Kicking the habit

Heroin chic buddies in Gridlock'd

by MATTHEW HAYS

Most of the press material surrounding Gridlock'd classifies the film as a comedy. But while Vondie Curtis Hall's directorial debut has undeniably funny moments, there is an overwhelming sadness that soaks the film: the knowledge that Tupac Shakur died last September at age 25. In Gridlock'd, the rapper turns in an amazing final performance, giving every indication that he would have moved on to bigger things.

Gridlock'd is drawing comparisons with Trainspotting, last year's hit about a group of struggling Scottish heroin addicts caught up in various plots to earn a bit of extra coin. Set in Detroit, Gridlock'd's protagonists are a trio of addict roomies who share their stuff. The film opens when Cookie (Thandie Newton) won't wake up from a bad high. Spoon (Shakur) tries desperately to bring her out of a coma, but to no avail; Shakur and Stretch (Tim Roth) are soon out on the street trying to hail a cab to take her to a hospital. In the waiting room, the two men await Cookie's outcome. The film's narrative then leaps between past, present and future, as Spoon and Stretch slip in and out of memories of the high and low points of the habit that landed them there.

Thankfully, Curtis Hall aborts the usual black and white character assignments. Here Shakur is the level-headed, intelligent, thoughtful character, while Roth is the arrogant clown. As refreshing as this is, it shouldn't be--Gridlock'd is a nasty reminder of just how stereotyped black onscreen characters remain.

While Newton lies in a coma, the two decide that it's high time to kick the habit. As they drag themselves across town to a public addiction recovery clinic, they're given a bureaucratic runaround of Kafkaesque proportions. Even when they do find the right office, they're told there's almost certainly some kind of waiting period before being admitted to any recovery program. In the meantime, the two are actively seeking out more smack to keep their withdrawal in check.

Matching the sense of pathos around Shakur's passing is wonder at the fact that this is Curtis Hall's first feature. An actor perhaps best remembered for his role on Chicago Hope, Curtis Hall wrote and directed Gridlock'd, and he does so with the assured confidence of someone making their sixth or seventh film. The action, black comedy and suspense are terrifically balanced; Curtis Hall's sure hand will leave audiences hungry for his next feature.

Gridlock'd opens this Friday, May 2, at the Cinéma du Parc. See repertory listings for showtimes