Dead Presidents - [No Tickets]

Slow paced analysis of a young black man’s disintegrating life in the early 70s. He starts out as an idealistic youth, signing up for the Marine Corps to serve in Vietnam. However, the war changes him, and his home. When he returns in 1973, he is lost in the sea of changing attitudes. To survive, he and his friends plot to ambush an armored car carrying millions of dollars in old, worn bills, destined to be incinerated. Larenz Tate is mostly a cipher in the lead role. He conveys earnestness early on, but as the movie progresses, the audience loses touch with the central character. The direction is leisurely, but serious, and at times a bit too heavy-handed. The movie makes its point, and continues to hit you over the head with it. It would have benefitted both the movie and the audience had the movie been trimmed to deliver a tighter and more concise message.