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Street
Smart, 1987, 97 minutes, Rated R
By Ramona Prioleau
Although currently unavailable for sale and extremely difficult to find in video
stores, this fine film is well worth the hunt to find a copy. (In Manhattan, there's one
copy available for rental and zero for purchase at that mega video chain. The store's on
east 34th Street. The last one there is a rotten egg ;-)).
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Starring alongside Christopher Reeve (Jonathan Fisher), Freeman steals the show in a break
out performance as Fast Black that will forever dispel any remaining memories of Freeman
as Easy Reader on public television's The Electric Company.
Pimps Up! Jon's Down, But Not Out.
In a desperate move to please his editor, Jonathan Fisher promises to
deliver an article detailing 24 hours in the life of a pimp. Jon's investigative forays
yield nothing so he fabricates a story about a New York pimp - called tYrone.
Unfortunately, Jon's character portrait of the fictional Tyrone is similar to Fast Black
(Freeman), recently indicted for murder. Suddenly, Jon is the flavor of the month and
many, including Fast, want more of what he's dishing. Basking in the success of his clever
subterfuge, Jon eagerly accepts the opportunity to shadow Fast around town. Bad idea!
In a performance that will at times astonish you, Freeman reveals the essence of Fast
Black. Fast is "street" to the core, but don't let his environment fool you; he
is as intelligent as he is menacing. Fast controls his domain with instances of generosity
and flashes of terror and brutality. Quick to fly off the handle, pimp slap a protégé,
or slice someone up with a broken bottle, Fast is not to be taken lightly. Jon realizes
this too late and is seduced by Fast's evil allure.
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As Fast, Freeman hits his marks and then
some. Fast's defining moment of terror occurs in the scissor scene. Freeman lays bare for
all to appreciate and study how one skillfully taps the acting sweet spot and uses it to
portray a character's dark and inhumane side. During the scissor scene, your jaw will drop
and you'll wait with baited breath, wondering whether Fast will follow through on his evil
intent. Go on Freeman with your BA-A-AD self and show mere mortals and supermen how it's
done. M
June 1999
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