Light it Up (1999) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/ Member: Online Film Critics Society
"First ten minutes, you made up in your mind who we were"
Starring Usher Raymond, Forest Whitaker, Rosario Dawson, Robert Ri'chard, Fredro Starr, Vanessa L. Williams. Rated R.
Oh how good it is, after being bombarded with redundant media coverage of high school shootings and the prevailing violence in teenage society, to see a mainstream film present a situation where teens that resort to foul play aren't evil ciphers who go off the deep end for no apparent reason. By no means does Light it Up glorify violence but it doesn't jump to obvious conclusions about teens that are driven to it. The characters here are not insane. They're not pushed off the edge by violent TV shows. They're simply fed up and their reaction is more than understandable.
The movie is set at a poor, inner-city high school and earns points immediately by placing it in Queens, thereby offsetting the Harlem stereotype. A full-time police officer has just been permanently placed at Lincoln High to keep the peace. This is Officer Jackson (Forest Whitaker), `a five dollar cop with a fifty dollar attitude.' One day he roughs up a kid for blocking the traffic in the hallway, which leads to a wrestling match where the cop is shot in the leg with his own gun and the gun goes flying to the floor. The kid grabs the gun and before he knows it, he and a group of friends have taken the cop hostage.
There's Lester (R&B singer Usher Raymond), an intelligent, troubled boy who is also the man with the gun and thus the ringleader; Stephanie, who is really smart and has plans to become a doctor; Lynn, who has just found out she is pregnant and Rodney, the obligatory homeboy. They constantly fight over what to do next but whatever Lester says, goes: he does, after all, have the gun.
Police surround the building. A kindly hostage negotiator (Vanessa L. Williams) is called in. The students make a list of demands, consisting mainly of getting their broken window fixed, their just-fired favorite teacher rehired, textbooks for everyone, etc, etc. But the main thing they want is respect. It can't be anything but painful to have no say in the matter when your school is going to pieces right before your eyes. It must be difficult to watch your future be compromised because authority figures are performing their job inadequately. I believe Light it Up when it says that this can get to the point where students have no choice but to take matters into their own hands. The film doesn't glorify this; rather, it presents it in an unbiased light.
This is a movie for teens, but then again it's not. It speaks to teens intelligently, without condescending or trying to please. In that sense, it's for them. But on the other hand, it may be a little too intelligent: not enough action to interest those looking for excitement and explosions and not enough romance to attract those of the female persuasion. In that sense it's not. Be that as it may, this is not a film that adults should be wary to see; just because it is about teens does not mean it is exclusively for them and that is certainly not the case here.
Light it Up deftly handles issues ambitious inner city kids may be facing today, those who are actually troubled about the poor quality of their schools. In our society, it is a contradiction when a child is raised in a cruel, violent society and yet wants to learn. This movie shows us how that contradiction can create an urge in teens to resort to violence so that they can learn. It's a sad reality, but also one that makes perfect sense given the circumstances.
Usher Raymond, a singer by trade, has a real screen presence. His performance is intense and surprisingly powerful; like Ice Cube, Will Smith, L.L. Cool J, and Vanessa Williams (who, of course, is in this as well) here is another musician with the potential for a major crossover into the movie industry. The amiable Williams is the only big star here, making her a sort of backbone: even if a viewer hates everything else in the movie, a good performance from a familiar face can go a long way. She handles it well.
Though it has the tendency to rely too much on character stereotypes, Light it Up is no formula movie. It's not a high school flick. Nor does it exploit the recent tragedies that have occurred in the country. It is a real film.
Grade: B+
©1999 Eugene Novikov
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