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<\/a><\/p>\nAs one may feel at times they need a score card to keep track of all the players and bullets flying, let me give you a lay of the land.\u00a0 Brothers Rhyis and Khalil are the sons of Knight, an ousted Haitian dictator.\u00a0 Because of Knight, the boys have lost their perceived birth rite to all the power and riches that the heirs to a dictatorship allow.\u00a0 Angry, and determined to make a name for themselves that will eventually give them all the power necessary to one day take back their rightful place in Haiti, the brothers immigrate to the United States.<\/p>\n
Finding gun-running the most lucrative business, they form their own force called \u201cThe Strap Set.\u201d\u00a0 Rhyis, being the eldest, is self-appointed leader while Khalil is in charge of sales and distribution to foreign buyers.\u00a0\u00a0 Grimm deals with the local distributors and, of course, every group of gun-runners needs protection which is where sharp-shooter Zho comes in.\u00a0 Needless to say, all four men are lethal killers, skilled in all forms of weaponry, fighting and martial arts.<\/p>\n But even Rhyis has to climb his way to the top and sees Angela Costa, head of the Southern District Italian Costa syndicate (and pretty much the overlord of all the Districts),\u00a0 as his means to an end.\u00a0 Convincing Angelo to \u201chire\u201d The Strap Set as his enforcers, Rhyis not only endears himself to Angelo, ready to defend him – and his businesses – to the death, but gains Angelo\u2019s trust and reciprocal loyalty, thus placing himself in a power play position to oust Angelo\u2019s son Nick from ever rising to head of the Costa syndicate.<\/p>\n Other power players include Feris, who runs the Western District.\u00a0 A former El Salvadorean drug lord turned gun runner thanks to guns proving more lucrative than drugs.\u00a0 Elio and Russo, stereotypical Italian no-necks, round out the group under major heavy hitters under Angelo.<\/p>\n Going beyond the principal wheelers and dealers are the more interesting loose cannons, starting with Li Soo.\u00a0 A Korean arms dealer who deals in the Eastern District working through Grimm, Li appears to get the job of guns for cash done somewhat efficiently, but often seems preoccupied thanks to the pain over the tragic death of her parents and concerns for her drug using sister.\u00a0 Then there\u2019s Simone and her right hand muscle, Vincent.\u00a0 Simone is a force to be reckoned with by men and women.\u00a0 Look in the dictionary under the phrase \u201cif looks could kill\u201d, well, one look from Simone could mean death for you.\u00a0 And what about Vincent?\u00a0 Very large, very imposing, impeccably dressed, yet very quiet and giving the sense of civility and kindness underneath the hulking exterior.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the wisdom and sage of Malachi.\u00a0 The former Minister of Defense to Knight, Malachi oversees the Northern District territories, yet he doesn\u2019t fit the profile.\u00a0 Seeking refuge in the Unites States along with Khalil and Rhyis, Malachi is the voice of reason and calm, understanding the old ways of Haiti and the people while trying to steer Rhyis away from the ideas of storming the ports and retaking power as a means of returning to his homeland.\u00a0 And Malachi still has his ear to the ground for information and updates on Knight and Haiti itself.<\/p>\n And so, the game unfolds with violation and manipulation, as Rhyis executes on his plans to become first, heir to Angelo\u2019s throne, and then his Haitian one.\u00a0 But a few wrinkles get in the way, leading to bloody battles and furious firefights; among them, differences of strategy between Rhyis and Khalil, Nick\u2019s obsessive greed for what he believes is his birth rite, and an unsuspecting pawn who has been hiding in the corner, protected by another, just waiting to make his move – Knight.\u00a0 As the cat and mouse intensifies, it\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess who will be left standing to say CALL ME KING.<\/p>\n Out of the box, one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises in CALL ME KING comes from Bai Ling.