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Once in the Life (2000) Online

Once in the Life (2000) Online
Original Title :
Once in the Life
Genre :
Movie / Crime / Drama
Year :
2000
Directror :
Laurence Fishburne
Cast :
Eamonn Walker,Laurence Fishburne,Gregory Hines
Writer :
Laurence Fishburne,Laurence Fishburne
Type :
Movie
Time :
1h 47min
Rating :
5.3/10
Once in the Life (2000) Online

Once in the life (of drug dealing and organized crime), can anyone get out? During a brief jail stay, two half-brothers, who have rarely seen each other while growing up, connect. One of them, called 20/20 Mike because he can sense people nearby, concocts a scheme in which the two of them will steal some dope from young couriers. The heist goes awry when Billy, the junkie brother, shoots the victims of the theft. The brothers hole up in an abandoned building, and 20/20 Mike seeks help from an old cell mate, Tony, whom he thinks is out of the life. It turns out that they have stolen Tony's dope, and Tony's boss wants the two thieves dead. Is there any way out?
Cast overview, first billed only:
Eamonn Walker Eamonn Walker - Tony
Gregory Hines Gregory Hines - Ruffhouse
Michael Paul Chan Michael Paul Chan - Buddha
Dominic Chianese Jr. Dominic Chianese Jr. - Freddie Nine Lives
Tiger Hu Chen Tiger Hu Chen - Chino (as Tiger Chen)
Paul Calderon Paul Calderon - Manny Rivera
Andres Titus Andres Titus - Hector (as Andres 'Dres' Titus)
Titus Welliver Titus Welliver - Torch
Laurence Fishburne Laurence Fishburne - 20 / 20 Mike
Harsh Nayyar Harsh Nayyar - Cab Driver
Sue Costello Sue Costello - Sgt. Kneeley
Nick Chinlund Nick Chinlund - Mike Murphy
Timothy W. White Timothy W. White - Little Billy (as Tim White)
Wanda De Jesus Wanda De Jesus - Jackie
Justin Pierre Edmund Justin Pierre Edmund - Little Mikey

Laurence Fishburne's directorial debut. As of 2014, he has made no other directorial efforts besides this.

Tiger Hu Chen later co-starred as part of the stunts team in The Matrix trilogy with Laurence Fishburne.


User reviews

Dominator

Dominator

As an old white housewife I can still appreciate that Laurence Fishburne is one of our finest actors. anyone who appreciates his work like in Deep Cover might enjoy watching the incredible acting range of this actor. Since I think this is his directorial debut it might prove even more interesting. All of the acting is quite good. If you can't take lower Manhattan junky worlds or the reality of crime life (not glorified action shoot-em ups) then this is not a film you would enjoy. It is Mr. Fishburne's usual contribution to incredibly subtle relationships. I would love to see Larry and Anthony Hopkins go at each other some day in a movie.
Bev

Bev

This is really a great unknown movie.Perfect dialogue without the typical clichés.This movie relied on the actor's talent and it was pulled off.It even had a little bit a comedy in it,but it wasn't overdone.Once in the Life is what a crime drama is supposed to be,not the typical special affects garbage with sex thrown in.I especially loved the interracial aspects of it all.

Now onto the actors themselves. Laurence Fishburne was superb at playing a career petty criminal.It's a shame that he's only allowed to show his talent in his own movie. Titus Welliver was fabulous as Fishburne's junky half-brother. Eamonn Walker added flavor to the already perfectly spiced film. Paul Calderon was perfect as a grease monkey/drug lord.I loved his acting since "King of New York". But the best acting in this film came from Gregory Hines and Michael Paul Chan,who were paired perfectly as two of Calderon's henchmen.

Once in the Life is for sure a keeper. ****1/2* out of *****.
Conjulhala

Conjulhala

If you loved Deep Cover, you might like this film as well. Many of the poetic interludes Fishburne recites in Deep Cover are from the lyrical script of "Once In the Life," a screen adaptation of a play that Fishburne wrote. If you love Larry as much as I do, you'll love this film that is all Larry, all hot, and all fleshed out. Of course there is gun play and illicit substance use, this is a gangster movie of sorts, after all, but the script is beautiful and the story is touching, even a little on the chick flick side.

AMAZING film...dark, frightening, sexy, and exciting. If you ever sneaked out at night or hung out in a clubhouse, you'll get the proper impact of the cramped sets (metephorically echoing being trapped in the life). Full of clever foreshadowing and complex relationships, this film is tight..every sentiment mirrored in the set dressing and camera shots. GOOD WORK!
Arakus

Arakus

"Once in the life" is a very good movie. However it's not good for everybody, due to the extensive use of vulgar language and the violence of some of the situations. The movie manages to represent in an anecdotic, believable way the "life" in NYC neighborhoods where drug problems are important. This depiction is in turn used as the decor for a most thoughtful and suspenseful drama backed up by powerful dialogs (however I had a hard time understanding some of them because english is not my mother tongue. On video it's OK). There is a little overplay sometimes, but I think it fits quite well to the general orientation Fishburne gave to the movie, which gives matter for reflexion more than just being a good style exercise, notably in the time/action management. The characters, even though not simple, are easy to relate to and actors do a fine job at impersonating them. By the way I much enjoyed the soundtrack (B. Marsalis). If you're not too prude, you should enjoy seeing that movie once, twice, three times. I rated the movie 9/10.
Drelahuginn

Drelahuginn

Three scumbags get their just deserts after wasting their lives in greed, drugs, ego, and bad attitudes. Interesting and well done; this style of film always makes me wonder where reality leaves off and imagination takes over. Even though these folks were the scum of the earth I still found myself pitying them. They never really stood much of a chance.
Faehn

Faehn

I caught this movie on IFC and I enjoyed it, although I felt like the editing job was a little rough, though it may have been deliberate. I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out what was going on at first because they seemed to be going for a little bit of a Pulp Fiction-style non-linear plot presentation. It seemed a little forced, though. I certainly think that the movie is worth watching, but I think it could have used a little cleaning up. Some scenes just don't seem to make sense after others.

I'm surprised to see the rating here as low as it is. It's not outstanding, but it doesn't have any really serious problems. I gave it a 7/10. The movie did show at least that Laurence Fishburne can act when he wants to. They must have just told him not to in the Matrix movies.
Samugul

Samugul

ONCE IN THE LIFE (2000) **1/2 Laurence Fishburne, Titus Welliver, Eamonn Walker, Annabella Sciorra, Paul Calderon, Gregory Hines, Michael Paul Chan, Dominic Chianese, Jr., Tiger Chen, Sue Costello, Jim Breuer. Fishburne makes his big-screen directorial debut adapting his play 'Riff Raff' about two half-brother, petty criminal siblings (Welliver is memorable as the ne'er do well junkie with a short fuse) who meet unlikely after many years and after botching an improvised crime together sit and wait things out in a crack house recalling their pasts with Fishburne's former cell mate Walker who is equally in deep water.

Great acting and claustrophobic settings only mar in this rather stagy and staid film in an otherwise engaging character study of losers.
Agamaginn

Agamaginn

LF does a fantastic job with this movie of drawing you into the characters. The scenes of long dialouge have a special theatrical effect. Don't believe anyone trying to say different. I like this movie more than Matrix. This movie is something Mr Fishbourne should be tremendously proud. 10 stars.
Nicanagy

Nicanagy

Pretty in many ways. Good acting, good cinematography, interesting mood, many small things, sentimental things. This movie has a style and if you enjoy sitting back and enjoying something pretty this is for you. All these little things add up to make it a good movie. Too bad it seems to be the only movie directed by Laurence Fishburne.