Yakin wrote and directed the film after going into exile for some years. He was disillusioned with all the crummy studio work he was getting, all the uninspired, formulaic movies that were really just being made to sell more tickets and put more money in the studio exec's pockets. He decided to leave Hollywood and not to come back until he had something to say. Fresh, then, is certainly saying something.
The movie is named for the titular hero, Fresh, a young boy who works as a drug mule for various dealers around town. Two of which are at war with one another. So how does he keep his head above water when he would certainly be killed if one boss found out about the other? Well the twenty to fifty dollars he makes per run, he hides it in a coffee can by the railroad tracks and... After a couple years of running drugs every day for twenty to fifty bucks a run... That adds up, and the things you can do with that money if you're smart...
Fresh spends one afternoon a week learning to play chess from his father, who is estranged from the rest of the family. These scenes are something like the Greek chorus scenes of the film, with Fresh reflecting on what's been happening and contemplating his next move.
When two of Fresh's friends are murdered by one of the street dealers he works with, and at the same time, his mother informs him that she's going to have to give a couple of them up for adoption, Fresh puts a brilliant scheme into motion.
The plan is complex, but easy to understand after you see the whole thing play out. Fresh's ingenuity is incredible, the way he plays one side against the other, all the while avoiding suspicion simply by virtue of being a child. They never suspect that they've been outwitted by a ten year old. So the question is how long he can keep the facade going, how long it takes to make everything work and free himself of these scumbag's control over his life once and for all.
The movie is, at times, brutally and shockingly violent. This is necessary to drive home the reality of Fresh's situation. He's not in a good place in life, his bosses menace him and threaten him with death at every turn, and he walks a tightrope in order to keep himself alive while at the same time taking down the people who torment him and his friends and family.
The film is truly one of a kind. Clockers runs in a somewhat similar vein, but Fresh is built around a truly unique concept. The movie takes a young child, around ten years old, and pits him against ruthless, violent, sociopath criminals. It's not a children's movie, even though the hero is a child. It is a film about the power of morality and righteousness over compromised morality and cruelty, and truly a fascinating thriller.
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