NEW JERSEY DRIVE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.6
U.S. Availability: wide release 4/19/95 Running Length: 1:37 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence)
Starring: Sharron Corley, Gabriel Casseus, Saul Stein, Gwen McGee Director: Nick Gomez Producers: Larry Meistrich and Bob Gosse Screenplay: Nick Gomez based on a story by Nick Gomez and Michel Marriott Cinematography: Adam Kimmel Music: Wendy Blackstone Released by Gramercy Pictures
At first glance, one might place NEW JERSEY DRIVE alongside the likes of BOYZ 'N THE HOOD, SOUTH CENTRAL, and MENACE II SOCIETY. Each of these film is, after all, about the struggle of today's black youth to escape the endless cycle of inner city violence. However, similarities end at the basic theme. Writer/director Nick Gomez takes a route that sacrifices narrative for perspective. Ultimately, his characters become secondary to an exploration of the principles and attitudes of those who live each day believing "it's open season on the black man."
Although the film is set in Newark, New Jersey (the "car theft capital of the world"), it could take place in virtually any major American city. Location is less important than viewpoint, and the issues with which the characters cope can be found all across the country. To Jason (Sharron Corley) and Midget (Gabriel Casseus), stealing a car is, at worst, a minor infraction. They take a new vehicle every night, go for a joyride, then drop it off. Occasionally, when they really need money, they visit a chop shop. The police, led by a sadistic bigot named Roscoe (Saul Stein) are always close, hounding the two whether they've done something or not. On those occasions when they actually catch their quarry, the cops are as likely to beat them and leave them on the street as to drag them off to jail.
The strengths of BOYZ 'N THE HOOD were characters and plot. In that film, writer/director John Singleton fashioned a shocking story centered around a believable group of young black men. Here, although Nick Gomez is working with two teenage protagonists that would seemingly fit in with the HOOD crowd, he doesn't display any particular skill for creating multi-dimensional personalities, and the storyline is pedestrian. What NEW JERSEY DRIVE does well, however, is present a perspective.
By the end of the film, you may not sympathize with Jason, but you will understand him. All that happens in NEW JERSEY DRIVE is skewed to give a participant's view of life on the streets. Every cop is portrayed as a racist. This may not reflect an impartial "truth", but it emphasizes Jason and Midget's take on reality. The cops are the enemy, and these two can't afford to see anything other than the negatives about Roscoe and his co-workers. Looking through the eyes of the protagonists, neither can we.
Though it follows the exploits of petty criminals and bent cops, NEW JERSEY DRIVE never loses its moral perspective. Jason's mother (Gwen McGee) wants her son to stay in school so he eventually can free himself from the inner city. And when Jason sees his sister running with a "bad" crowd, he risks his safety to get her away from them, recognizing from his own experience the dangers inherent in such an association.
Cinematographer Adam Kimmel's camera work maintains an intimate outlook, adding to the sense of "being there." There are times when this movie feels more like a documentary than a work of fiction--and therein lies its strength. For, while the story of NEW JERSEY DRIVE lacks originality, the manner in which it is presented offers a fresh, and sometimes jarring, point of view.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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