Back in the Day (2005)

Director:

James Hunter

Writers:

James Hunter (writer)
Michael Raffanello (writer)

Release Date:

3 November 2005 (Iceland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes it's hard to tell your friends from your enemies

Plot:

In BACK IN THE DAY, Reggie Cooper (Ja Rule), a young man from the rough side of the tracks who lives with his divorced...

Cast

Tatyana Ali	...	Alicia Packer
Rafa Alvarez	...	Detective Spray
Paul Benjamin
Jan Rene Benvenutti	...	First Officer at Mall
Tia Carrere	...	Loot
Badja Djola	...	Grant Brown
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Benson Cooper, Reggie's Dad
Norman Grant	...	Physician
Pam Grier	...	Mrs. Cooper
Jamie Harper	...	Jamal's Girl
Stephen Kough	...	Vincent Cooper
Frank Langella	...	Lt. Bill Hudson
Julio 'Joel' Lopez	...	Ricky
Peter A. Marshall
Jamie McCall	...	Cocktail Waitress
Erika Michels	...	Maria Patillo - Reporter (as Erika Michels Brown)
Debbi Morgan	...	Mrs. Packer
Joe Morton	...	Rev. James Packer
Ving Rhames	...	J-Bone
Rodolfo Rodriguez	...	Mugger
Ja Rule	...	Reggie
Al Sapienza	...	DET. Kline
Davetta Sherwood	...	Tosha Cooper
Peter Somech	...	Phillip the Vendor
Lahmard J. Tate	...	Jamal

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Quotes:

J-Bone: I'd rather be feared than loved.

I'd rather be feared than loved.

It is difficult to rate a writer/director's first effort. After all, it is one more movie than I have written or directed. James Hunter wrote a story that was interesting, but suffered from an uneven flow.

After all, the idea that a man (Ja Rule) has to choose between the thug life and going straight is common, and even falling in love with the daughter (Tatyana Ali) of the man you killed has been done. Doing it again demands something that is original, and originality is lacking in this film.

I was drawn by the inclusion of so many favorites: Tia Carrere (Trues Lies, Wayne's World), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown), Frank Langella (Dracula, Good Night and Good Luck), and Ving Rhames (Rosewood, Dawn of the Dead). They did not disappoint in their performances, but they had little to work with.

Direct to video is becoming more and more common, but that doesn't mean it has to be a waste of time. Maybe the sophomore effort of Hunter will be more enjoyable.