Review of One Eight Seven (1997) by Stuart K — 15 Jul 2009
After the big budget madness of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and Waterworld (1995), director Kevin Reynolds opted to go for something smaller and much more down-to-earth. The result is a powerful crime drama with a brilliant lead performance.
It begins with high school teacher Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson) teaching in a rough neighborhood of Brooklyn, he is threatened by a student who Garfield has failed, and student almost stabs Garfield to death.
15 months later, Garfield has moved to the West Coast, and is now working in an even rougher school in the San Fernando Valley district of Los Angeles. He finds it hard to get though to his students, a select few are influenced by him, but the more rougher types threaten him, whilst some teachers would have quit and moved away, Garfield doesn't and he decides to clean up the school and the local gangs that terrorise it.
The whole film reaks of Straw Dogs, but it is a gripping and taut film, and it does raise the question of how far is too far?? And it does ask who was right or wrong, (at points, Garfield comes across as bad, if not worse than the gangs.
) The film deserves a look and Jackson is brilliant in the lead role.
This review of One Eight Seven (1997) was written by Stuart K on 15 Jul 2009.
One Eight Seven has generally received positive reviews.
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