Over acted, under acted, moody, dark and depressing. This movie is very interesting if you give it a chance. A young woman(Angelina Jolie)falls in love with the man that accidentally killed her brother in a botched robbery. I mainly watched this movie because of Miss Jolie, who is becoming my favorite naughty girl as per her role in GIA. Mekhi Phifer shows great potential for heavier and more acceptable roles. William Forsythe seems quite subdued while Rosanna Arquette deals with going from chemically induced to sober. Fans of NYC and or Jolie will give this a 'yo'.
21 Reviews
Odd but interesting!
j-yuill3 January 2003
I have to admit, some scenes are boring and some are gross but at least it has a story to it. The story is actually quite interesting. I first saw this movie a year ago when I was eleven. I bought it off ebay in 2002. I enjoyed Hells Kitchen. I wish it ended a bit different though. It really tells you what life is like in Hells Kitchen.
Good acting, but a little bit too campy
niceguyeddy4 November 2000
I have always been intrigued with the acting skills of Mekhi Phifer ever since Spike Lee's brilliant Clockers, that's why I remotely enjoyed this film. The cast all around gave good preformances. The problem with it was definetly the way it was filmed and a contadictory message. Actually, there was no message at all, or else it was one burried in clichés. It was exactly like every other "New York-former-gangster" movie, and it had nothing special going for it (as apposed to Clockers, which had a whole underlying plot line to it). No message about Hell's Kitchen at all. This movie was pure mediocracy.
C-
C-
Vastly underrated
casrya22 March 2001
I am amazed that this film got such a low score. I personally thought it was a very convincing and moving mood piece and was well acted all round. Quite clearly an indie film and a character study but has a plot that moves along quite quickly and gives plenty of opportunity for reflection without ever moralising or passing judgement or overtly trying to make a social or political statement. No clear good guys and bad guys but rather interesting and individual characters caught up in a bad situation. Apart from anything else it had a great soundtrack/score and the original song by Rosanna Arquette was fantastic!
Perhaps the problem is that Angelina Jolie fans picked this one up for a perve?
Perhaps the problem is that Angelina Jolie fans picked this one up for a perve?
An antidote to life
dogatemyhomework10 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I don't normally write reviews on here, but after seeing that nearly all of them praised the movie, I couldn't in all good conscience keep quiet. So, here we go:
Who gave Tony Cinciripini a budget? Surely they'd read the script before handing over the money! This film is quite gob-smacking in its incompetence. The dialogue is so horrendous that none of actors have the slightest chance to even remotely act (with the exception of Arquette who's allowed to do the drug-addict thing, and Jolie who's allowed to angrily cry on two occasions). The plot is utter nonsense – it could make sense if it was an 8-hour miniseries that not only allows you to get to know the characters but also gives the film a chance to have something akin to pace. However, at just over 1½ hours, this lack of pace and runtime means we get horribly jarring shifts from an emotional scene to sex to bonding to someone waving around a gun with nothing in between. Add to that some wholly inappropriate music (don't have slow, moody pieces during action scenes!) and an editor who has found the slow motion button but doesn't know when to use it, and we have a full-on car crash of a film. The entire onus has to be on the director / writer. He wrote the terrible dialogue then obviously told the actors how to play it, a large part of which is that if you're not the one talking you have to freeze in place and don't do the slightest thing that might distract them from remembering their lines. Oh, and let's forget about such things as explanation – towards the end (SPOILER) Jolie's character does the following: dumps Patty, apologises to Johnny for wanting to kill him, argues with Liz, tells Johnny she's pregnant with his baby. Erm...what? How did that suddenly happen? A more pertinent question would be – how did any of this happen? Only Arquette was even remotely famous back then, so you can't say that it got released purely on the merits of starring Angelina Jolie. For this film to get made in the first place defies belief. Uwe Boll, Jalal Merhi and Edward D Wood Jr would all tie for The Most Incompetent Director award for sheer consistency, but as an individual prize, I'd have to award it to Tony for this.
