Deep Cover

This is strangely theatrical, heightened, and occasionally verging on silly. But I love the neon chiaroscuro and verbose hard boiled narration. It is elevated from mere aesthetic exercise by a political conscience, which speaks truth to white power's indoctrination of minority communities by way of the drug war. Fishburne and Goldblum are a hell of a pair.

this is the most 90s movie ever and Fishburne was as intense as he’s ever been and Goldblum was as aloof and unhinged and it was supremely entertaining even if not as the hardcore gritty feature it probably was at time of release

the song is a 100. Bill Duke captured lightning in a bottle. Goldblum gradually decides he's gonna be hotter. Guenveur Smith decides he's gonna steal scenes. Fishburne decides to take the seat as king.

I liked this, and it really wasn't what I expected. There are gritty elements, but some of it feels over-the-top, somehow overstylised. There's enough restraint, though, to just about remain credible. There's a rhythm and flavour to a lot of the dialogue that chimed with me. The whole thing was assisted by some excellent casting; Fishburne's grounded playing was the perfect foil to Goldblum's Goldblumness (in itself quite restrained). Interesting work from Duke.

This movie is uniquely weird, wanting to somehow be a study of morality whilst absolutely drenched in everything 90's and making the wildest possible choices at every turn. If you ever wanted to see coked-up Jeff Goldblum shoot an old guy in the ass and throw him out of a moving car while screaming about shrimp, this is the movie for you.

A feisty war-on-drugs thriller in the mode of undercover assignment as identity prism for a character study. Fishburne smolders as the hard-boiled lead (with detached noir voice-over) and Goldblum is a great sidekick for him to look constantly irritated/begrudgingly amused by. The scene with the hand-slapping game is delicious, feels very much like a Scorsese moment.

Vastly underseen crime movie from the author of The Player and The Rapture.

This modest crime action drama is scripted by Michael Tolkin (the same year he wrote "The Player") and directed by Bill Duke. It's a big, broad pulpy movie that manages to be smarter than most films of it's ilk. Fishbourne is a solid lead, but Goldblum dominates the film, transforming from a timid family man out of his depth into an angry, vengeful drug kingpin.

The comic book atmosphere makes the more ridiculous moments of the movie work by getting the viewer accustomed to the frenetic/ kinetic pace and photography.

I really liked this--it's hints of over-stylization mirroring the slits of bright lighting breaking into the darkness. It's visually striking, but it's acting is also right on. Fishburne invites empathy for a man on a descent he can't quite control, while Goldblum masks some of his typical characteristics to portray a convincing transformation. Add to all that that the filmmakers understand the complexity of the drug war--the lines between good and bad are not so clear.

this is one of the best *war on drugs* films out there. it's shot beautifully and has a moody excellent soundtrack. and not only it doesn't try to sell inherent social darwinism of the genre, but it addresses structural root causes of its subject matter without being obnoxiously didactic. it understands political stakes while telling a compelling if cliche story that focuses on individual experiences within that corrupt structures. also amplifies violent genre conventions that go unrecognized.

Viewed January 2, 2022. Duke's expressive lighting & use of first-person narration immediately links this to Hollywood noir and its protagonists' feelings of dislocation. But the context is startlingly modern, every moment of the film suffused with deep-seated anger about political corruption, greed, and the effects it has on lower-class people of color (“It’s just rich people and poor people,” Goldblum says at one point, appealing to the drug kingpin who also “goes fishing with George Bush”).

This one is a lot better than it should be. Fishburne and Goldblum especially raise the writing above cliche into near reality. (Fishburne shows the cool that got him into The Matrix, Goldblum lawyers himself into The Grand Budapest Hotel). And Duke brings the worn-down streets into cascading colours and languid lines. Overall it tries a bit too hard to be A Movie, but the violence brings it straight back to reality, every nerve-wrenching time.

A very competent slow-burn thriller. Well-acted and well-produced, this film is somehow very obscure despite a fantastic cast. One of Goldblum's best roles.

Mixing pulp and blacksploitation genres, this is a little better as a moralistic message than as a film. Goldblum and Fishburne are a buddy pair you didn't know you'd love. The movie follows most of the genre conventions, though, and it takes a little while to get used to the music video-style presentation.

This covers a lot of ground, & does so with the help of terrific performances & tons of atmosphere. The bright neons, the gritty shadows, the dingy alleyways & bar-rooms that feel so much like they are the natural habitat of these characters. Fishburne is absolutely brilliant, as are Goldblum & Williams III. A great drama with a lot to say, most of it being quite relevant into the modern age.

Pretty good.

Decent thriller. Bonus points for Goldblum.

Goldblum indeed.

Contains the most dramatic slap hands game in cinema history.

Very, very hokey. It probably would have been best to take the script down to earth, but if it has to be over-the-top I suppose it made sense to throw music into all the violent scenes, cast the somewhat buffoonish Jeff Goldblum and Charles Martin Smith, and make it altogether zany as director Bill Duke did. It's still a failing crime movie rather than a comedy, but at least it's fun.

Fantastic - one of the best films of the '90s.

A played out undercover cop flick with a good cast.

Fishburne is so cool in this flic. I can see why The Matrix used him.

Over the top, unrealistic, rough around the edges, but conflicted and entertaining. Goldblum is a treasure.