Saved by Samuel L. Jackson

September 17th, 2008 at 04:45pm Will Pfeifer

Samuel L. Jackson and Ruby Dee in a scene from the 1991 movie JUNGLE FEVER.

Samuel L. Jackson stars in LAKEVIEW TERRACE, which opens in theaters this weekend. I’ve only seen the trailer, so I have no idea if the movie is any good or not, but I do know one thing: It’s good to see Jackson playing an imposing figure once again. In TERRACE, he plays a mean cop, and judging by the trailer, he makes the most the character’s nasty streak.

The reason I’m posting this today is that last night, while dozing off on the couch, I happened to stumble across Spike Lee’s 1991 film, JUNGLE FEVER. I saw it in the theater during its initial release, and remember thinking it was a pretty solid drama, with the usual ham-handed moments from Spike. Watching it again last night, those ham-handed moments pretty much doomed the entire movie. I could barely make out the story of the interracial romance between Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra over the film’s social posturing, speeches-as-dialogue script and noodling jazz score.

What saved JUNGLE FEVER was Samuel Jackson. In one of his first big roles, Jackson played Snipes’ crack addict brother, and he’s so compelling you wish the movie was about him and not wishy washy Wesley. Whenever he’s onscreen, Jackson is electrifying, whether it’s bumming money from his well-to-do brother or threatening his holier-than-thou dad (the late Ossie Davis). He’s funny, charming, pathetic, desperate and dangerous. But, unlike the rest of the movie, he’s never boring. Too bad he didn’t nab a Best Supporting Actor nomination, because he definitely deserved one.

(Playing his fellow crackhead, by the way, was a very young — and virtually unrecognizable — Halle Berry).  

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized