Larry Fishburne kills it in this HBO adaptation of a best-selling novel by Walter Mosley.The whole cast is amazing, it's shot in LA, and the story is street-smart yet heartwarming. Can't say enough about this gem! Pinewoods Rating System - Three & 1/2 Pinewoods....The Horror!!
The always enjoyable Isaiah Washington kills it in the intense "diner scene."
"ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED succeeds due to the happy marriage of star and screenwriter, Laurence Fishburne and Walter Mosley (who also serve as the film's executive producers). As created by Mosley, Socrates Fortlow is a gem of character: strong, wise, and almost classically flawed (not unlike Ezekiel Rawlins in 1995's DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, based on a Mosley novel). Brought up on the street and raised in prison, Socrates is well aware that the world is a harsh place, and that the real challenge is in getting by with your self-respect intact. Fishburne seizes the role of Socrates and soars, depicting the fear and agonizing frustration that comes with trying to keep it together on the street: it's almost painful watching him return to the supermarket again and again just to apply for a job as a bagger, only to be lied to and tossed out by the manager.
But ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED also features a dynamite supporting cast. In addition to the always reliable Bill Nunn and Bill Cobbs, there are small roles by Bill Duke, Natalie Cole (as the proprietor of a local diner), and Cicely Tyson (as Burke's distrustful landlady). Daniel Williams, too, holds his own as young Darryl, a boy growing up in a world of guns and indiscriminate murder. To see these characters strive to maintain their dignity amidst their poverty is a rare and wonderful thing."- TV GUIDE
The Horror!!
