Empire (2002)

Director:

Franc. Reyes

Writer:

Franc. Reyes (written by)

Release Date:

6 December 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Two worlds collide.

Plot:

A successful South Bronx drug dealer turns his back on his roots and gives money with a Wall Street broker to invest for him..

Plot Keywords:

Money | Drug Dealer | Friend | Revenge | Investment Banker

Cast

John Leguizamo	...	Victor Rosa
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Jack
Denise Richards	...	Trish
Vincent Laresca	...	Jimmy
Isabella Rossellini	...	La Colombiana
Sonia Braga	...	Iris
Delilah Cotto	...	Carmen
Nestor Serrano	...	Rafael Menendez
Anthony 'Treach' Criss	...	Chedda (as Treach)
Rafael Báez	...	Jay
Fat Joe	...	Tito Severe (as Fat Joe 'Joseph Cartagena')
Carlos Leon	...	Hector
Felix Solis	...	Jose
Omar Pastran	...	Jason
Rob B. Campbell	...	Det. O'Brien

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and some sexuality.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Brazil:16 | Canada:18A | Germany:16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Arenas Entertainment

Trivia:

Franc. Reyes originally wanted John Leguizamo to play Jimmy. John Leguizamo liked the part of Victor so much that he got the director to give him that part. Leguizamo used his star power to help bring bigger names (such as Fat Joe, Isabella Rossellini, Peter Sarsgaard and Denise Richards) to the project.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Fat Joe's son is playing with Playstation, he pauses the game. You can see in the background that the game he's "playing" is a recording on a VCR tape, shown from the tell-tale VCR pause picture static.

Quotes:

Victor Rosa: [Walking past a couple who are kissing] Hey. there's no tongue allowed here!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Making of 'Empire' (#9.21)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Vamanos Pal' Monte

Shiftless filmmaking spoils worthy storyline in "Empire"

There's probably no point in discussing the plot of "Empire," since the whole movie is all but divulged in the trailers, but it's not in my best interest to leave people in the dark. Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo, also providing voice-over narration) is a South Bronx drug dealer who wants to get out of the business and lead a normal life with his pregnant girlfriend (Delilah Cotto), who is expecting their first child. Victor believes Wall Street investment banker Jack Wimmer (Peter Sarsgaard) is his lifeline to quick – and legal – financial freedom. It's not long before his alliance with Wimmer begins to alienate relationships with his friends and partners, which in turn yields serious consequences. This solid storyline is lost in the abyss of director Franc. Reyes' world of near-pitch black sets, endless gunplay, flat dialogue that's composed mainly of colorful metaphors, and rappers playing trigger-happy drug dealers (in this case, Treach and Fat Joe; at least they're a major improvement over stiffs like Ja Rule and DMX). The third act collapses under the weight of its predictability; a field guide and binoculars won't be needed to spot twists that can be seen from a country mile away. Denise Richards pops up in the egregious role of Wimmer's sexpot girlfriend, but don't let that deter you from seeing an otherwise fairly entertaining movie. It's difficult to argue, though, that Leguizamo's talents were better put to use in "Ice Age." 7/10