Belly (1998)

I say this film was and still is largely misunderstood, mainly because it has a number of layers that seem to struggle with each other at times, especially on the first viewing. Often taken as nothing more than a stylized urban action/thriller, it seemingly contains elements of film noir running in the background that are often overlooked in reviews of this film. Furthermore, the film has very bleak undertones throughout that are juxtaposed by the stunningly vibrant visuals, which may distract many first time viewers.On the surface, the film tells a familiar tale of two friends, Tommy (DMX) and Sincere (Nas) who are engaged in cycles of violence, that we see early on in the film turn from violent robberies to a foray into drug dealing. However, this film does not follow traditional rules of the narrative. It is almost as if we are stepping into a story that has begun. The characters are barely introduced, there are no humble beginnings to offset their climb in the drug scene, their motivations are not made explicitly clear, there is no clear antagonist. While some may see the absence of such film traditions as a fault from the director, I feel that this may have been intentional to challenge the viewer and to help deliver the films message and I personally found it refreshing.As the characters are not initially distinguished through their introduction, in order to understand the characters it is important to make note of their environment and of the dialog between the characters. This is key to understanding the film. For instance, in the beginning of the film we see the homes of both Tommy and Sincere. Tommy's home is visually very dark and cold, almost feeling isolating and heartless, meanwhile Sincere's home is much warmer and vibrant, and he is greeted by his wife and child. From these environments we can also garner Tommy's motivation for materialism and Sincere's desires for security. The environment is an important aspect of the film.Aside from the reoccurring graphic violence, the film is very slow moving and the characters slowly become more clear as the film progresses. It seems as though the characters are often propelled by their circumstances as opposed to leading the story. Again I feel this was intentional to the film. The first two acts it seems as though the story is unfolding and the characters are powerless players within the story, only able to assert their power in acts of violence. It is the third act where this begins to change which is really the strength of the film. As the characters become more self aware they are able to play greater part in determining their own futures.If you can make it through the first two acts, which admittedly can be hard to sit through, the third act is one of the greatest and most memorable I have seen in a film of any genre and really separates this film from other films of the "gangster" genre. While some claim the film promotes the Nation Of Islam as the only saviour for Black people, I do not agree with this assessment. The character of The Minister does not express a specific religious belief and could be seen as much part Martin Luther King Jr as he is Louis Farrakhan. I believe the greater meaning presented is that we all have the power to create our own future once we begin to see ourselves as not merely products of our environment, but as producers of that environment. The final 5 minutes of this film are perhaps the strongest critique of the violence and gangsterisms of modern urban culture I have seen in a mainstream film.I also found the character of Tommy, to be one of my favorite film characters. On the surface he is strong, violent, controlling and aggressive. However, from the moment he pleads to Sincere for help in escaping capture, we begin to see beneath his shell. For the latter part of the film we see that beneath his exterior he is scared, isolated and alone.Admittedly, this film is not for everybody and I can understand why some do not like it. It moves slow, does not follow cinematic conventions, has a number of seemingly unrelated stories being told, has a rather overpowering visual presentation and contains a number of very violent and sometimes uncomfortable scenes to watch. However, the conclusion ties everything together. It becomes clear that everything in the film was there for a reason. Also, this film does seemingly resonate strongly with a cult following amongst its target audience, so I believe this film has much worth.This film is not character driven, and also not really story driven, it is something different all together. The story of two friends engaging in the drug trade is not the primary purpose of this film. It is not about the ups and downs of dealing drugs. This film is a critique of the way that we interact with our environments both as products and producers.While it may at times be difficult to follow, if you approach this film with an open mind and can last until the closing scene, you may find something really special.

Nobody is better equipped either aesthetically or visually to evoke spontaneity in an African-American urban crime thriller about gangsters-in-the-hood than video director Hype Williams. For the record, Hype has helmed videos for some of the most popular hip-hop vocalists, including The Notorious B.I.G., Will Smith, Babyface, and R. Kelly. Indisputably, Williams captures the smoke-laden atmosphere, the cold sweaty paranoia, and above all the improvised lifestyle of black gunmen who live on the edge with their families and their high-class surroundings. Basically, however, "Belly" is a little more than a competently handled but traditional shoot'em up about drug lords battling over territorial rights, and redemption. The story focuses on Tommy (DMX, aka Earl Simmons) and his pal Sincere (NAS) as they rob night clubs and deal a new kind of heroin and the wages of their violent lives. While this film features a visually dazzling look which you will remember long after you've forgotten about the thoroughly formulaic plot that is as old as any blue-collar Warner Brothers gangster thriller from the 1930s. The lip and the hip are hypnotic, but the story is hackneyed. Williams and storytellers Anthony Bodden and hip-hopster Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones draw on the contemporary crime scene as well as thrillers like "Scarface." The attack on Ox's palatial residence resembles the Columbians attack on Tony Montana's estate and the bargain between Tommy and the authorities to kill the Minister is akin to Tony's bargain to kill an anti-drug spokesman. Of course, you can guess what happens with this subplot. Our two protagonists eventually see the light of day and understand the moral trouble that they have brought down on themselves, but they are nevertheless rewarded for what they've done before they turned over a new leaf. The gunfights are standard-issue, and most of the performances are believable, except for Ben Chavis as the Minister who seems to be reciting his message laden dialogue without an ounce of inspiration. "Belly" is an ordinary African-American crime thriller with striking visuals but there is little striking about its derivative narrative.

