Oh Frank White...

King of New York(dir. Abel Ferrara)
A celebration of violence and smut? You bet. It's easy to see how some people might not like it since it's morality is kind of twisted and bizarre, but I believe that's what makes it such a compelling film. Individuals looking for a straight-faced crime drama will probably be disappointed because this plays more like a John Woo movie than a Martin Scorsese one. Frank White is an utterly interesting character due to his contradictory nature. He wants to help people, but in order for him to do that, he has to kill some and sell some drugs to raise money to help them. Robin Hood selling crack? You bet. He's not a heroic character. You connect with him for just being himself. He claims what he does is to raise money for a hospital, but is it really? To me, it seems like an excuse for him to partake in violent and immoral acts. When he starts killing cops, you feel it was justified, but when you think about it some more, you start questioning his behavior and rationale. It's thought-provoking action cinema.
***1/2 out of ****