Fresh (1994)

Director:

Boaz Yakin

Writer (WGA):

Boaz Yakin (written by)

Release Date:

24 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In a world where criminals make the rules an innocent boy is out to beat them at their own game.

Plot:

Michael (or Fresh as he's well known) is a 12-year-old drug pusher who lives in a crowded house with his cousins and aunt...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Drug Pusher | Revenge | Chess | Young Boy

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sean Nelson	...	Fresh
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Esteban
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Sam
N'Bushe Wright	...	Nichole
Ron Brice	...	Corky
Jean-Claude La Marre	...	Jake (as Jean LaMarre)
José Zúñiga	...	Lt. Perez
Luis Lantigua	...	Chuckie
Yul Vazquez	...	Chillie
Cheryl Freeman	...	Aunt Frances
Anthony Thomas	...	Red
Curtis McClarin	...	Darryl (as Curtis L. McClarin)
Charles Malik Whitfield	...	Smokey
Víctor González	...	Herbie
Guillermo Díaz	...	Spike

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #32866) | Singapore:M18 | France:-12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:16 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Lumière Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: Curtis's right arm moves from being near his face to being along his body after Jake kills him on the playground.

Quotes:

Sam: [Last lines in the film. Speaking to Fresh] You're over an hour late. I passed up two easy fish waiting here for you. That makes me poorer by two dollars.
Sam: Not playing games here, got no time for that. Life's got no time for your little boy games. Leave all that nonsense at home when you come here.
Sam: Alright, gonna put it on speed today. I ain't stopping to give you any little tips either. You sink or swim on your own today, cause I'm not always gonna be there to hold your hand for ya.
Sam: Alright, you ready for the real thing? You read to come get it? You ready to come take it from your old man, you ready to be the king?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

Soundtrack:

Ah-Vah

Multilayered chess puzzle

Many comments confirm the strength of this movie in simple manipulation of an camera eye. Well, that's true. You will not find any fancy FXs here. But, does it make the picture less spectacular? Of course not. Script is brilliant. Whole plot resembles well played chess game telling the story about violence and losing innocence. This is not only a game in an explicit chess meaning. Main characters , wonderfully played by S. L. Jackson and Sean Nelson, are playing chess with themselves, struggling with their lives. There is another aspect of chess game that accompanies the plot till the end. Throughout duration of the movie chess puzzle gets clear. We can finally see where 'Fresh' is heading to and what he wants to achieve through his plan. Anyway, Boaz Yakin made one of the best movies of 94' , really worth seeing.

Mariusz Pelka