Who gave Tony Cinciripini a budget? Surely they'd read the script before handing over the money! This film is quite gob-smacking in its incompetence. The dialogue is so horrendous that none of actors have the slightest chance to even remotely act (with the exception of Arquette who's allowed to do the drug-addict thing, and Jolie who's allowed to angrily cry on two occasions). The plot is utter nonsense – it could make sense if it was an 8-hour miniseries that not only allows you to get to know the characters but also gives the film a chance to have something akin to pace. However, at just over 1½ hours, this lack of pace and runtime means we get horribly jarring shifts from an emotional scene to sex to bonding to someone waving around a gun with nothing in between. Add to that some wholly inappropriate music (don't have slow, moody pieces during action scenes!) and an editor who has found the slow motion button but doesn't know when to use it, and we have a full-on car crash of a film. The entire onus has to be on the director / writer. He wrote the terrible dialogue then obviously told the actors how to play it, a large part of which is that if you're not the one talking you have to freeze in place and don't do the slightest thing that might distract them from remembering their lines. Oh, and let's forget about such things as explanation – towards the end (SPOILER) Jolie's character does the following: dumps Patty, apologises to Johnny for wanting to kill him, argues with Liz, tells Johnny she's pregnant with his baby. Erm...what? How did that suddenly happen? A more pertinent question would be – how did any of this happen? Only Arquette was even remotely famous back then, so you can't say that it got released purely on the merits of starring Angelina Jolie. For this film to get made in the first place defies belief. Uwe Boll, Jalal Merhi and Edward D Wood Jr would all tie for The Most Incompetent Director award for sheer consistency, but as an individual prize, I'd have to award it to Tony for this.
Stupid and Superb
Magsel15 May 2001
Disturbing at Times, But Really Good
Freedomisanillusion12 February 2003
I, along with a large chunk of the male population of this world, believe that Angelina Jolie is one of the most beautiful creatures on this green Earth (or quite brown in some drought ridden places such as our backyard) and have since become a fan of her movies. One night in a family video renting, I walked up the aisles of the video store trying to find something that grabbed my attention. In the Thriller section, I found many copies of this movie, and I question the judgement of the staff, as this is quite clearly a drama, and a pretty good one. Fortunately, I did not rent it out that night, as my Father would have had kittens if he let me watch this (for the record, I personally think I should have waited until I was a bit older), so I waited until he wasn't the one paying for it, and I got it then.
Mekhi Phifer plays Jonny, a man who was involved in a robbery that went wrong, and as a result, an accomplice, Hayden is killed. Gloria (played -as usual- superbly by Angelina Jolie) was Hayden's sister, and confronts Jonny five years later after he gets out of jail, blaming him for the death of her brother. She asks her boyfriend, Patty, to kill Jonny, but for reasons that I shall not reveal, Patty knows that Jonny did not kill Hayden. Jonny settles back into Hell's Kitchen and trains to be a heavyweight champion.
Some of the scenes are a bit too long, some are a bit disturbing, some are a bit weird, and some of them have all these things mixed together.
But on the whole a good movie, but not one made for younger audiences. 8/10
p.s. I might not be a good judge of the pacing of this movie, because when I watched it, we had younger visitors, and they weren't allowed to watch it, so I had to keep stopping and starting it, which is a shocking way to watch a movie.
Mekhi Phifer plays Jonny, a man who was involved in a robbery that went wrong, and as a result, an accomplice, Hayden is killed. Gloria (played -as usual- superbly by Angelina Jolie) was Hayden's sister, and confronts Jonny five years later after he gets out of jail, blaming him for the death of her brother. She asks her boyfriend, Patty, to kill Jonny, but for reasons that I shall not reveal, Patty knows that Jonny did not kill Hayden. Jonny settles back into Hell's Kitchen and trains to be a heavyweight champion.
Some of the scenes are a bit too long, some are a bit disturbing, some are a bit weird, and some of them have all these things mixed together.
But on the whole a good movie, but not one made for younger audiences. 8/10
p.s. I might not be a good judge of the pacing of this movie, because when I watched it, we had younger visitors, and they weren't allowed to watch it, so I had to keep stopping and starting it, which is a shocking way to watch a movie.
Beautiful
BantamsGirl21 January 2005
I saw this film for the first time today and I was often in tears throughout. It was very slow at the beginning and I was contemplating turning it off. I'm glad I didn't, Once the initial scene had been the set, the cast began to shine. Mekhi Phifer is particularly convincing (it was also refreshing to see a black man not being portrayed as a gangster)as a man who makes a mistake but wants to get on with his life. Angelina Jolie is very "real" despite her having to take a more subtle and more in the background approach to her character. The soundtrack is very beautiful and appropriate to every stage of the film and its development.
