By Kit Bowen
Story
Jody is a jobless but highly charismatic young man who has not only fathered two children by different women--Yvette (Taraji Henson) and Peanut (Tamara LaSeon Bass)--but still lives with his own mother, Juanita (A.J. Johnson). He wants to be with Yvette but can't quite fully commit to her and quit his philandering ways. Jody doesn't think his life is all that bad and somewhat enjoys skirting the line between boy and man. Juanita tries as hard as she can to make Jody grow up and become a responsible adult, but it isn't until a new man, Melvin (
Ving Rhames), enters her life and moves into the house that Jody must face the consequences. There isn't much room for a grown kid who has overstayed his welcome, and this realization scares the heck out of him. However, the hard journey Jody embarks upon forces him to face his fears, own up to his responsibilities and finally settle down with the woman he really loves.
Acting
Singleton is known for using relatively unknown actors in his films and has generated some exquisite performances, especially from Oscar-winning actor
Cuba Gooding Jr. in
Boyz and from the late
Tupac Shakur in 1993's
Poetic Justice. This time around
Singleton has found a gem in popular MTV DJ and recording artist
Tyrese, who, besides some guest stints on a few television shows, marks
Baby Boy as his big screen debut.
Tyrese easily handles the role's dramatic requirements as well as exuding Jody's charm. And he certainly holds his own with veteran actor
Rhames (much like
Gooding Jr. did with
Laurence Fishburne in
Boyz). In one of the film's particularly tense moments,
Tyrese and
Rhames never say a word but the emotion is all there. The rest of the unknown cast do a fine job relaying a the everyday life of South Central L.A. and one can tell there was a true comradeship between them.
Direction
Baby Boy is certainly an interesting companion piece to
Singleton's view on life in South Central Los Angeles and the director calls this film his third in a trilogy about the "'hood."
Boyz was obviously his most heartfelt and most compelling. The film explored a world of an African-American family life in a violent South Central neighborhood that the audience had never really seen before. And
Singleton did it with such finesse that one wonders why those techniques are not as prevalent in his follow up films, including the second installment,
Poetic Justice. He may have given all he had in his first film--
Baby Boy also misses that powerful punch. The story doesn't hold many twists or turns, but rather slowly goes through the motions, showing things we've basically seen before--and done better. It may appeal to a particular group but won't hold the attention of a broad audience, like
Boyz did. And maybe it can't. Once you've seen the harsh reality of such a life, why see it again?