Black and White (DVD)

Inside the melting pot

Black and White
Cast: Oliver 'Power' Grant, Robert Downey Jr, Ben Stiller, Mike Tyson, Elijah Wood, Allan Houston, Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer, Sheila King
Music: Erik Schrody, Xzibit
Cinematography: David M. Ferrara
Editing: Myron I. Kerstein
Written and directed by James Toback

Mike Tyson is an aside in Black and White but yes, the film, in which he plays himself, projects the "fallen boxer" as some one who loves a few peaceful moments to himself. And he loves to stay clear of issues even when they try clambering on to him.
The Tyson name should perhaps be the last reason to pick up Black and White. The film is so much more hard-hitting and punchy, when it comes to hard facts, than all of Tyson's fist-hits put together. It treks on raw territory — that of races trying to cross-over. Of young people discovering that "I am not what I am."
Unambiguous in language, style and content, Black and White plays out the issues of a group of "white" youngsters moving into "black" territory — largely through the eyes of a documentary maker (Brooke Shields). No, the documentary maker effect does not feel as drab as it sounds. Shield's Sam Donager is an unwitting loser, losing out eventually to her boyfriend Terry (Robert Downey Jr), who dumps her to chase his true calling in human instincts.
The back-bone of the film is the story of Rich (Oliver Power Grant), who controls the neighborhood, and his friend Dean (Allan Houston), a basketball player. Dean is fixed by a police detective (Ben Stiller) with an agenda, and to survive Rich has no choice but to kill him. He throws in Willie (William Lee Scott) to do the dirty job.
At the core, there are the aspirations of the youngsters, who want to make it big in the hip-hop scene; as others, new to the neighbourhood but not to teenage fancies, step in to watch the action. In doing so, they are rebelling against their parents, hoping they are just following suit —  after all, didn't the hippies revolt against theirs?
With many characters — many of them playing themselves — Black and White might look cluttered for individual breathing space. Surprisingly it doesn't. That is to the credit of director James Toback, who does not dilute the individuality of even the fleeting character who walks on screen.
Black and White isn't the average racy thriller; it doesn't preach either. And in walking the middle road, it makes sense.