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chalk
Richmond, California, 1993. In a small
island of run-down buildings behind the shipyards stands the Crabtree pool
hall, which seems to defy the industrial transformations of the area. Years
ago, a 60-year-old black man named Watson, an ex-GI in Korea, was a pool
hustler, but, worn down by heroine abuse, he has left the playing to his
sons, Jones and TC, Watson's adopted Chinese-American son. TC is a
pool-playing prodigy who holds court at the Crabtree ‹ Jones hustles and TC
plays. They limit themselves to taking down marks. Everyone knows TC doesn't
have the nerve to take on real competition. TC's white girlfriend, Lois, is
the only source of order in a pool hall constantly disrupted by the
internecine quarrels of father and sons. She manages the place and keeps
Watson's dubious finances from total collapse. Full of energy and ideas, she
encourages TC to broaden his horizons beyond this little smoky room,
forgotten by time and neglected by fortune. The status quo is threatened
when Jones sets up a high-stakes match between TC and Dorian James, a ranked
tournament player with a shady background in Asian gangs. But that's when
the family learns that Watson is terminally ill...
Chalk is an authentic low-budget ³indie²
production in the American tradition established by Cassavetes, using
professional actors and marginalized non-professionals: the improvisatory
work and the story material based on the personal experiences of the players
furnished the core of this political film which goes against the grain of
mainstream film aesthetics.
Director:
Rob Nilsson
Screenwriter: Don Bajema et Rob Nilsson
Music: Tim Alexander
Production: Tenderloin Action Group (San Francisco)
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