Customer Reviews

Sugar Hill

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From Covenant Avenue to St. Nick-Harlem, once
the mecca that African-Americans lived, breathed and
thrived in, has become a pocket of infestation, a neigh-
borhood in hell, a timeshare in Vietnam. There's a war,
children, a war of values, of ethics, of lives, of genera-
tions and, ultimately, the spoils are simply blood, mate-
rial goods and empty futures. Wesley Snipes stars in the
new film Sugar Hill, which follows Roemello, a mid-
level drug kingpin, through the course of what seems to
be a week. Roemello is tired, but why he is exhausted is
never made clear. The film, directed by Leon Ichaso,
takes an unflinching look at both yesterday's addicts
(Roemello's parents) and today's (Roemello's brother
and partner Ray N athan) .The central theme is whether
or not Roemello will choose the true love of his girl-
friend Melissa, played with a defiant presence of char-
acter by Theresa Randle, or his surrogate father Gus,
mafia lord, supplier and the man who attempted to kill
Roemello's now-decrepit father. A battle over territory
ensues between Roemello and a competitor brought in
by Gus.
Roemello's father, played by Clarence Williams III
(who will be overlooked for an Oscar due the film's
release date), dealt drugs, supplied his wife's habit
(which leads to her death) , and lives in a walking death
of memories, regrets and heroin when the film opens.
Ray Nathan, played by Michael Wright, is the clingy,
needy older brother who relies on his Georgetown-
educated brother to balance his street insanity with
calculation and diplomacy. We then begin to see that all
Roemello is, all he has trusted, has abandoned him. Seen
this way we can finally understand why he's looking to
distance himself from his past. But the past is a curious,
vengeful, entangling animal tha t stalks all of Roemello' s
attempts to leave behind a vicious life for...? Well,
Roemello is never quite clear about where he'll go.
Sugar Hill is not one film, but several, and not one
story, but a legion of tales that fold into one another and
entangle tentacles of power, greed, lust, loyalty and
even family values. Two criticisms of this film are, one,
Roemello's character is made peripheral to the business
he actually controls. In a sense, we only see his hands
dirtied twice by murder. One is understandable, though
unjust, while the second is both unjust and inevitable.
Roemello, for all that his character embodies as an anti-
hero, becomes heroic as a drug dealer. His sense of
honor, supposedly gained through experience, makes
his moral caliber above those he deals with, and this is
where the film falters. How can the audience relate to
a good man who commits such a vile act as the extermi-
nation of his own people, his own father through
providing drugs? Is this a good man? Secondly, the film
also falters in that we, the audience, see the shadowed
results of murders-some not even shown. The audi-
ence can't visually connect to the crimes of the film
actually being committed by those we're supposed to
feel something for. In fact, a split occurs between the
good-bad guys and the bad-bad guys. Too many loop-
holes of justification and reverse condemnation perme-
ate the film. Are we, as an audience, so often spoon-fed
pabulum entertainment that we can't handle a mature
film where the characters redeem themselves not into
angels, but at least into something better than what
they were before? Do we need the hero going off into
the sunset so badly that we're willing to justify murder,
drug dealing and racial supplication just to feel good?
Make no mistake, Sugar Hill, even with it's intermit-
tently hard-soft hitting, is a film that needs to be seen, that
needs to beunderstood, and whose complexity and shades
of grey needs to be revealed and delved into. I highly
recommend it and feel strongly about the film, but I do
resent the soft-shoeing around the total impact that could
have been made. It's rated R, we're all adults, so let's live
in reality.

After watching "New Jack City", "Sugar Hill" is definitely a similar, but milder, pared down version of the former, still with the stark realities of street life and the drug trade being the common denominator. While in New Jack, Wesley Snipes character "Nino" is a cold,bloodthirsty,womanizing, and heartless druglord. Snipes' role as Carmello in SH is much more conservative in terms of his mannerisims, attire, and he is compassionate, humane, and sympathetic, but still not forgetting that he is first and foremost a drug kingpin who needs to take care of business. Ironically, Carmello must care for his ailing father, whose life is in shambles as a result of abusing the same product that made his own son rich, and eventually succumbs. I would even go on a limb to say Nino from NJC could be regarded as being re-incarnated in another life in this film as another character(Carmello). Carmello eventually tires of his life as a dealer, and realizes that there is more to life than the jet set lifestyle, wealth and material things.

Eventually,Carmello is given another chance at redemption, but must live the rest of his life with a crippling injury that was inflicted by his own brother, who eventually dies as well. Carmello starts over far from the concrete jungles of NYC with a new wife and child. The remarkable Clarence Williams, Ernie Hudson, Vondie Curtis-Hall, the lovely Theresa Randle, Abe Vigoda and other actors add to the depth of this film. Even after 10 years, this movie still hits home.