About ten years ago I heard about this film through the overwhelmingly negative reviews. I never got the chance to see it myself but the names involved and the fact it was William's debut as a "proper filmmaker" made me want to see it for myself – I didn't think it would be ten years before it came to me via television. Watching it for myself I find the critics to be spot on the money with their criticism because this is a roundly poor film that doesn't deliver on any level – even the areas that you would expect it to at least be OK on. The problems start with the basic plot, which at best is a mumbled sentence about two gangsters living rough and finding redemption – I sincerely doubt that there was a plot synopsis or a story board done for this before writing began, because the ideas are so basic in the final product that it cannot have been more than an one-liner when it came to the development stages.These poor ideas are built into a messy and disjointed plot that has zero narrative flow to it – zero. Nada. None. We do have scenes that connect across the story but on the whole the film feels like fragmented scenes from other films in the same genre – at best lazy, at worst, dumb homage/lifts. Again this comes down to the poor idea for the film, with blocks of narrative put alongside one another without a lot of connection – the place it all ends up is so laughably corny and out of nowhere that it is hard not to sit there shaking your head in disbelief at how bad it is. Unsurprisingly the script is not up to much. At its BEST, the film is mumbling ebonic gangsa clichés – let me stress that again: the best bits in the script are mumbled clichés. The worst is when the characters dialogue is required as part of the story because none of it rings true, my favourite bad bit being Nas' declaration that he will "go to Africa", which is OK to say as a throwaway line in a song but when it is a key thought in your character's head that he makes happen, then maybe it was worth picking a country? I mean – it is a pretty big place and it is incredibly different across each country, with definite places to avoid. That is my pick but there are plenty more.The cast function at the level one would expect given what they have to deal with. It is a common complaint that rappers do not make good films or make good actors and, while there are some exceptions (Mos Def for one) this is often the case. So what better to do than isolate the problem by sticking them all in one film together and having done with it? DMX can "do" street and "do" tough but when the film even suggests that he need do more he just goes to pieces and seems to be mugging for all his worth. Nas meanwhile spends a lot of the film being "deep" and thoughtful but he is also exposed by having a terrible narration to deliver that he cannot make work in any way. Don't feel too sorry for him though – he has a writer's credit on this turd. The presence of Johnson and Meth only serve to remind fans of The Wire how good things can be and by extension, remind us how bad this is even as we watch it. Hicks, T-Boz, Power and others all compete to see who can be the most wooden and unconvincing – my vote goes to TLC's T-Boz for reacting to the Nas being shot in the way one would react to the news that your partner had just snagged their favourite jumper on a nail and made a minor hole in it.Most surprisingly bad though is the film as a visual experience. Here and there we have some clever shot-framing and camera angles but for the vast majority of the film things are murky and dull, with the cinematography awful and none of the invention and eye for a shot that Hype Williams has made his career off. You hear people saying this film is bad but it looks great, I really have to disagree because on the whole it looks awful. And there we have Belly – a film that fails in almost every regard. It is clichéd and simple but yet still cannot manage to make the story flow, while the poor script makes sure that any hint of character or hope of performances from the cast are almost totally gone (with the casting processing putting the final lock on that door). The big clue of quality though is that the one thing we thought we could rely on Williams for (the visuals) is also mostly poor. I watch plenty of so-so films so please believe me when I tell you that this is not a disappointment or a letdown – this is a total pile-up of a film.

OK first of all the low rating on Belly has given me a very good idea about the people that rate movies on IMDb. First off, the Godfather is one of my favorite movies as well as Belly. So how can the Godfather be rated a 9.1 and this equally interesting gangster movie a 4.1?? OK the Departed, Goodfellas, Carlitos Way, and Godfather are all rated very high, which I agree. But when you rate Belly so low, even though it is just as dramatic, gangster, and violent, etc. that proves without a doubt that the nerds that rate movies on IMDb are all racist dorks with no true appreciation towards a movie with a different racial perspective. Just because Belly revolves around the black mob and has rappers in it doesn't mean it should be judged lowly. This movie is one of the most Realistic cinemas that i have ever seen regarding the street life. This movie revolves around real life deals, trafficking, and police evasion of the REAL drug world. F*** those who jump on the bandwagon, racist pricks.