ATL (2006)

Tip 'T.I.' Harris
Lauren London
Antwan 'Big Boi' Patton
Mykelti Williamson
Keith David

Directed by Chris Robinson

Plot: 17-year-old Rashad was forced to become the man of the house earlier than most. Since the death of his parents, he's carried the responsibility for himself and his little brother Ant squarely on his shoulders. While he does his best to keep Ant in school and out of the trouble that's always lurking in their South Atlanta neighborhood, sometimes it seems like a losing battle--Rashad can't be everywhere at once, and Ant is dangerously close to falling under the spell of a blinged-out local dealer who promises fast money and respect. As Ant gets pulled deeper into the life of a dealer and Rashad's dreams for him begin to fade, Rashad is going to have to make tough choices about what he wants and where he's going.

Review: I am a big fan of films involving gangs, street life, and/or hip hop culture. The trailer for this film gave me the same vibe as Boyz in the Hood and Menace 2 Society. I love both of these films so was looking forward to seeing this movie. What I got was something somewhat different, but in a good way.

I like rapper T.I.'s music, but was concerned with seeing him in a film. He hasn't been around long and I feared the movie to be one of these, "let's get a movie with him done before he isn't popular anymore" types of situations. Surprisingly he did a good job. His performance reminded me a lot of Ice Cube's in Boyz in the Hood. He wasn't necessarily better, but had a good screen presence about him. Rapper Big Boi gives a good performance, but isn't in the film enough to really gauge him yet as an actor. One thing I enjoyed most about this film is that the story is more about people trying to do the right thing and not just about gangbanging. I enjoy those movies, but you can only rehash that same story so many times. Although there is nothing real original about this film, I enjoyed it.
 

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