What a powerful film this is. The story is gritty, painful, honest and unflinching. The characters feel like they came from a novel. The performances from Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry are great — Berry's Oscar is well deserved.
The story follows the tragic events in the lives of Hank Grotowski (Thornton) and Leticia Musgrove (Berry), which lead up to them forming a relationship that transcends their pasts because all they really need is someone to comfort them. I simply love the way the film builds their relationship. Nothing is forced, even though their coming together means they must cross huge huddles. Hank is a cop who works death row. Leticia is the wife of Lawrence Musgrove (rapper P Diddy), a man on Death Row where Hank works with his son Sonny (Heath Ledger, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU). A lesser film would be centered on the fact that Hank keeps his connection with Leticia's husband from her, but this film is more real about it.
The characters have flaws, making them so painfully real. The characters infiltrate your mind and never leave. Hank and Leticia aren't going to win any parent of the year awards. Hank's father Buck (Peter Boyle, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN) is a mean bully. He pretty much forced, through constant abuse, his son into becoming a corrections officer like he was, which Hank, in turn, did to his son. Over three generations racism has plagued them. Buck uses racism as a way to lord over a whole group of people, instead of just his family. Hank's racism is more situational; it comes out during moments of stress and anger. Sonny has friends who are black. Both Hank and Sonny feel the burden of their past, and it weighs greatly on all their decisions.
Leticia is trying to be a good mother, but she too is under a burden. She has no love left for her husband, who has left her on her own to raise their son Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), a morbidly obese young boy. Leticia drinks to cope, and Tyrell eats. She then takes out her stresses on him for it. Her car is on its last legs, she's about to lose the house, and those problems lead her from one low-paying job to an even lower paying one. Tragedy is falling like dominoes around her, and that's when Hank comes into her life. They serve as a life preserver for each other. Their relationship allows them to unload some of the baggage that has been pulling them under for so long.
Watch the subtly in the performances from Thornton and Berry. Much has been said about their long steamy sex scene, but watch how it unfolds. Watch how Berry hints, and how Hank tries to pretend what is happening isn't happening. Everything from the performances to Marc Forster's direction to the screenplay from Milo Addica and Will Rokos makes this unlikely love story feel 100% authentic. This is an unforgettable film that is easily one of my favorites of 2001.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
