Summary

Review: Let’s be clear, New Moon is for a very specific audience. If you are out of high school, a person of color, don’t have teen daughters, a feminist, or a heterosexual male, New Moon will probably disappoint. But, does the film perfectly appeal to its audience? Yes! Is it a good movie? No!

Twilight is a media phenomenon.  No amount of bad reviews will taint the tons of success this movie will achieve at the box office.  On the other hand, I am sure when most of the Twilight fans grow out of adolescence, they will say, “Oh my God — this movie was terrible!”

The first Twilight was directed by Catherine Hardwicke but this time around we have Chris Weitz, who is known for movies like The Golden Compass. While the original is no work of genius, Hardwicke did manage to inject some John Hughes-like realism in a teenage vampire flick. Weitz, who I am sure had the best intentions, seemed more concerned with Hollywood polish and shirtless boys than a solid film that might even appeal to those who weren’t Twilight fanatics.

Filled with plot holes and bad script patch-up jobs, the plot of New Moon isn’t the most troublesome. What gives the flick a stake through the heart is the tacky melodrama with lines like, “You give me everything just by breathing.” Or this gem: “You’re just warm. You’re like your own sun.” Even the teen girls next to me giggled at that one. Consistently cheap dialogue dumb the movie down to something that would be brilliant for a 14-year-old’s diary entry, but not a full script.

Even worse are the one-note performances form the leads, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Their version of acting consists of squinted eyes, long stares and monotone monologues. According to the tabloids, these two are a couple, but they must have saved the chemistry for offscreen.  The Moviefone guy has more personality than these yawners.

There are some comical and needed performances from their teen friends, who lighten a film that takes itself too seriously. Then there is Taylor Lautner, who is half-naked most of the time and might be a good actor, but the focus is more on his abs than his character. Oh, there is a cameo from the always sensational Dakota Fanning, but she is gone right when you start to enjoy her.

At an unnecessary two hours and ten minutes, there is too much to find wrong with New Moon. Some necessary trimming and a little less sap might have resulted in a fun movie. But, what do I know – this is the same audience who appeals to Miley Cyrus.

New Moon is in theaters today.

Summary

Review: For those who are not familiar with Pedro Almodovar, the director of Broken Embraces, he is as important as Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee (Almodovar’s films dates back further than Tarantino and Lee). Movies like All About My Mother and Bad Education are legendary for their quirky styles, immaculate acting and decadent story lines. Almodovar’s films are like unwrapping a gift within a gift, the audience never knows what to expect, and the actual gift rarely disappoints.

Unfortunately, Almodovar’s most mainstream film to date, Broken Embraces, loses its way with a heap of disposable characters and knot-filled plots: a sickly father, a gay son, a drugged-out teen, an aspiring actress, an obsessed lover, disability, “who’s the baby’s daddy?” and more.  Sure, Almodovar’s movies have always required a certain amount of work to follow, but Broken Embraces has too many broken holes to thoroughly enjoy the core premise, which is quite typical — a jealous husband gets revenge on his youthful wife after she finds a younger and sexier man. You could get that storyline any afternoon on Lifetime Television.

Luckily, Broken Embraces is filled with compensatory qualities. Almodovar’s wit, sarcasm and morbid sense of humor are irresistible. The off-the-wall dialogue is redeeming when you are not exactly sure where the movie is headed. Furthermore, the actors jump right into the campy but classy roles, delivering performances that are award-worthy. Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, who is on her fourth Almodovar flick, has no remains of her other characters in All About My Mother or Volver. Cruz is radiant on the screen, perfectly playing up Almodovar’s ode to films of the 1940s and 1950s.

Stylistically, Broken Embraces is beautiful, which is no shocker considering the movie is his biggest budget to date and Almodovar’s taste level is impeccable. Nonetheless, what is most disappointing about Broken Embraces is the ho-hum ending. Almodovar is known for edgy and unexpected twists, right when you think he will pull it together, you are left with the common and ordinary.

Like Tarantino and Lee, when filmmakers who were once-upon-a-time risqué achieve too much success, the art takes a blow. Can a filmmaker, musician, or actor continue to be raw and edgy when they are critically acclaimed and earning millions? In no ways is Broken Embraces a bad film, but it certainly ranks low on his list of brilliant pieces of art. That said, Almodovar at his worst is still genius.

Broken Embraces is in theaters Friday, November 20.

Summary

Review: I had no idea 2012 included an all-star cast: Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Newton, Glover and Ejiofor are missing from the trailers and seem to be doing no press.  I thought John Cusack was the only headliner.

It’s clear, 2012 is no Independence Day or The Day After Tomorrow, two films that were directed by Roland Emmerich, who also directed this film. 2012 is another tale of global destruction that we have all witnessed before, but this time it’s padded with Sony PSP-like special effects, not-even-bad-enough-to-be-camp dialogue and a nap-inducing running time of 158 minutes.  2012 is a gargantuan mess.

The Bad  -  2012’s desire to inject poorly written emotionality into a typical disaster flick is the mostly costly error. There are too many random characters for you to care: a scientist, a jazz musician, the president, a novelist, a radio host, a rich Russian and the list goes on. Their high school drama monologues matched with fantastical scenarios detonates the possibility of a fun popcorn flick. With each minute, 2012’s script crumbles right at the core.

