Duane Ervin and Stephen Cofield Jr. in Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes. (Credit: Marcellus Cox)
Directed by:
Marcellus Cox
Written by:
Marcellus Cox
Starring:
Duane Ervin, Stephen Cofield Jr., Ruthie Austin, Eric McNair
Synopsis (IMDb):
A Talented High School MLB Prospect spends the day with his new mentor from the Big Brothers of America Program.
Monique’s review:
Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is another chapter in filmmaker Marcellus Cox’s focus on the complexities and sorrow of Black manhood. This film, which follows a young man spending his first day with his designated Big Brother, is full of the promise of what Black men can be if they are allowed to live long enough to achieve their dreams.
You can probably guess where the film goes by that prior statement, but the ending of Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is wrapped in simultaneously true, but contradicting statements. First, Black men are often exterminated (yes, exterminated) because of the danger society wrongly believes them to be. Second, if an at-risk Black boy isn’t cared for by the community, the world of gun violence could claim him–either as a victim or as a perpetrator. Third, Joining a gang can seem like the only place a Black boy can find family, even if that “family” is also comprised of lost souls.
Cox’s writing has gotten even stronger in this latest showing, and while the film tries to lull you into the sense that it’s simply a slice-of-life film, its absence of drama lets you know something is lurking beneath the surface. The tension of the unspoken threat is quite palpable, because things are too calm. Of course, that’s by design.
Cofield plays Jasper, the model Big Brother any Little Brother would want to have. His character is the foil of sorts for Jamarcus, who represents the kind of childhood Jasper came from — and the type of path Jasper’s life could have taken.
Ervin, on the other hand, gives layers to Jamarcus, showing that he’s a good, talented kid underneath who is at risk of being buried by statistics. The more we learn about him, the more we see his kindness and trauma.
On the whole, Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is a tragic, but necessary tale about lives many Black boys have lived–and died from.