Never Die Alone Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)March 25th, 2004
NEVER DIE ALONE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
NEVER DIE ALONE is a sloppily written film by James Gibson, based on what is undoubtedly an equally cheesy novel by Donald Goines. The ghetto characters never rise about the level of clichés, and the movie plays like a cross between a spaghetti western and a rock video. The best that can be said of it is that it is handsomely shot with images of neon glitter and warmly scored to a mix of music with a jazz beat. Director Ernest R. Dickerson, who was the DP on many of Spike Lee's films, has a strong sense of the visual. As a story teller, however, he can't figure out the difference between a character and a caricature.
The plot concerns a drug dealer named King David (DMX) who has come back to his old turf to settle some scores. An entrepreneur whose only memorable line is, "heroin has serious growth potential," King likes to get his girlfriends addicted to heroin by telling them that the drug he's giving them is cocaine. After they are strung out and begging for a fix, he can beat the crap out of them. Oh yes, did I mention that he's the hero of the tale?
The story opens just before King is murdered by shooters from his nemesis, a gangster named Moon (Clifton Powell). David Arquette plays Paul, the only white guy within a hundred blocks of the shooting. A character that is almost impossible to believe, Paul plays a Good Samaritan who rushes King to the hospital and stays with him as long as he can. A budding writer who uses an old manual typewriter, Paul is surprised to receive a bequest from King of all of his world goods, which includes a pimpmobile, cash, jewelry and autobiographical tapes. Paul spends the rest of the movie listening to the tapes while hanging around dangerous areas where Moon will clearly try to have him killed. As Paul listens to King's life story, we observe the scenes in flashback.
Other that the cinematography and the score, the only other reasons to see NEVER DIE ALONE are the killer clothes that King wears regally. They're definitely to die for.
NEVER DIE ALONE runs 1:30. It is rated R for "strong violence, drug use, sexuality and language" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, March 26, 2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.
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