Caught Up

A stylistically ambitious, but overcooked film noir starring Bokeem Woodbine as Daryl, the designated patsy in a labyrinthine scam involving stolen diamonds. Daryl just wants to go straight and open a dance club, but bad luck dogs him. First, his former crack-dealing partner involves him in a botched bank robbery that lands him in prison. Then, he has the misfortune to meet Vanessa (Cynda Williams, who makes more than just One False Move with her amateurish performance). A former psychic who just so happens to resemble Daryl's former girlfriend, she predicts "sudden crisis and chaos" in his future...she might as well have had "femme fatale" stamped on her forehead. The dialogue, when not of the four and twelve-letter variety strains for hard-boiled poetry: "No one was waiting for me but a dude named Destiny." (Ouch.) Not recommended, but almost worth checking out at your video store for the outrageous climax in which we learn the identity of the masked man who has been trying to kill Daryl throughout the film. (K. Lee Benson)