“Black and Blue” premiered closing night at the Urbanworld Film Festival and I spoke to Tyrese Gibson on the Red Carpet.
“I feel great and so blessed,” he said. “It means everything to me that y’all are here. No one is going to know about the movie until you all create the energy and excitement that we need. Naomie Harris (Alicia West) is amazing.”
Tyrese is right on both accounts. But will Harris get an Oscar for her gut-wrenching portrayal of a hero cop considering Denzel Washington received one for being a disgraced one?
In “Black and Blue,” Harris records the execution-style murder of drug dealers by corrupt law enforcement officers on her body cam. Targeted by cops and a relative (Mike Colter) of one of the deceased dealers, Harris is in a fight for her life. With a price on her head, Harris must beat the clock navigating a minefield of killers trying to take her down.
ROBERT CHELSEA BECOMES FIRST BLACK AMERICAN FACE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT
West teams up with the one person (Jackson) from her community who is willing to help her as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.
Audiences will be at their wit’s end watching this riveting, fast-paced thriller. Besides getting the actions, the film tells a remarkable story of police brutality and the racism that fuels senseless murders and the mistreatment of blacks. Besides the action-filled drama, the music is slamming, adding to the compelling story.
After the Urbanworld screening of “Black and Blue,” its extraordinary director Deon Taylor spoke about the significance of the film during Q&A.
“This is the first time we’ve had an African American female as a lead cop in a feature film. This is something people need to understand and see. And this lady, Naomie Harris, she kills it. She’s incredible, so I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Frank Grillo, Beau Knapp, and Nafessa Williams also star in “Black and Blue.”
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