Its well worth watching, just stick with it through the slow parts in the beginning and you'll enjoy it.
Its well worth watching, just stick with it through the slow parts in the beginning and you'll enjoy it.
Better than what it looks like
breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com25 June 2013
Even famous actors today had to start somewhere. It's not to say that this is their best work or the work that pushed them into the spotlight but not many people come out on top the very first time anyway. For the most part, including myself, this movie caught my interest because within its cast was a very young Angelina Jolie and Johnny Whitworth. I didn't care much of what the story was about; that is until I finally reached the rolling of the end credits. Quite honestly, I don't understand why people can't find the value in this movie. It is certainly not rock solid entertainment, but it hits harder than most low budget dramas.
The story may not be about the most common of situations but it is relateable to an extent. A group of friends made a bad decision by trying to pull a robbery and end up causing friendly fire and another friend goes missing. This leaves with one of the friends, Johnny Miles (Mekhi Phifer) being jailed, and the other two, Gloria (Angelina Jolie) and Patty (Johnny Whitworth) to deal with family issues. But it's when five years later that come around, that old wounds will open but will also be cleansed for the final time.
The majority of performances are well done. Whitworth, Phifer, Jolie and even Rosanna Arquette, who plays Jolie's mother, all give real-human performances for the kind of drama these characters have to go through. The only character I didn't find that human was Lou Reilly (William Forsythe). He held the same facial expression through the entire film. Not one smile. And what's with his hair? But I digress. I also liked how Tony Cinciripini wrote how each subplot would tie the loose ends by the end of the film. It was nice to see the end result of the film because it combined everything into one. That's not to say every subplot was well written though.
When it came to family/friend issues, yes I felt there was a real story being told. But when it came to Miles wanting to box, there wasn't much explained about why he wanted to do boxing and how he met Lou Reilly. Plus, when Miles asked Reilly to be his agent, Reilly refused but by the next scene, he was being trained to box. I don't get it, where's the transition? Why did he change his mind? What made him change his mind? Why, why, why? There was also no recompense for the actions of various characters. There would be scenes of criminal acts or threats and yet no one would get in trouble for it. I find that hard to believe.
As for music, the composer Joseph Arthur did not provide a theatrical film score, which is understandable for the budget that was provided. But I was actually not so displeased with the turnout. Throughout the film, acoustic songs will be played. There is also a song that is played every now and then, so that could be considered a theme. What I liked about it is that it gave a human characteristic to the story. This made it feel a little more down to earth, so perhaps an orchestral score would have made seem less realistic. Either way, it's a fairly decent film.
The performances carry the right emotion and the music assists in making the drama feel that much more real. Unfortunately, the writing has its weak points and doesn't allow for any explanation.
The story may not be about the most common of situations but it is relateable to an extent. A group of friends made a bad decision by trying to pull a robbery and end up causing friendly fire and another friend goes missing. This leaves with one of the friends, Johnny Miles (Mekhi Phifer) being jailed, and the other two, Gloria (Angelina Jolie) and Patty (Johnny Whitworth) to deal with family issues. But it's when five years later that come around, that old wounds will open but will also be cleansed for the final time.
The majority of performances are well done. Whitworth, Phifer, Jolie and even Rosanna Arquette, who plays Jolie's mother, all give real-human performances for the kind of drama these characters have to go through. The only character I didn't find that human was Lou Reilly (William Forsythe). He held the same facial expression through the entire film. Not one smile. And what's with his hair? But I digress. I also liked how Tony Cinciripini wrote how each subplot would tie the loose ends by the end of the film. It was nice to see the end result of the film because it combined everything into one. That's not to say every subplot was well written though.
When it came to family/friend issues, yes I felt there was a real story being told. But when it came to Miles wanting to box, there wasn't much explained about why he wanted to do boxing and how he met Lou Reilly. Plus, when Miles asked Reilly to be his agent, Reilly refused but by the next scene, he was being trained to box. I don't get it, where's the transition? Why did he change his mind? What made him change his mind? Why, why, why? There was also no recompense for the actions of various characters. There would be scenes of criminal acts or threats and yet no one would get in trouble for it. I find that hard to believe.
