POETIC JUSTICE (15)
D: John Singleton
Columbia Tristar (Steve Nicolaides & John
Singleton)
US 1993
109 mins
Drama/Romance
W: John Singleton
DP: Peter Lyons Collister
Ed: Bruce Cannon
Mus: Stanley Clarke
Janet Jackson (Justice), Tupac Shakur (Lucky), Regina King
(Iesha), Joe Torry (Chicago), Tyra Ferrell (Jessie), Roger Guenveur Smith (Heywood), Maya Angelou (Aunt June), Billy Zane (Brad), Lori Petty (Penelope)
Janet Jackson's big screen debut sees her play Justice, a
South Central hairdresser who copes with depression following the death of her boyfriend by writing poetry, but learns to love again when she accompanies a bad boy from the 'hood on a road
trip.
John Singleton's "urban romance" is an incredibly
disappointing follow up to 1991's Boyz N The Hood (qv), merely serving as a vehicle to pair the pop singer with rap artist Tupac Shakur, despite the fact that there's little chemistry to be
seen between their characters.
The appreciation of Janet's acting depends wholly on what
side of the tracks you're on. She won an MTV movie award for Best Female Performance but was also nominated for a Razzie for Worst Actress, as well as an Oscar. Although the latter was a
nomination for Best Original Song for the love theme "Again", which is actually a beautifully-penned ballad that could have easily found itself in a much better movie.
4/10