"Snow on Tha Bluff" Review

We see and hear it every day.

It's lauded in the music we listen to, the magazines we read, the websites we visit, and the television programs we watch. "Thug life" is very much a part of today's popular culture, and thanks to the Internet, it's more accessible than ever. Everyone has a favorite hip-hop artist, whether they can name five songs by that artist or not. In their music, we are bombarded with poetry that stings like a drive-by bullet, left to picture for ourselves what life is like in the 'hood. Everyone thinks they understand, but you have no idea until you experience it for yourself.

I think that's what the reality-drama film Snow on Tha Bluff tries to do; capture a few days in the life of an Atlanta drug dealer and showcase it to the world. I think the intent is to erase some of the ignorance that most of our media provide and show that "thug life" isn't all it's cracked up to be.
And for the most part, the movie succeeds. It's a portrait of life in a different societal sector that's not like any other dramatized entry out there. Snow on Tha Bluff stands out for its gritty presentation and its lead performance from real-life drug dealer Curtis Snow.

Although it's not established as such thematically, the film has the look of a recovered-footage picture, making the action seem much more authentic. (Though a case could be made for calling it "stolen-footage".) If Snow on Tha Bluff had been shot with expensive Hollywood cameras, it would've felt forced and more like a staged dramatization. As it stands, the movie has the feel it sets out to capture: an unadulterated view of ghetto life. It feels like you're an accessory to a shortlist of crimes as a member of Curtis's clique, right behind him for every armed antic, every drug deal, and every traumatic event. Snow's performance is reminiscent of Eminem's in 8 Mile. These guys don't need to be trained actors because for them, it's not an act. Their respective films chronicle events similar to ones that each man actually lived. It's a re-telling of their reality, so the performances are bone-deep. Snow's dynamic personality is what had me invested for the film's 78-minute run time.

Aside from a contrived ending that ruins any true sense of closure, Snow on Tha Bluff is a riveting film about life in one of Atlanta's most dangerous neighborhoods that thrives on a bone-deep performance from Curtis Snow and gritty camerawork that makes this a filmgoing experience with few equals. I now feel the wiser for witnessing the true story behind the superficiality of what we hear in today's music. Check it out on Netflix Instant.

3 OF 4 STARS