As for music, the composer Joseph Arthur did not provide a theatrical film score, which is understandable for the budget that was provided. But I was actually not so displeased with the turnout. Throughout the film, acoustic songs will be played. There is also a song that is played every now and then, so that could be considered a theme. What I liked about it is that it gave a human characteristic to the story. This made it feel a little more down to earth, so perhaps an orchestral score would have made seem less realistic. Either way, it's a fairly decent film.
The performances carry the right emotion and the music assists in making the drama feel that much more real. Unfortunately, the writing has its weak points and doesn't allow for any explanation.
Great Cast....Really Good Movie...
goodblackdontcrack007 August 2004
I for one am a huge Angelina Jolie fan, so when I picked up this movie at blockbuster I was hoping that it would turn out to be a really good film. I wasn't disappointed but the movie didn't blow me away. It does go in a lot of directions and it doesn't really officially resolve any of the problems. But I must say that Angelina Jolie and Mekhi Phifer gave great performances, despite the fact that the script was only okay. Despite the script I have to give the movie its credit, it was gritty, disturbing, even moving at times and it did keep me watching. I did feel like I was directly in Hell's Kitchen. This film shows the budding talents of two very good actors and I am glad that I had a chance to see it. So I would give the movie a 7 out of 10.
I actually liked this movie
crocodile23516 September 2006
This movie is pretty well done--I didn't think it would be good, but I was pleasantly surprised. It has a slow, steady pace, in which we continually learn more about the characters and their situations. As it unravels it almost hypnotizes you. This probably has a lot to do with the EXCELLENT soundtrack, which is beautiful and subtle.
The casting was pretty good. The acting was pretty decent, too. The script, so-so. I'd say it's the sort of movie to watch when you're in the mood to be alone and contemplative, but when you're feeling generous enough to forgive its shortcomings.
Why is there a 10-line minimum for these comments? I don't really know what else to say about it. I really like the song that plays during the end credits.
The casting was pretty good. The acting was pretty decent, too. The script, so-so. I'd say it's the sort of movie to watch when you're in the mood to be alone and contemplative, but when you're feeling generous enough to forgive its shortcomings.
Why is there a 10-line minimum for these comments? I don't really know what else to say about it. I really like the song that plays during the end credits.
Confronting, insightful, and underrated
Into_White12 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
It's the movie that takes you right to the core of where the Devil himself conjures his plans Hell's Kitchen. It is more than just a single story, and instead four closely related character arcs woven into one film. It traces the characters of Johnny (Mekhi Phifer), Gloria (Angelina Jolie), Patty (Johnny Whitworth), and Liz (Rosanna Arquette).
It takes off with Johnny, Gloria and Patty doing a robbery that completely falls apart and results in the death of Gloria's younger brother. We then move forward five years and this is where the main arc of the film begins, initiated by what happened at the robbery. There are a lot of side characters with their own stories, such as an old Ex-boxer called Lou, and a young homeless boy called Ricky. The movie confronts a lot of social issues such as drug addiction, rape, murder, homelessness, theft, and the list goes on. As the four main character's stories intertwine, we see these issues dealt with in various ways and watch some function as catalysts for others.
It relies more on a selected soundtrack as opposed to an original score, which works excellently as the songs (primarily from singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur) often possess special significance to the scenes they accompany. The movie is a little slow moving at times, and that in addition to a noticeably cheap production budget may make it difficult for some to sit through. Yet for those who are prepared to sit down and enter the confronting world of Hell's Kitchen, there is a raw, emotional, and even realistic drama ready to be appreciated.
Overall a confronting, emotional, and insightful piece that is probably underrated due to cheap production and promotion. However the script does the characters great justice and the acting is brilliant, especially from the four leads. Definitely recommended, especially for Jolie fans. (Like myself!) I give it 7.5/10.
John Hanlen.