After reading how the critics panned this movie I wonder if they watched it. The movie has a very dark yet thoughtful feel to it. If we understand that critics rarely have talent as actors or screenwriters we can see how this nice movie could be so underrated by them. Wesley Snipes plays his role with a warm compassion for those around him. Michael Wright does overact quite a bit but he probably had a few years to go to become a good actor. Clarence Williams III was superb as the father. Theresa Randle is very good as the girlfriend. I almost fell in love with her myself. She seemed like the perfect woman. The rest of the movie is straight gangster done by a black cast except for Abe Vigoda who played his part excellently.

The opening scene and the scene about the mother and father is very good and sets up the whole movie. Especially the scene with the father and the thugs on the roof, which is fantastic. We understand so much about Roem's motives from that scene that we appreciate his later life and his rage toward the things which affect him later.

I usually don't like movies which are from the nineties but this one stands out. It is worth watching.

No stranger to pain and tragedy, drug lord Roemello Skuggs is ready to quit his dangerous profession and settle down in a quiet new life with his girlfriend. Fate, however, has other things in store for him. After a lifetime in the narcotics trade, Roemello finds that getting out isn't so easy, especially with a brother still in the business and a turf war threatening to erupt. Nice dark film, with soft jazz, and beautiful rich scenery. This movie has depth and history. Wesley shows depth of character in this movie. If you plan on having a relaxing night type of movie, this is one to have for the collection.

There is some really great acting in this movie. It is a hard hitting, somber tale about a kingpin drug dealer looking to lead a normal life and encountering the difficulties that go along with it. Wesley Snipes is excellent and Michael Wright is superb as the supporting actor. An excellent movie that will get to you deep down.

Athough I have viewed this movie a couple of times on tv, when
I watched it on DVD it seemed like a whole different movie. The
background music was fantastic (horns, sax, etc.). All actors
portrayed their roles quiet well.

The story line was unique and entertaining. Showing Snipes as a complex individual, not just a money hungry drug dealer. The twist and turns the move takes keeps your attention, and the ending surprising. The camera direction was rather flat with moments of interest,but the over all direction I would say was good. you won't be dissappointed, I wasn't

I really liked Sugar Hill. If you've seen The Godfather series and Jason's Lyric, you'll be quick to recognize similarities. (I do realize Jason's Lyric came out after this movie.)

It's a story of two brothers being pushed into the drug/crime world by fate. One of them wants to leave the world behind, and the other doesn't want to let him go... and they've got to watch out for everyone on the street..

Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet!

I've had Sugar Hill on VHS for awhile now. Finally decided to purchase the DVD. Not the gritty Wesley Snipes that everyone remembers from "New Jack City" but nonetheless a great performance. I compare Snipes to Pacino in the aspect of how he changed gears from Ruthless in Scarface to a person trying to leave the life in Carlito's Way and of course the romantic plot that showed a different side to each character. At the same time, both were able to still show some of the punch that made those two movies hits in the streets. Snipes is at his best as he is trying to leave his troubled past but each time gets pulled back by the ghosts that haunt him. Great performances by Michael Wright, Ernie Hudson, Abe Vigoda, and Clarence Williams III! A must have to your Gangster Film Collection!!!

I have always loved this film and will always love this film till my dying days. It reminds me of a time when Black cinema broke the mold with the stories that were told and how those stories were told. Sugar Hill is a well written and well acted tale film noir drama that never got the respect it truly deserves.

Roemello(Wesley Snipes) wants to break free from a world of crime but is constantly dragged back in. He cant live a normal life or have a girlfriend in it because something bad is always happening around him. His brother Raynathan(Michael Wright) is very high-strung and causes some of Roemello's problems plus he has to deal with his drug-addicted father A.R.(Clarence Williams III).

Wesley Snipes best performance is Roemello Skuggs. This movie proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that Wesley can act as well as play a serious role. Michael Wright is good as Raynathan even though he can get buckwild at times. Clarence Williams III is excellent as their drug-afflicted father A.R. He was always a great actor that never got enough credit for great roles such as this one, Hoodlum and Deep Cover. Theresa Randle is is pretty good as Roemello's girlfriend Melissa. She is innocent in the sense that she is not numb to death and violence and actually feels pain upon seeing something like for instance a dead body. Melissa is gorgeous as well as likable. There are also some strong performances by Abe Vigoda and Ernie Hudson.

I love the setting of the movie as well as the cinematography. Director Leon Ichaso has an eye for things and you can see that as you watch this movie. Its a shame that the movie didnt do well and the director never did another movie again. I would have liked to see another movie from him.

In short Sugar Hill is an underrated masterpiece. No self-respecting fan of Black Cinema should be without a copy of Sugar Hill.