A sort of modern film noir with musical interludes, filmmaker Rachel Samuels' Dark Streets is set in an unnamed metropolis—which seems to be caught in some stylistic time warp between the 1940s and a semi-apocalyptic future—that experiences periodic power outages. The story (such as it is) revolves around nightclub owner Chaz Davenport (Gabriel Mann), a financially-strapped playboy investigating the mysterious death of his father, former steward of the local power company now headed up by Chaz's uncle. A menacing cop (Elias Koteas) dressed in leather and chains offers Chaz much-needed protection in exchange for hiring a classy blonde (Izabella Miko) as his new lead singer, a move that sparks jealousy in the current headliner (Bijou Phillips). A thick and ultimately soporific cinematic gumbo, Dark Streets features songs by Etta James, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, and Aaron Neville, but smoldering blues can't compensate for purple-prose narration and an incoherent story. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Rachel Samuels, and costars Gabriel Mann and Toledo Diamond, 10 minutes of deleted scenes, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a muddled film.] (F. Swietek)
Dark Streets
Sony, 83 min., R, DVD: $24.98 Volume 24, Issue 4
Dark Streets
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