Hey folks, Harry here with the impossibly suave and debonair Capone and his streetsmart look at EMPIRE. A film which sounds to me like the remake of SHAFT, only without Shaft or the whole Witness subplot. You know, just the story of Peoples and the insta-gro boy from EMPIRE OF THE SUN? Anyways, here's Capone...
Hey, Harry. Capone in Chicago here. You know, I was all set to go see a post-work showing of FEMME FATALE last night when I got a mysterious e-mail inviting me to a last-minute screening of an almost-final-print of John Leguizamo’s first star vehicle in a while, EMPIRE. With a big 8 MILE preview screening nearby going on as well last night, needless to say, the theatre playing EMPIRE was nearly empty, save a few film critics and local promotion types. I’d seen a trailer for EMPIRE last week, but had only a sketchy idea of what this thing was about.
Leguizamo is Vic Rosa, a drug kingpin of the South Bronx, who is looking to diversify his interests. He knows how to run his territories, keep his customers happy, keep is supplier happier, and take care if the competition infringes on his turf. I realized early on what my first problem with EMPIRE was: Leguizamo narrates the hell out of this thing. It seems that at least half the film is done with just narration. And in a movie where the dialogue isn’t that strong to begin with, we needed to be dazzled with Leguizamo’s commentary, which we aren’t, unfortunately. EMPIRE feels like the shortened version of a longer and possibly better film that someone forced to have cut down. It’s too bad too. Leguizamo’s performance is strong as the drug dealer who finds out his girlfriend (Delilah Cotto) is about to have his child and would like to take the money he’s made and turn it into something legitimate.
At a party thrown by the boyfriend of one of her business school buddies, Vic meets Jack (Peter Sarsgaard), a Wall Street wizard who shows Vic early on that he can make a lot of cash fast with limited investment capital. It doesn’t take long for Vic to realize that a large amount of cash could see unbelievable wealth, and Jack is more than willing to take his money. EMPIRE picks up a little steam once Jack is introduced into the picture. Sarsgaard adds a disarming, warm quality to his character that makes you (and Vic) believe he’s completely trustworthy. Vic is so used to being in control and being the smartest guy in his crew that he doesn’t see betrayal coming for a second.
EMPIRE is certainly watchable, but it’s hardly compelling. First-time writer-director Franc Reyes has too many characters running around and not enough for them to do, and he’s not a great juggler. I haven’t even told you about Vic’s crew (including rapper Treach), his rival drug gangs (including one headed up by rapper Fat Joe), his girlfriend’s family (headed by a wasted Sonia Braga), his supplier (Isabella Rossellini in a great wig, but also wasted), or Jack’s sex pot girlfriend (Denise Richards). There are also frequent flashback scenes showing Vic’s brother getting killed at a club as Vic watches. And the film is only 100 minutes long! EMPIRE feels crowded and claustrophobic, we rush through key scenes as if there’s a time limit on the running time (which there probably was), there’s no time for character development or for just watching a few decent actors do there thing. Move, move, move was probably the mantra in the editing room. There’s a better film out there now about the similar subject of drug dealers called PAID IN FULL that is 10 times better. Still, EMPIRE isn’t a total waste of time. Leguizamo and Sarsgaard are good at playing off one another, and I seem to recall a bouncy Latin soundtrack as well. It kept me from being bored or falling asleep, which has to count for something. I believe the film is set to open December 6.
Capone
