By Michael Hernandez
Entertainment Reporter
Naomie Harris, the first black woman to play Moneypenny in the Bond films, is Alicia West, an Army veteran who spent time in Afghanistan and now she comes home to New Orleans to become a cop. Her world is turned upside down when she witnesses a detective from her precinct kill a drug dealer. The rookie cop is wearing a body camera and the entire incident is captured on video. The cops involved in the murder, including her own partner, are out to kill her and retrieve the body cam.
The movie also stars Tyrese Gibson, from Transformers, who is a childhood friend of Alicia. With no one else to turn to, Alicia turns to Mouse to help her while she’s being chased by the cops, drug dealers and the entire New Orleans neighborhood who are hassled by the local cops. They think Officer West killed the nephew of the neighborhood’s biggest drug lord and everyone wants to kill the young rookie officer now that there is a price on her head.
The movie brings racism and the cops to the forefront, without being preachy or heavy handed. Director Deon Taylor puts the spotlight on the abuse that racist cops perpetuate in the low-income neighborhoods of African Americans. The movie makes a political statement that will have audiences talking. Meanwhile, Alicia West is a hero in the movie. Black or white she believes in the concept of right and wrong and justice for everyone.
Her spirit won’t allow her to stop as she struggles mightily to get her bodycam to the precinct and to get it downloaded. Black and Blue is a real shoot-em-up thriller that’s rated R for violence. There’s a lot more in the 1 hour and 48-minute long movie but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I really enjoyed Black And Blue.
On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate this movie a JUMBO.