It takes off with Johnny, Gloria and Patty doing a robbery that completely falls apart and results in the death of Gloria's younger brother. We then move forward five years and this is where the main arc of the film begins, initiated by what happened at the robbery. There are a lot of side characters with their own stories, such as an old Ex-boxer called Lou, and a young homeless boy called Ricky. The movie confronts a lot of social issues such as drug addiction, rape, murder, homelessness, theft, and the list goes on. As the four main character's stories intertwine, we see these issues dealt with in various ways and watch some function as catalysts for others.
It relies more on a selected soundtrack as opposed to an original score, which works excellently as the songs (primarily from singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur) often possess special significance to the scenes they accompany. The movie is a little slow moving at times, and that in addition to a noticeably cheap production budget may make it difficult for some to sit through. Yet for those who are prepared to sit down and enter the confronting world of Hell's Kitchen, there is a raw, emotional, and even realistic drama ready to be appreciated.
Overall a confronting, emotional, and insightful piece that is probably underrated due to cheap production and promotion. However the script does the characters great justice and the acting is brilliant, especially from the four leads. Definitely recommended, especially for Jolie fans. (Like myself!) I give it 7.5/10.
John Hanlen.
Pretty good
reelmartin16 April 2000
I found this movie to be solidly entertaining. I was fascinated by the character of Johnny Miller. This was a guy surrounded by ugliness who, with one misstep, could have been consumed by it. However, simply by being who he was and doing what he knew to be right he redeemed himself and those around him. A lot of people in the world would do well to follow his example, and I hope a lot of people will see this movie and enjoy it.
Very good
Emerenciano22 April 2003
This is certainly one of the best films I've seen lately. It's a good surprise, once it doesn't seem to be so good when you read about it. The plot is basic in the beginning, but it turns into a fascinating drama and a breath-taking thriller. Angelina Jolie is again very well in her role.
The songs we hear all through the movie are very good. They're also a good reason to make this such a good film. We have a bit of everything here: rap, rock, folk... This is really something you can't miss.
I have to talk about the direction too. I think it's brilliant and remarkable.
my rate 8/10
The songs we hear all through the movie are very good. They're also a good reason to make this such a good film. We have a bit of everything here: rap, rock, folk... This is really something you can't miss.
I have to talk about the direction too. I think it's brilliant and remarkable.
my rate 8/10
Love it for what it is
mikehartoon4 November 2013
I've seen this movie a number of times. Maybe because I'm a huge Angelina Jolie fan, maybe because I relate to a number of elements in the film. The cast is comprised of considerable talent and I can understand how in many of the scenes there appears to be "over-acting" performances. But, having spent and worked with the typical characters portrayed in this film, I can say that the seemingly exaggerated emotional displays are appropriate. Understanding these characters, their circumstances, their self destructive paths and social limitations, these actors capture their characters in their true form. Real life and real people seldom come in neat little packages.
A Study On Destroyed People
Falconeer12 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This crazy film won't win awards, or end up on some critic's "best of" lists. It is a like a diamond, albeit an uncut, unpolished one. "Hell's Kitchen" starts out like a thousand other crime thrillers, with the ultra violent robbery and shootout gone wrong. But the opening is deceptive, as it soon moves into some very dramatic territory. Every scene of this movie is filled with so much passionate rage and drama, and sadness that it at times looks like someone took the most exciting scenes from three movies, spliced them together and created this one movie. Basically a character study, a love triangle and a family drama, Rosanna Arquette turns in an unforgettable, over the top performance as Liz, a woman wallowing in self destruction and heroin addiction. She plays Gloria's (Angelina Jolie's) mother, and the way she betrays and hurts her daughter somehow never makes the viewer think that she doesn't love her intensely. Her son Haydon died in that botched robbery attempt, and both mom and daughter are emotionally destroyed by it.
Old wounds are opened when Johnny, the third one involved in the robbery, is released from a five year prison stint for causing the death of Haydon. The punchline is that he only took the blame for what Gloria's boyfriend actually did; fire the bullet that killed her brother. Who was really responsible? Gloria's supremely messed up boyfriend, the sniveling, emotional wreck, Patty. And when the reformed Johnny wants to get his life together by trying his hand at professional boxing, he must deal with Gloria's desire for revenge.
