SYNOPSICS
Light It Up (1999) is a English movie. Craig Bolotin has directed this movie. Usher,Forest Whitaker,Rosario Dawson,Robert Ri'chard are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1999. Light It Up (1999) is considered one of the best Drama,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
On a winter day in a southside Queens high school, events collide and six students are suddenly in an armed standoff with the NYPD. At the school, classrooms freeze, teachers come and go, resources are scant. When a popular teacher is suspended, a few students protest. Jackson, a new security guard, gets tough. In a scuffle, Jackson's wounded with his own gun and a student takes him hostage. A few kids join in, for various reasons. An ineffective policewoman tries to mediate as the police plan an assault, the kids demand improvements to the school, the media pick up the story, and Jackson turns sympathetic. But are too many forces in motion for the students to stay in control?
More
Light It Up (1999) Reviews
opinions
Everyone seems to be putting this film down, but I honestly cannot get enough of it. Not only does this film have a strong message behind it, but it also strips away every defense that people can possibly have for inner-city life (some city areas, not all), and shows the unbearably real lives of teenagers today. The characters are real. Usher Raymond (Lester) gives a believable performance of a young adult, simply doing whatever it takes for Ziggy (Robert Ri'chard), a perfectly portrayed teen, escaping from his father and himself through his talents. Forest Whitaker (Officer Dante Jackson) seems to have captured the confusing officer, who was only out for himself at first. Sara Gilbert (Lynn) is without a doubt perfect in her role as an outcast teen who only wants to be wanted, and silently begs for understanding. Stephanie and Rivers (Rosio Dawson and Clifton Collins, Jr.) are well played and well rounded characters. Stephanie, counting the days until graduation and Rivers, who's motto is "the rules are meant to be broken". The only character flaw in my opinion was Rodney (Fredro Starr), a painful stereotype. As the movie goes on and the plot becomes more intense, we are slowly exposed to the raw lives of the teens. Ziggy (Ri'chard) is severely abused by his father and has taken refuge in the attic of the school. Lynn (Gilbert) only wanted a kiss from the jerk who got her pregnant. He never kissed her or talked to her after. Lester (Raymond) witnessed police officers shoot his innocent father to death. And Officer Jackson (Whitaker) lost his wife and son. The messages in this movie are clear. Stand up for what you believe in. Give everyone a fighting chance despite their age or race. The darkest people have the darkest secrets. These are messages our country desperately needs to hear, especially now.
brilliantly acted
"Light It Up" is smart, heart pounding and filled with suspense that will keep everyone on the edge of their seat. This is a truly smart thriller drama that takes a look at one of the biggest problems facing America. Everything about "Light It Up" worked from the performances from relative newcomers such as Usher Raymond and Robert Ri'chard to veterans like Forest Whitaker and Vanessa L. Williams. One thing I must say about the cast of "Light It Up" they took the script and performed with the heart and intent of making this film a success. The best thing about this movie was not the action but the message that it was trying to send the message that everyone deserves to be treated equally and with the same amount of respect. Also, the characters were richly developed with honesty and integrity that seems to be missing from films I have been watching recently. I'm glad I got the opportunity to watch "Light It Up" because it taught me not to make judgements based upon first impressions. Whether you like "Light It Up" or not it will touch you and move you to action. This truly is a movie that has spirit and deserves to be watched.
Clichéd, far-fetched and dumb
I've seen worse, which is a backhanded way of saying how crummy this film was. The plot is ridiculous: a student shoots a police officer and five more take him hostage? In a dimly-lit, smoky New York school -- and somehow this clichéd hostage situation takes 24 hours to resolve? Are you serious? A day-long hostage situation -- with a wounded NYPD officer no less, takes all day? I realize this film was made pre-9/11, but still. I looked at the clock and wondered how they could possibly drag this overdone plot on for another hour and 10 minutes. The acting was mediocre at best all-around, and the characters were seemingly thought up by 7th graders. The child-abuse kid, the pregnant scared girl, the violent gang wannabe, a confused unfortunate victim, the wise-cracking white guy. Please. Trying to make this hostage situation into a mission for "more textbooks" and better school conditions? Please -- this is a weak attempt to justify writing a movie about a kid who shoots a cop. They're confused, ignorant idiots who get involved in a dumb -- far-fetched -- situation. Don't try and paint them, suddenly, as noble, The most laughable is Ziggy, who lives in the school's attic and admires Michaelangelo so much so that he paints these striking scenes on the walls. You've got to be kidding me. The "no racism" signs in the protesting crowd? A black kid shoots a black cop and a black negotiator tries to patch it all up. This is a random message. I understand the overall message, which was poorly portrayed, albeit by some actors who have gone on to respectable careers. This was a joke though the red sniper lasers on the roof? The worst scene was the kid, fake snow falling, dying in the arms of his buddy on the roof, "promise me" etc. How original. The epilogue of "I went to prison but now I'm pre-law at XYZ University" ... a fitting way to end a joke of a movie.
"The Negotiator" with a Meaning
This is a really great movie, because sometimes we all just want to take a stand, no matter what we have to do,legal or illegal. It even blends a little bit of comedy with the drama. It is definitely worth watching. ***1/2 out of ***** stars
Silly, another teen angst movie
This one has some really good things going for it--chief among them some really good choices for the cast, especially Forest Whittaker. He's quite good as a cop taken hostage by some dissatisfied high school students. The younger cast is pretty good too. Having said that, this movie really was poor. It tries to produce some ambiguity at the very beginning about how these students somehow got into this hostage situation. But in reality, there's very little ambiguity: the teens assault a police officer, and then point a firearm at him, which during a struggle to obtain it goes off wounding him. They subsequently take the officer hostage, with of the course the threat that he will be further harmed. Just in those few sentences, a number of extremely serious crimes are committed--and it's hard to have much sympathy for these youths no matter how much they may feel misunderstood or ignored. It would be easier to take such a silly movie in stride, much like "Wild in the Streets" or "Rock N' Roll High School" as just another teen rebel movie if it didn't take itself so deadly seriously. The atrocious script really does a disservice to the actors who are almost all good, the exception going to Vanessa Williams, who is gorgeous but pretty limp here. So many legitimate issues about education, schools, police attitudes, urban decay, teen safety, and so poorly done. Yet another missed opportunity to put on Hollywood's long list.