Review of Clockers (1995) by Timothy S — 06 Oct 2014

The 1990's were a decade rich with young black filmmakers making a splash with a lot of impressive and important movies, but no one spoke louder than Spike Lee well into that time period and beyond. Even his misfires were more interesting than a lot of director's successes, and "Clockers" is a little-seen but vital piece of work that delves so much deeper into the gangster lifestyle than a dozen other similar projects.

Lee and screenwriter Richard Price is more interested in exploring the power struggle involved in life on the streets, exploring the story of two brothers in the same situation but each with a very different way of dealing with it. Isaiah Washington is the family man, shunning the criminal lifestyle in favor of working two menial jobs while his sibling (the exceptional Mekhi Phifer) earns the easy money working for a crime boss.

There are a lot of outside sources swaying them in different directions in the form of Delroy Lindo as the drug lord and Keith David as a local cop who cares about the people he serves adding to the richness of the story. Rather than focus on the expected and gratuitous violence, the mood here is more melancholy and Lee is a master of choosing just the right music to fit the mood. It's exceptional here.

Because of the combined efforts of the director, the writer and the seasoned cast, "Clockers" is so much more than just another gang picture. Like so many others Spike Lee Joints, this has something to say.