Rating of
2.5/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 09/04/14
Depicting organized crime during the Depression from a fresh Afro-centric perspective, Hoodlum depicts the rivalry between Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Fishburne) and Dutch Schultz (Roth) for control of Harlem's numbers racket. Laurence Fishburne is solid in the role of the protagonist but Tim Roth steals the show as the loudmouthed and ill-tempered Schultz. The supporting cast is fine and most of them provide a mixture of comic relief and heartfelt moments. However, the movie gets pretty dark halfway through and it never fully recovers from it. Stylistically, the costumes and the art direction is bright and colorful which makes the script's grim detours even stranger and more out of place.
