It’s a distinct joy to find a filmmaker you enjoy and feel like you’re part of their growth journey from the beginning. That’s been the case for me with Marcellus Cox. I first became aware of him with Mickey Hardaway, and I was also able to watch and review his following short, Liquor Bank. Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is my third short by Cox, and I think I can speak to not just the progression, but the maturity of Cox as a filmmaker.
Shorts are a very difficult medium because you have to half-tell a story and half suggest it, so the viewer fills in the blanks. You have no choice, after all. Time is not on your side. Cox was already very good at this the first time I watched one of his shorts, but with Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes it feels like he’s unlocked a new level and managed to deliver both an emotionally gripping story and a very powerful message.
Loosely inspired by the true story of Lamont Taylor, a baseball prospect whose life was cut tragically short, Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is about one particular teen, but also about the reality of a world that makes this story about one young Black man the story of way too many young Black men. But even within the tragedy, there’s hope. There’s mentorship. There’s a chance to make a difference.
That’s, in many ways, where the short really succeeds. Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes might be based on the story of a violent act, but it’s about more than the violence that happens to this young man. Instead, the short is about youth and about the way forward, even when it feels like there isn’t.
A particular highlight of the short film is the dynamic between Jamarcus (Duane Ervin) and Jasper (Stephen Cofield Jr.). The story hits hard because the two deliver authentic, grounded performances that make us feel invested in who Jamarcus is and who he can be. That makes the rest of the tale hit much harder.
In the end, the message of Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes feels awfully familiar, and yet Cox’s way of telling the story gives it a particular gravitas. Sometimes entertainment is the best way to learn some lessons. Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes is less about the lesson and more about the story, which is perhaps why the lesson lands so well.
And, if you’re left with a deep desire to do better, not just for yourself but for those who will carry on after you, then the short will have done what it set out to do.
Will you be watching Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes?