There are a lot of tears and anger in this passionate indie drama, as well as an abundance of blood, drug use and violent sexuality. it's all here in this emotionally draining movie. It's also filled with some very sleazy characters, drug dealers, crooked boxing promoters, prostitutes, but nobody seems to be one dimensional. Every character seems to have a reason for being who they are. I also want to mention New York City, and the way it is captured in this one. Was Manhattan really ever that edgy and scuzzy? Yes, it was, as late as the beginning of the 2000's. Today Hell's Kitchen is nothing more than an unexciting outdoor shopping mall for for wealthy, boring pricks. But in 1998, it really was a playground for prostitutes, after hours bars, and especially crack dealers and addicts. Then all that started to get edged out by construction of luxury buildings and high end restaurants. In this way, "Hell's Kitchen" remains an important documentation of a time that no longer exists. Only the horse stables remain. This movie will appeal to those that lived there during the 90's. It should also be searched out by fans of Angelina Jolie as she gives one of her sexiest, and most "off the rails" performances here...even though Rosanna Arquette outshines them all. Best seen via the new Bluray, as it restores the film to it's original widescreen picture ratio, which makes a big difference.
Slow but good and realistic movie
guillembar11 August 2002
A little bit slow movie about underground life. A guy comes out of jail after a robbery and finds his old fellows. Life is not easy in some places of NY and he'll have to face many complicated situations.
Hell's kitchen is a sometimes hard and slow movie but I've found it to be quite realistic and educative also. Good acting and also good use of the music to put you in the situation.
Hell's kitchen is a sometimes hard and slow movie but I've found it to be quite realistic and educative also. Good acting and also good use of the music to put you in the situation.
Great Movie, Not The BEST But Great.
tia-1812 August 2000
This movie is a good reflection on what the lives of interesting people could be. Being a fan of Angelina Jolie, I loved her role. I would suggest this movie to anyone that is interested in NYC, or Angelina Jolie's movies. I have also liked the rest of the cast in their other movies, as well. So the cast adds wonderfully to the movie, or maybe they Are the movie... I have not found this movie very many places to rent, and even though it is a new movie, it is out-of-print. If you are interested in renting this movie, I found it at Blockbuster, so check it out if there is one near you. I also purchased mine on an auction.
Very weird ** out of *****
Funkypizza200129 September 2001
Hell's kitchen is a messed up movie. The only normal character in the film is Johnny. The rest of the cast have serious issues. Angelina Jolie, my favorite actress, delivers a decent performance in this movie as Gloria. I think this movie went a little over board. This is not worth seeing. ** out of *****
There is a certain something...
Freewheelinautomator28 August 2013
... about the American b-movies of the 90's that isn't exactly placeable anywhere. my own very young background is literary with movies as adiaphora, but it's a damn necessary one if today's society is to be at all comprehensible (which even then doesn't insure us of its comprehensibility for all that). the movie reviewed is a mish-mash of emotion, all misdirected, but sure as hell standing in their own right; that is, as open to ridicule. an honest look, however, at the 'private' life of modernity rarely entails one linear chain of events, affects, that can be deduced 'logically'. confusion is not only permitted and encouraged, but sustained throughout its madness, meaning as banished as the howls of the afflicted discordant and the 'possibilities' being presented are using us for its own instrumental reason without ever including our 'human potential', so why not put in the breaks and vegetate? seems to be the message of modern-day cynicism. sure as bunkers, you can't either blame or pity these neo-nihilists, put in their rightful place by a society all-too-much-like a Russia of the late 19th century. a simple "no" is not the truth but at the same time not an "affirmative" of what you in your heart of hearts suspect of untruth (covered up with courteous witty banter). there is no hypocrisy in such play-acting, but even those who refuse to intellectualize (don't believe in any form of "rationalization" whatsoever) and give way to the scurvy feelings and blurry outlines of their being, vaporize the untruth of a society as well as any truth makes its intellectual form ever. the one is descriptive, the other normative. this movie portrays how most human relationships are actually played out from beginning to end and it should give rise to wonder, if not awe, in humility. the sheer bulk of madness transforms itself before our very eyes into an intelligible quality, which we begin to fear. i'm willing to go as far as to say it's cathartic, but in the modern sense, which, unlike tragedy, doesn't anesthetize your defeature with a supplementary cord of meaning. as always, it's the raw fact of death that shines a light on life and serves as the usual wake-up call for the lazy 'human'. (jolie is great, by the way)
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