Review of Chi-Raq (2015) by Peter F — 09 Dec 2015

Spike Lee's latest attempts to be both a strike against urban violence and an unadulterated battle of the sexes, but it's only marginally successful on both counts. Certainly Lee's most relevant film in years, the film unfortunately succumbs to heavy-handedness, and there is a large issue with the presentation.

A pseudo Hip-Hopera, Chi-Raq's dialogue is almost entirely done in spoken word and rhymed verses, which could have lent itself to a transfixing experience, but it doesn't quite gel with the film's subject matter and often feels unnecessary.

Still, there is an invigorating sense to it, even if solely for the topical-ness of the material, and there are a few quiet moments to it that carry a great gravity. If Spike Lee had explored these areas more, then Chi-Raq could have ranked as a strong latter-day film for the director, but instead it's just a foot-note.