Jamesy Boy (FILM REVIEW)
Jamesy Boy
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Troubled Teen Transforms behind Bars in True Tale of Redemption
James Burns
(Spencer Lofranco) ended up behind bars in spite of his frustrated mother’s
(Mary-Louise Parker) best efforts to keep him on the straight and narrow path.
When he was 14, she took him down to the police station for a good talking to
after she found a pistol in his possession.
But that
early intervention failed to scare the cocky juvenile straight, and he would
join a street gang setting up shop in his suburban Denver neighborhood. Eventually, the law
caught up with James and, tried as an adult, he was convicted of vandalism,
robbery and assault before being shipped off to a maximum security penitentiary
where he immediately found his manhood being challenged at every turn.
He soon
landed in trouble with a security guard (James Woods) for coming to the
assistance of another newcomer (Ben Rosenfield) being picked on by a hardened con
(Taboo) looking for trouble. And he was warned that continued fighting was
likely to jeopardize his chances of getting off early for good behavior to be
reunited with the girl of his dreams (Taissa Farmiga).
James finally
finds inspiration in an unlikely friendship forged with a fellow inmate (Ving
Rhames) doing life for murder. Wise old Conrad takes the kid under his wing,
convincing him to find another outlet for the aggressive urge to retaliate.
“Keep writing,” he suggests upon learning of James’ love of poetry. “It doesn’t
even matter if it’s good or not.”
That is the
pivotal plot development in Jamesy Boy, a fact-based tale of redemption marking
the noteworthy directorial and scriptwriting debut of Trevor White. While the overcoming-the-odds
biopic might not break any new ground in terms of the genre, it makes up in
earnestness what it might lack in originality, thanks to a talented cast which
includes veterans Ving Rhames, Mary-Louise Parker and James Woods as well as
fresh faces Spencer Lofranco, Taissa Farmiga (Vera’s sister) and hip-hop star
Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas.
The picture’s postscript informs the audience
that the real-life James Burns, now 25, lives in New York City where he studied poetry in
college. A modern morality play about a young felon who, after paying his debt
to society, left the slammer rehabilitated with more of a fondness for rhyme than
robbery.
Very Good
(3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 109 minutes
Distributor: Phase 4
Films
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