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Empire Starring John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard Directed by Franc Reyes Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and some sexuality **3/4 out of 4 Stars, Movie Grade: B-

Released December 6, 2002

Running time: 90 minutes

by Kevin Lang

Directed by Franc Reyes and starring John Leguizamo and Peter Sarsgaard, "Empire" was an impressively filmed, entertaining tale of Hispanic and African American gang activity in the South Bronx. Perhaps what I liked most about this film was its sense of realism. It never strayed from its intended storyline, as it took us into an urban world that seethes not far from many of us.

Leguizamo played Victor (Vic) Rosa, a drug dealer who had for years controlled his territory with the help of three friends, including his longtime partner, Jimmy (Vincent Laresca). Part of the money that they made went to their South American supplier, Joanna Menendez, played well by a tan-skinned Isabella Rossellini. Vic, having lost his brother to the perils of street life when he was young, soon found himself lying in a hospital bed with several bullet wounds. With a baby on the way and a woman who loved him, Vic decided that he was going to get out of dealing and clean up his life. He met a Wall Street banker named Jack (Peter Sarsgaard), who offered him several investment opportunities that could make him a significant amount of money. All he had to do was front the initial investment, which eventually became several million.

This was what I thought the story was about from the preview, Vic getting suckered into a deal and taken for all he was worth. This was part of the film, but it only came into play near the end. The heart of the story surrounded Vic and his desire to escape the life that had taken his brother, and was now threatening to take him. Jack gave Vic the promise of a better life, but it was a promise that in the end would come crashing down around him after he convinced his supplier, Joanna, to invest a significant amount of money with him.

Being that the story surrounded Vic, I wanted to know more about his past and his brother who had been fatally shot in front of him when he was young. He wore his brother's necklace in remembrance, but we never really knew who his brother was exactly. Was he a big time dealer like Vic? And what about Vic's parents, where were they during all of this? And where are they now? These are questions that would have added a little depth to the film if they'd been answered, but not doing so didn't by any means cripple the story.

"Empire" was a film that reminded me of other mob movies, most notably "Carlito's Way," in which Jon Leguizamo also starred, playing Benny from the Bronx. In that film, Al Pacino's character, Carlito, was trying to escape his life in the mob to go straight with the woman he loved. This was a similar film, except with Hispanic and African American gangs replacing the mafia. From having seen these other films, Empire's ending was somewhat predictable, but I didn't mind this because it stayed true to the story.

"Empire" was an entertaining film that gave us a glimpse into a world that most of us are unfamiliar with. It successfully showed the human side of a murdering drug dealer in a way that garnered our support for him. He was the best of the worst. Leguizamo's character made me walk that moral tightrope where I knew that he deserved everything that came to him in the end, but for some reason, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"Empire" Review written December 4, 2002, CTF.