Boobie Tassels For Buddha

Street Fight (2005)
Starring Corey Booker and Sharpe James
Directed by Marshall Curry

I'll start by saying I'm a huge Documentary nerd. When I have free time to watch a movie, my vote is always for a documentary. The drama of real life generally is just a lot more interesting than anything that can be thought up. This movie is easily in my top five.
Corey Booker is a young democrat trying to challenge Sharpe James for the position of Mayor in Newark, a largely African American city in New Jersey. It's an uphill battle as James has been mayor for over 20 years, and the people seem to love him. As the story unfolds, you come to realize that there's more fear than love. Fear of the unknown mostly. Everyone seems to know that Sharpe is a thief, liar and thug, but he's the devil you know.
A lot of the movie ends up being racial politics, as Booker is an educated lighter skinned black man, who really seems to care about the people and the poverty of Newark. James uses this to attack him. sending out literature calling him white, or jewish, or just using his education to claim that he knows nothing of the struggle the people of the city face. Never bringing up that his parents were part of the civil rights movement and fought so their son wouldn't have to struggle. Meanwhile James, who in his defense did grow up in poverty, has lived in a mansion for years, and used taxpayer money to his own benefit over and over again. James is most definitely the villain, but even so steals the show, turning every negative into a positive for his own campaign.
You see Booker struggle with smear campaigns, but Sharpe James doesn't have that problem. he will lie, steal, and even use city resources to make sure he keeps his position as mayor, at one point using the police to intimidate store owners with Booker signs in their windows, to tear down signs put up in public places, and attack camera men who get too close to the mayor.

I'd say this movie is a must see, and I won't give away the ending, but if you're into politics you'll know that Sharpe James faced several Federal charges, and this movie was part of the reason.

If you have netflix Street Fight is on instant watch, if not I'd suggest you track it down. definitely worth the time.

~Quantum