It took a long, long time for me to get into "ZigZag." It is a fairly typical set-up. But after a while, the main character really begins to grow on you. There's a scene, almost in the middle of the film, autistic youth Zigzag (Sam Jones III) and prostitute Jenna (Natasha Lyonne) eat in a diner and she asks him a question. The answer is delivered so beautifully, so pitch perfect by Jones that are eyes water, our mouths open, our perception is suddenly changed. This is the power of a single scene to completely change a movie, completely open the audience to it. This is the power of acting.

ZigZag is a black youth. His father (an almost unrecognizable Wesley Snipes) beats him. His boss (Oliver Platt) at the restaurant where he does dishes is a jerk. And, woe is me, his Big Brother, Singer (John Leguizamo), is dying of testicular cancer (a pretty rare thing in this modern world). ZigZag retreats into his own mind, often talking in what seems like code and numbers. Only Singer can get through to the kid, it seems.'

Of course, Singer also treats ZigZag like a person. When ZZ makes a mistake at work and steals some money, Singer tries to help him. But Singer always tries to help. He also explains sex to ZZ after the kid has his first wet dream. He even goes so far as to buy him a copy of "Juggs." The nudity and blunt sexual dialogue of the film is many times all that keeps it from seeming a Made-for-TV movie from 1988.

Director David. S. Goyer, who bankrolled the film with money he made writing "Blade" movies, has real trouble keeping the film from bursting at the seams. He can't seem to keep Grant Lee Phillips' score from overriding everything in the film, including much of ZZ's dialogue. Goyer scripted the piece from a novel by Landon Napoleon but seems more in tune with visuals and music then with dialogue. This is odd for a scripter. Still, his film evokes a real sense of time and place. The actors in the piece really work wonders and Jones is a real find. Goyer may have a muddled plot, a disease-of-the-week social structure and a loud soundtrack but none of it hinders Jones and Leguizamo from creating a real buddy picture. Lyonne helps a lot in the 2nd half as well.

So, you have to give "ZigZag" an inch. It will be worth it, however.

Notes:

Snipes was in "Blade" and "Blade 2," also scripted by Goyer.

This is the third film called Zigzag since 1970.

Seen at SXSW 2002, where "Blade 2" also premiered.

Report Card Script: B- Acting: A+ Cinematography\Lighting: C+ Special Effects\Make Up: A Music: C- Final Grade: B-

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