Write
Between the Lines is an exploration
and articulation of the obvious and the obscure. A cavalcade of
creation and commentary designed to amuse and bemuse.
Terrence Howard (as
“DJay”) tones it down, down, down. His character
doesn’t need to be violent; he doesn’t need to
play the macho pimp or the swaggering and intimidating “N-bro.”
An extremely intelligent and restrained performance. The
exception — restraint is lost in the one instance where
it’s very necessary for him to “lose it.”
It is interesting
to note that in the scenes where the characters are sitting
down, they appear calm, cool, and collected: the married
couple at the dinner table, DJay sitting and holding a toddler
in his lap, DJay with his two music collaborators in their
improvised recording studio, DJay in his car with Nola (his
“snow bunny ho”), DJay in a church pew, DJay in
jail talking to his bro through the intercom, DJay looking
in the mirror as his hair is set, and DJay with the famous
(and infamous) “Skinny Black” — (a terrific
performance by Ludacris).
The characters are
in charge of themselves and are rational thinkers . . .
but watch out when they stand up, because that’s when
all hell breaks loose.
And the things that
go round and round: the wheels of DJay’s "pimp
mobile," the fan in the studio, the demo cassette tapes,
and the recording console.
Most important of
all, one can almost see DJay’s thoughts, whirling and
twirling around in his head.