\u00a0 She delivers a resonant performance as Li Soo, hitting the heavy emotional beats of familial love and concern appropriately while striking a believable balance as a gun runner.\u00a0 Have to say, however, her costuming appears more \u201cMad Max\u201d with leather, lace and chains, but it works for Ling\u2019s own personality.<\/p>\n Comes as no surprise to see Chris Mulkey lead us by the nose as Angelo.\u00a0 Probably best known to most younger audiences for his work as Boss Frank Hague on \u201cBoardwalk Empire\u201d of as Coach McGregor on \u201cFriday Night Lights\u201d, Mulkey brings a depth and authenticity to Angelo that is welcome and fitting.\u00a0 He is as believable as a hard nosed crime boss as he is a father battling a son and showing favoritism to someone not his child, walking that line of pushing the envelope and knowing when to push it over the edge to achieve a desired result. He does so beautifully here in scenes with both T.J. Hoban\u2019s Nick and Amin Joseph\u2019s Rhyis.<\/p>\n And what about Amin Joseph?\u00a0 Icy.\u00a0 Calculating.\u00a0 Methodical.\u00a0 Manipulative.\u00a0 Complete and utter control, never breaking a sweat.\u00a0 He wears the role of Rhyis well.\u00a0 On the flip side, Maurice Whitfield bring a lighter touch to younger brother Khalil that serves the sibling relationship and story well, bringing some balance to the dynamic.<\/p>\n Monyque Thompson Scott is as about as regal as they come with her performance as Simone.\u00a0 I was ready to say \u201cAll hail The Queen\u201d.\u00a0 Unflinching, unbending (literally and figuratively), she was red hot steel.\u00a0 Having said that, however, the dialogue delivery was distracting with over enunciation and hesitant cadence, not to mention some lines that didn\u2019t fit the character or feel natural, thus diminishing the power of intense moments.<\/p>\n Bill Cobbs can do no wrong.\u00a0 Once again, he is the grounding in this film.\u00a0 To a large degree, as Malachi he is the moral compass and serves as a generational touchstone.\u00a0 Perfection are Robert Miano and Johnny Williams an Elio and Russo, respectively.\u00a0 Each known for their work in films like \u201cDonnie Brasco\u201d, \u201cGoodfellas\u201d, \u201cWitness to the Mob\u201d, \u201cHitman\u2019s Run\u201d and others, Miano and Williams slip into the mafioso personas like a well worn holster.<\/p>\n As Knight, Shaun Mixon is riveting.\u00a0 Mixon elicits a tacit strength and sense of self-respect and pride through physicality, posture, refined movement.\u00a0 He is almost grace in motion.<\/p>\n R.L. Scott is no stranger to the genre meld and is quite proficient in many aspects of the cinematic construct necessary to bring a story like this to life.\u00a0 Structuring the story almost as if strategizing a chess game, there is thought behind each character\u2019s move, each decision, each action and reaction.\u00a0 However, in an interesting twist, where the main characters move expectedly, the supporting players, the pawns, are the ones that surprise and create the most uncertainty and tension.\u00a0 For example, Li Soo and Vincent add these softer, unexpected moments, that cause hesitancy and give pause only to have them turn on a dime after causing someone else to let their guard down for just a second.\u00a0 I found this to be an unusual tact, but effective.<\/p>\n Problematic, however, is some of the dialogue that is beyond corny such as that by Khalil in the heat of the climactic showdown, talking about not getting his $900 iguana jacket shot up.\u00a0 There has been no groundwork for even attempts at levity (which I am guessing this was meant to be), and lines like this stick out like a sore thumb.\u00a0 Similarly, some of the dialogue is so stilted and deliberately mechanized that it feels false from beginning to end, generally with that of Simone.\u00a0 It takes one out of the moment and takes away from the power of her physicality and stare.\u00a0 But where there is perfection is with the conversational warmth whenever Bill Cobbs character, Malachi, is on screen.\u00a0 The dialogue fits not only the character, but Cobbs himself and his demeanor.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n