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Longtime Spike Lee cinematographer Ernest Dickerson (JUICE) directs this violent gangster film with oodles of style, using contrasting films stocks, odd camera angles, and multiple narratives. Adapted from the novel by African American pulp novelist Donald Goines, NEVER DIE ALONE tells the story of King David (DMX) a big time old-school street thug who is murdered shortly after returning from jail on a quest for redemption. After his death, an aspiring novelist (David Arquette) comes into possession of a series of tapes King David recorded, telling the story of his life which is then relayed in a series of brutal flashbacks (involving pimping, drug dealing, and murder). Meanwhile we also learn what led to the actions of Mike (Michael Ealy), King David's assassin. Fast moving and pulling none of its hard-to-the-gut punches, the film is steeped in rich shadows and contains a pervasive sense of karmic fatalism that links it with the classic film noir of the 1940s and 50s. Performances are generally strong with Ealy a standout and rap star DMX (in his second starring role after the action hit CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE) earning full acting props for his ability to make the larger-than-life character of King David simultaneously savage, sympathetic, and--most importantly--believable. He also contributes to the rich soundtrack which also includes such diverse artists as Curtis Mayfield, Bilal, Lil Scrappy and Vivaldi.
