Slow Burn

Writer-director Wayne Beach's self-consciously slavish imitation of The Usual Suspects sports many twists, some of which are never untangled. Crusading district attorney Ford Cole (Ray Liotta)—intent on taking down a powerful but enigmatic gang leader—becomes sidetracked when one of his ADAs (Jolene Blalock) is taken into custody after killing a man in self-defense…or so she says. Mekhi Phifer plays the deceased, and in compensation for getting offed so early in the proceedings he appears in numerous flashbacks. LL Cool J lives up to his hip-hop handle as a suave, sinister suspect who knows a lot more than he's willing to tell Cole, while Chiwetel Ejiofor as an investigative reporter has just enough screen time in the first act to convince you that he will play a bigger role in the climax. Slow Burn is the kind of movie that tries hard to impress viewers with its cleverness, but the “surprise” resolution is ultimately so arbitrary that by the time the truth is revealed, you just don't care. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Wayne Beach, a seven-minute “Fire in the Streets” behind-the-scenes featurette, two alternate scenes (3 min.), a trivia track (not listed on the DVD jacket), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a muddled film.] (E. Hulse)