If DeNiro and Scorcese had done Clockers as originally planned, it wouldn't have been half the movie that Lee made.

I disagree with a lot of your feelings which is just the nature of the film. It's subjective. I thought the plot was convoluted and silly. The dramatic moments were funnier than the silly moments. John Turturro was horribly miscast as Monica Bellucci's father. They look like brother and sister.

Like most directors, I think Spike has fallen off in his later years. I love his early stuff but I think he'd be better off taking scripts from other writers (like he did with Clockers and Get on the bus) and adding his spin to them.