( BK or the Bronx NY, i think?) was real convincing unlike many other ghetto movies.
The story encompasses a young black kid being a runner for drug dealers in NY working his way up, while the whole time he hates them and forms an elaborate plot to f*** them all up for their evil deeds!!! That is quite a poor summary I must admit but I can assure you the plot is very good, and not cliched like my summary might suggest.
Films do not get much better. -
This movie did a lot for me and it is my hope that other new viewers will feel the same. The proof of the power of the film grabs you from the beginning with the simple musical texture of the film score by Stewart Copeland coupled with the piece by piece layering of the street scenery. It is unique and perfect, revealed as an even more appropriate detail to the movie as more of the plot themes are revealed. The main character in the movie, Fresh, is played by a really exceptional young actor, Sean Nelson, who manages to steal scenes from two of my other favorite actors, Samuel L. Jackson and Giancarlo Esposito. I am trying to remember the other movies that came out in 1994 and recall why one as powerful as this one would not receive much consideration for the Academy Awards that year. It was a good year for movies - Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption (7 nominations but no Oscars), Ed Wood, Hoop Dreams (received no nominations), and on a lesser scale Forrest Gump (which you'll recall received the majority of Oscars) - but regardless, 'Fresh' should have been recognized even amongst that competition. The sad truth realized from all this is that voting is usually conducted along "white" lines based upon publicity, demographics and exposure rather than upon "quality" lines.
Accusations have been thrown out there a number of times in the past and unfortunately the majority of those accusations are true. I used to deny the possibility for bias when movies like 'Amistad' received attention for not getting its share, but the difference there was that 'Amistad' was not a good movie and 'Fresh' was an exceptional movie. The two are united only by their "non-white" content and not by their level of quality.
Also a surprise for me is the background of the writer-director, Boaz Yakin. He is not African-American yet the dialogue of his characters holds an authenticity of the New York streets which is phenomenal. I understand his next movie concerns Orthodox Jewish characters, leading me to my final question - Who is this guy and where did he come from? No matter. -
view_and_review11 July 2020Fresh was the name of the movie as well as the main character, which got me thinking: "What are some of the best movies named after the main character?" It's a list that can be really expansive without conditions.
For instance; do you include "Good Will Hunting" or "Bourne Identity" even though the title is more than just the name of the main character? Do you include superhero names like Batman or Spider-Man? Do you include alter ego names like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Do you include nicknames (wanted or unwanted) like Fresh, Scarface, Eraserhead?
As you can see it's not straightforward.
Fresh wouldn't be on my top ten list whatever the conditions. This is a movie that suffered under the weight of poor acting. The whole movie rested on the shoulders of some child actors and one child actor in particular in Sean Nelson.
Between his character, Fresh, and Fresh's friends, it was hard to watch. The plot, on the other hand, was awesome. Fresh was a young drug runner who wanted to come up with a plan to get out of the projects and cut free of the drug bosses in the hood. It was intelligent and intriguing, it just wasn't as good as it could've been without child actors. -
Wot-219 February 1999Fresh is a stunningly original story, that at first seems merely some sort of ordinary, ugly gangster/drug pusher flick -- but that is just the setting. Half way through the film the story shifts, its disparate elements come together, and you realize that everything has been very carefully laid out. The script is intelligent, the acting superb, the direction sublime.
You can watch the film come together time and again, with fascination. One of the ten best films of the decade. -
brandonfstudent21 April 2015i am a 17 year old who lived in brooklyn in my entire life i say my review is valid.
1) i like this movie because its shows the struggle of a child who lives nyc.
2) i like this movie because it shows how he become a person who cares then to a person who don't care.
3) i dislike the character named chuck e . because he acted bad and was faking that he knows about life from a bad family. He also treated the dog badly. 4) i dislike some actors who don't put real emotions into what they are doing. One example of this is how fresh really didn't cry the whole movie and the drug dealers didn't seem totally into the acting. -
stuhodes30 January 2000I was not prepared for so fine a film. Perhaps one never is prepared for true excellence. It presented a world into which most can never go, but a world where other filmmakers pretend to take us. Only Spike Lee's films have given me a sense that I am getting a glimpse of this intense and intensely human world, yet Lee's films are so dramatic I'm always aware that it is a story being told, even if by a master storyteller. "FRESH" seemed to unroll before me as if happening then and there. I remain moved, shocked, amazed.
-
emmanuelmstudent27 September 2017I live in the neighborhood where this movie was made/based in. Boaz Yakin's "Fresh" is about a kid in school doing drug runs for the dealers in his area on the surface.Under that surface is a bunch of problems there. Fresh is trying to fix these problems and will do anything that he can do to accomplish his goal and what he's fighting for. the way Fresh manipulates the people around him to get what he wants is truly genius. you can tell how and what he was thinking. The chess board that fresh uses to symbolize where is plan is and where its heading. It truly show how he is outplaying all of his opponents. The speech between the characters could be very better.It was hard for me to keep watching because of it.I would watch this movie again
-
The tag-line for this movie in no way does justice to this superb look at the not so ghetto-fabulous world of Fresh. There is portrayal without judgement that does not demonise black people, black men, Fresh or his sister. What is supremely enchanting about Fresh is the spirit of love that survives under such precarious conditions. Fresh's determination to leave the drug culture behind and take his sister with him, masks the fact that he is only a child. He is the only male to tell his sister that she is loved. We only see his vulnerability and pain at the very end, facing a father who does not know how to hold his own child.
This is the best film I have seen in a long time. It is not clichéd and avoids a minefield of ghetto stereotypes. Drug and gang culture is not glorified but realised as real and tragic. For all y'all Menace II Society and New Jack City lovers or haters you have to see this... you might learn something. -
gavin694227 April 2016Michael (or Fresh as he is well known) is a 12-year-old drug pusher who lives in a crowded housing project with his cousins and aunt. His father has become a street bum, but still meets with Fresh on occasion to play chess.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars and called it "a movie filled with drama and excitement, unfolding a plot of brilliant complexity". He praised Nelson's performance as "extraordinary" and found its plot "focused and perceptive", praising it for its social commentary.
This really is a great film, and although Sam Jackson is only in a supporting role, you have to wonder about his career choices. He does so many big, over the top films that he is known for... but then he will do these smaller, lesser-known pictures with great critical acclaim. Jackson is more than an action star with a dirty mouth... he knows how to pick his projects. -
people online are giving this movie good and bad reviews. what this movie did good was the shooting,fresh meeting his father. One thing i wouldn't do in this movie is shoot the dog because the dog didn't do anything. this movie shows how teenagers use violence to show that they are tough. it takes place in the 80s and 90s. the saddest part of this movie was when fresh started crying to his father but he did what he had to do. this movie would of been better if he didn't kill the dog cause i think that not right for a innocent animal to die.