Strange Fruit

"Strange Fruit" certainly occupies a lonely niche on the video shelves - a gay drama with an African American cast and themes. For that alone, it was worth a look-see. Centering around the lynching murder of a gay black man in a small New Orleans parish, the tone teeters between realistic and over-the-top at times. Perhaps it is the 'momma' who seems to be way too young (topped by an ineffective gray wig - wasn't there an actress of age willing to take the role?) or maybe it is the 'moustache twirling' sheriff that unbalances "Fruit", but the film's reality suffers none-the-less. The acting is pretty good, with a background love story (for those who don't care for crime drama). My major problem with "Fruit" is that it seems overly long at nearly two hours and could have been streamlined a bit. On their indy budget, sound suffered the most and the editing is static and doesn't help move the film a long one iota.