G

Rating R Formats DVD Genre drama Starring Richard T. Jones, Blair Underwood, Chenoa Maxwell, Andre Royo, Andrew Lauren Directed by Christopher Scott Cherot Publisher Sony Pictures External Links Official G Website Official Sony Pictures Website

The film simply known as G is a hip-hop themed version of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic "The Great Gatsby." It is a contemporary African-American romance that is set in the posh Hamptons and follows a rap mogul and self-made millionaire (Richard T. Jones) named "Summer G" on his quest to regain the love of his life (Chenoa Maxwell) who is now married to a wealthy Wall Streeter (Blair Underwood). As it goes with many romance stories, Summer G finds that he would gladly give up his rap enterprise for another shot at the love of his life.

G is directed by Christopher Scott Cherot, who directed the indie hit Hav Plenty in 1997 to roaring audience reviews. Cherot's directorial style is back on display as he demonstrates his ability to connect a classical and traditional storyline to a hip-hop based audience. The transition is smooth as the story seems to really fit the updated genre chosen by Cherot and writers Charles E. Drew and Andrew Lauren.

The best part about G is the ambition. Cherot puts together a piece of film with a lot more ambitious drive than most other directors, especially given the material, and attempts to outshine the stereotypes while at the same time adding fuel to the fire. The outcome is a generous mix of stereotypical glee at the criminality of hip-hop "thugs" and a flowing, almost poetic, entrancing love story that pieces together nicely for an audience awaiting the normal output from a hip-hop themed film.

Another piece of the film that is nicely worked by Cherot is the capturing of the decadence through the lifestyle of the film's characters. G is glossy and slick, especially by an indie film's standards, and really captures the excess and profligacy of the standardized hip-hop lifestyle in a way that manages to envelop the viewer into the world of the Hamptons via hip-hoppers smoothly and crisply.

Blair Underwood plays his role perfectly with dedicated precision, bringing out the intensity of a womanizing cad with a purity that only Underwood can deliver. Richard T. Jones, from TV's Judging Amy, delivers nicely as the Summer G character which clearly borrows from Sean "P. Diddy" Combs with all of the slickness and gloss of the hip-hop mogul. Chenoa Maxwell also succeeds in her role as the torn lover in a bad relationship.

G first hit the festival circuit in 2002 and finally hit a registered theatrical release in 2005, causing many to become caught up in its unconventional release style. In fact, Richard T. Jones has appeared in dozens of films since the festival release and this has set the promotion of his performance in G back a few paces, which harms the overall product in terms of advertising.

The best bits of Cherot's work are the lack of polish and the roughness of each shot, pulling out a great "twist-and-flip" on a classic tale. Fans of Fitzgerald's "Gatsby" will likely feel lost and almost betrayed by this turn of the familiar tale, but that is part of the overall exuberance of the picture. Times have changed, stories have updated, and people are different. Reality comes crashing in with G as it takes a Jazz-age story, turns it over to a hip-hop flavor, and mixes the elements with surprising results. Expect a different sort of film experience with G, but expect to be entertained and glued to the screen for the full 96 minutes thanks to the riveting performances, remarkable script, and astonishing cinematography tying us all right in to the scene.