"There is something seductive about watching a good heist unfold on film. Each minute that goes by is defined by how close its thieves are to either success or abject failure. Directed by F. Gary Gray, with a screenplay by Takashi Bufford and Kate Lanier, Set It Off begins with one such heist. Francesca “Frankie” Sutton (Vivica A. Fox) is a dedicated bank teller whose life unravels when a man she recognizes from her neighborhood tries to rob the bank she works at with his crew. The robbery is a bloody, cataclysmic failure that leaves her traumatized after a woman is killed in front of her, leaving her face and suit splattered with blood. Perhaps even more nerve-wracking is watching Frankie be cruelly condescended to by LAPD detective Strode (John C. McGinley) and by her superior, who unceremoniously fires her as they both wrongly suspect she was involved in the crime. The beginning of the film tracks the reasons why Frankie and her longtime friends — Lida “Stony” Newsom (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Cleopatra “Cleo” Sims (a gruff, utterly magnetic Queen Latifah as the butch mastermind who has had many run-ins with the law), and T.T. Williams (the tender Kimberly Elise, here in her first role) — ultimately decide to undertake a series of bank robberies.
"Each woman has her back against the wall and sees the money as a matter of survival. Their identities as black women and the Los Angeles milieu they navigate lends the film a striking energy that sets it apart from other heist films of its ilk. Bolstered by an engaging script and finely tuned performances, Set It Off demonstrates how crime films can provide scintillating entertainment and sociopolitical commentary in equal measure."
- Angelica Jade Bastién
The vitals:
MONDAY, 2/27
7:00 - doors
Featuring "Lavadeira" with filmmaker Everton Melo
Tickets available here: [ Ссылка ]
Another dope trailer cut by Stewart Parker!
