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| Directed by Michael Rymer; Starring Omar Epps, LL Cool J, Nia Long, Stanley Tucci, Hill Harper, Pam Grier, Ivonne Coll, and Jermaine Dupri |
I know that I can be pretty hard on modern day African American cinema, but of course I consider myself hard on every type of cinema. It is not that I have anything against the films altogether (one can note my strong adoration for Menace II Society as proof of such), it is just that I personally thought that those that I gave poor ratings to were simply bad films. Foolish and Trippin’ were just unfunny to me, and I was pretty quick to commend The Wood for what it was, but I just didn’t think that it was anything to write home about. I have to admit that I feel the same way about In Too Deep. Sure it is the normal gangster ruining the life of those in the urban area where the film is set, but it has a Donnie Brasco touch that gives a certain extra notch.
In Too Deep is about Jeff Cole (Epps), an undercover cop that goes after the biggest criminal in New York … Duane “God” Gittens (LL Cool J). He becomes one of them and even begins to do things to others just to further their belief that his alter ego is not a cop. Jeff is doing a pretty good job, but he gets too eager and zealous, causing his commander Preston Boyd (Tucci) to want him off the case. Still Jeff stays on the case and he and Gittens get so close that their collision is sure to happen at any moment.
The direction is nothing to make a big deal about, nor is the script since the film is rather pointless. Still the thing that makes this film almost worth seeing is in its performances. I have continually downed LL Cool J for roles in Halloween: H20 and Deep Blue Sea, but he seems to have found his place here. I enjoyed his performance more than Epps, whom I’ve always found to be a pretty good actor. Tucci and Grier also but up pretty good performances in smaller supporting roles. I’m not terribly keen on In Too Deep, but I found it to be far better than Trippin’.
