Snipes

Set in the shifty world of record labels, Snipes is an ambitious paranoia thriller that treats its unbelievable plot so seriously, its villains so villain-y, that the ridiculousness of it all can make violence seem hysterical. Inspired by such films as Marathon Man and The Conversation, first time writer-director Rich Murray’s depiction of record label executives as vicious gangsters is so exaggerated that Death Row records honcho Suge Knight, the man accused of being responsible fore the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, seems harmless in comparison. If Snipes didn’t feature multi-platinum artist Nelly in a supporting role, odds are this bloody and unrealistic thriller would wind up playing on late-night HBO; the perfect slot for Snipes’ past midnight guilty-pleasure attitude.

If Philadelphia is anything like what Murray’s debut illustrates, then cops are always absent when illegal activities occur. The characters in Snipes flash their guns while out in the open, with no fear of a patrol car strolling by, and smoke weed in public places, even an occupied movie theatre. These acts of defiance are fine for men like Bobby Starr (Dean Winters), the head of Ill Wax records, a hip-hop label who owns the country’s top selling rapper, Prolifik (Nelly). As successful as the rapper is, his much delayed follow-up album is causing Bobby lots of stress, especially since Prolifik spends more time blunted than recording lyrics. As it happens to be, Nelly’s sophomore album, Nellyville, was one of this summer’s top-selling albums.

The film's title doesn’t refer to rooftop snipers, although there is one scene featuring a rooftop shooter, but is slang for those who staple promotional posters and ads for upcoming albums. Those living in Manhattan have surly seen dozens of these posters on various blocks. Philly’s most determined sniper is Erik Trigs (Sam Jones III), an avid Prolifik fan who posts posters for the rapper’s upcoming album, titled Return of the Intellect, all over town; from lampposts to museum banners. Erik enjoys his work, riding around in the company’s promo van, but when he and his best friend (Mpho Koaho), an aspiring rapper, steal the keys to Ill Wax records’ recording studio trying to tape some late-night tracks, the two discover dead bodies. This discovery leads to a dangerous yarn of kidnapping and mistaken identities, all of which play like a music-video version of an Alfred Hitchcock film.

As ridiculous and clichéd as the unfolding plot may be, it’s admittedly difficult to dismiss Snipes as corny straight-to-video trash. For one, as small as Nelly’s role is, seeing him in full gangsta mode is funny in the same way as watching Michael Jordan play basketball in Space Jam. While Nelly should stick to his daytime job of rugged pop-star, he’s enjoyable while on-screen. But then again, the role of famed rap star isn’t much of a stretch.

Director Murray, who began his career by helming music-videos for artists like Kriss Kross and the Fugees, has made an impressive first-feature that holds some promise for his next film…another thriller set in Philadelphia. In a torture scene midway through Snipes, where Erik is beaten and tied to a chair, Murray inserts intentional references to Reservoir Dogs (blade behind an ear) and Chinatown (the Roman Polanski nose slit). While you can’t shout “RIP OFF!” since the baddie vaguely acknowledges both films, that’s exactly how Snipes feels throughout. -Shaun Sages

GRADE: C

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