Once in the Life

Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) makes an inauspicious directorial debut adapting his play Riff Raff for the screen, starring as an ex-con named Mike who claims to have eyes in the back of his head, although this useful ability didn't keep him out of the slammer. After meeting with his drug-addicted half-brother, the two get mixed up with some unsavory characters--including a drug dealer who happens to be a childhood friend of Mike's, and before long a bad drug deal tests whether loyalty between brothers is stronger than that between friends. Perhaps better on stage, Once in the Life plays out as a set-bound ritual largely dependent on unrealistic dialogue and monologues in the form of rap poetry. Not recommended. (T. Rich)