Never Die Alone (2004)

Considering DMX's previous movie fare – which typically paired him with martial arts stars – I was expecting this to be an action flick. Well, in some ways it is – there are a ton of bloody shoot-outs and it partly follows the classic revenge drama formula – but in other ways, NEVER DIE ALONE surprises, exploring DMX's character in some detail and taking a downbeat look at the life of a drug dealer. DMX takes a role a little heavier than he's used to, and he's very good in the part, a really hateful character that you can nevertheless understand. The supporting cast is also pretty good, excepting David Arquette, who's hopeless as usual.Sadly, NEVER DIE ALONE's subject matter is ultimately depressing, whilst the revenge drama is just too clichéd to be any good. The only good scene in the whole movie is the bit where a thug finds himself distracted by dollar notes which come floating down the alleyway towards him – an original and fun moment in a film otherwise devoid of laughter.

The movie starts with King David in a casket.Then he starts telling us about his life. He came to Los Angeles to start his life over. Two days earlier, Moon needed Mike and Blue to collect some money from him.Something goes terribly wrong, and David is left lying in the street. Paul, a white writer with a black girlfriend (Nancy), couldn't just let him die. On the way to the hospital, David pleads with Paul to tell his son his story. Interestingly, Paul was living the life of a black man, while Nancy seemed to have rejected her culture (I'm basing this on one scene, but we never got to know her) and disapproved of his living in that world, but Paul felt he had to in order to write what he wanted.Paul finds out from a hospital worker that David had rewarded him by leaving him everything--lots of cash, jewelry, and a nice car. And cassette tapes with his autobiography.As Paul listens to the tapes, we see the events described. Once again, David says he is starting over in Los Angeles. In a scene with three bikini beauties, Paul meets blonde white actress Janet. She becomes the first of his girlfriends that we see. With her connections, and the fact that no one on the west coast has quality merchandise, David becomes a major drug dealer. David meets Juanita, a waitress studying to be a social worker, so Janet is tossed out like yesterday's trash. And she's not making it as an actress, so guess what she does for a living? Poor Juanita. And wait until you see what he does to Edna, who may have had his baby.To say David is not a nice person is a major understatement. But he's so charming that women want to be his girlfriend. Then they find out what he's really like.Why would I watch this movie? I'm white and a few months older than Barack Obama. These days, I'll watch anything I haven't seen. At least I'll get it over with. But for me personally, the movie had a few redeeming qualities.I won't say there's music for every taste. No classical, rock, or country. But nearly every style of jazz is represented. Some examples include muted trumpet with a rap beat, muted trumpet without a rap beat, a beautiful vocal performance in a club, and piano jazz in a nice restaurant. Of course there is gangsta rap. Two rap songs played for the closing credits are actually catchy, even for me.And then there is the bartender at The Blue Room. She has the same edgy charm that made her so appealing on an episode of My Network's "Tony Rock Project". At least I think that's her.The crazy judge from "Boston Legal" is a funeral director, but he's on very briefly and doesn't speak. That's a shame.DMX delivers a very good performance. Like I said, his character is not a nice man at all. And yet you sort of want to like him. You won't when you find out about him.Some unusual camera and editing techniques should be mentioned. One act of violence is shown from the victim's point of view. We see what he sees. In the scene with Edna everything is green or blue and seems to move in slow motion. The bikini babes disappear gradually as we jump forward in time several times from David's arrival to his first conversation with Janet.Of course I saw this on a My Network station, so the sound went out many times and the mouth of the character speaking was blurred. Something tells me I should be very glad of that. Once (I mention this because it could happen to you) the sound of dialogue went out for no apparent reason though I could hear music. The violence wasn't as bad as it could have been.I have a feeling this was a story worth seeing.

This is Donald Goines, not some wanna be street wise Tarantino Pulp Fiction junk. This movie will not appeal to those looking for a hero or a silver lining. You don't necessarily have had to live this kind of life, but it helps to understand the characters' motivations. The film doesn't glorify violence, misogyny, or the hustla's lifestyle. Life is not always clearly defined. There is not always a clear line between a hero and a villain. We all make choices and we all have to live with the consequences. You don't have to agree with the lifestyles of the characters in this film, but you should realize that this film was based on the real life experiences of the author. The street life, not as you want it to be, as you wish it to be, but as it is. "Never Die Alone" presents this lifestyle. 'It ain't where you from, it's where you at', not just physically but mentally.

This movie surprised me in many ways starting from King David ( played by DMX) King is not the type of character people will fall for like Scarface who was an Anti-hero with remorse. Unlike belly, king David is more ruthless and has no pity for the ones he kills. DMX handles the character very well. Not only is he a hell of a good rapper, but he can bring out a performance in a movie that will impress some viewers. David arquette might seem overshadowed by the other actors,but he also plays an important part of this movie. Micheal ealy and Antwon Tanner who plays mike and blue are very likable, in fact they pretty much remind me of Tony Montana and Manolo in Scarface. Clifton powell who plays moon is one that you either love or hate. I just happened to find him a pimp like character who keeps his word, but cannot be trusted. The rest of the cast did an amazing job and the story is well done, but can be twisted at times that people will have to watch it two or three times to get it right. Overall, I think this is one of the best films I've seen and for those who like gangster movies, you won't be disappointed.