The Almost Good  -  There are some suspensions of disbelief that you must take in a disaster movie. Characters always have perfect timing — in 2012 they expertly dodge falling buildings, escape the ground vanishing beneath them and learn how to fly a plane as easily as riding a bike. Regardless, there are some suspenseful scenes and the film succeeds when it focuses solely on the action. It’s a hoot to watch the Eiffel Tower, Washington Monument and Vatican City get destroyed (New York was left alone this time around!). In moments, there is a decent plot under the rubble of melodrama — 2012 just never quite gets to it.

2012 is in theaters this Friday, November 13th.

Summary

Review: Believe the hype, Lee Daniels‘ Precious: Based on the Novel By Sapphire is everything you expect it to be, and more. While Daniels has already proved himself as a visionary and edgy director and producer with films like Shadowboxer and The Woodsman, the Philadelphia native has topped himself in what is clearly the best film of the year thus far — the best in acting, directing and writing. From the first type on the screen to the closing credits, Daniels and everyone involved managed to take a classic novel that one would think is impossible for the big screen and paint a prolific portrait that will go down as one of the great films in American cinema.

Precious breaks you open and digs right down into your spirit. No matter who you are, we all have tinges of Precious in our lives. As extreme as the story is, it’s real, tangible and deeply vivid. Lee Daniels’ talents are so monumental that you can almost smell the funk of Precious’ home and touch the sweat on her pained face. It’s a movie that took me a solid 24 hours to recover from.

Gabourey Sidibe stars as Precious, in a debut performance that is comparable to Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls.  Sidibe, who is actually 26 years old, engulfed herself in Precious with taste, ease and vigor.

Mariah Carey plays a social worker and uppercuts anyone who thinks she has no acting chops. She holds her own on the screen with actors who were acting like Mariah hits those mega notes. The movie also included legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz and Robin Thicke’s wife Paula Patton. In addition, there are a slew of newcomers whose lives will change after being in such an excellent film.

But, it is the acting from Baltimore native Mo’Nique that will annihilate every viewer of Precious. Mo’Nique performed like it was the last second of her life as Precious’ mother, Mary. Not a trace of Mo’Nique, the “skinny bitches are evil” diva was on the screen. She was revolting, terrifying and absolutely grueling.  Daniels, who is known to grind audiences with uncomfortable but important scenes (think the graphic sex scene in Monster’s Ball), let Mo’Nique go further than probably any director would let her go. Mo’Nique was a life force on celluloid. Even if Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn all came back from the dead — they could not pull that Oscar out of Mo’Nique’s hands.

Unless something earth-shattering is coming down the pike within the next two months, Precious is most definitely the best movie of the year. Reserve your tickets now. If movies can changes lives, this one will change yours.

Precious is in theaters this Friday, November 6th.

Summary

Review: Anyone who has been effected by light versus dark skin will be floored at Skin, based on a true story. Once upon a time, race was a legal system and for Sandra Laing, who was born to white parents (blood tests proved the Laings were her biological parents),  she looked like a light-skinned black girl. Tucked away in a rural area, Sandra is shocked when she attends school and her Blackness is made obvious by hateful classmates, even though she cries, “I am not black!” Lines like this echo classics like Imitation of Life and Pinky.

For legal reasons, Laing’s race goes from White to colored to White to back to colored. Laing’s parents love her but are clearly disgusted by her Blackness, especially her father. In one scene her father ecstatically shouts, “She’s white again! She’s white again!” Still not satisfied, Sandra attempts to lighten and bleach her skin. Scenes like these are painful to watch, which might be an experience specific to African-Americans, but Skin goes so deep, bringing up our global roots that we sometimes like to ignore.

Skin is directed by Anthony Fabian, which is his first feature length. While the movie unravels typically, its delivery is satisfying and keeps the audience intrigued. But, it is the shock factor of Laing’s story that keeps your jaw to the floor: The physical abuse from her parents, the cruelty of the court system, violence from educators and even how Black Africans turn their back on Laing. Laing lived a painful, rejected and lonely life. Sadly, according to published reports, Laing’s two other brothers refuse to speak to her to this day.

Sandra Laing is played by the consistently superb Sophie Okonedo. Her performance is extremely subtle, head bowed and talking softly, which at times feels sluggish. Okonedo never gets the epic monologue or climactic emotional moment that is so important for dramatic tearjerkers. However, in watching footage of the real-life Sandra Laing, she seems to be a quiet spirit, very close to what Okonedo portrayed. Therefore, Okonedo did her job.

All of the other performances are just as solid. Alice Krige and Sam Neill easily capture the parents who are loving, but delusional racists. Laing’s love interest is Tony Kgoroge, who has a commanding presence and I can only hope we will see more of him.

Towards the end, Skin loses some of its color, but the movie remains as a powerful and untold story about race.

On another note, Sandra’s father took a blood test to prove he was indeed her father. Her “Blackness” was regarded as a “genetic abnormality,” however, some scholars contend that blood tests were not scientifically reliable measurements of paternity. It was 1955, and DNA tests were unimaginable.  Although Laing’s parents are both deceased, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a DNA test done today if Mr. Laing would still be her father. I have never heard of a “genetic abnormality” creating a child who looks distinctly Black – Maury Povich would probably say, “You are not the father!”

Skin is in select theaters now.

Summary

Review: There is no doubt that Michael Jackson is a genius, but some have doubted if he is human or at least treated him like he wasn’t.  Michael Jackson’s This Is It flawlessly highlights his talents, but it also humanizes him in a way that the public has never seen. He was humble, kind, intelligent and had a sense of humor. Unfortunately, Jackson was so crucified by the media that he probably didn’t feel comfortable showing this candid side. Thankfully, fans, lovers of music, lovers of dance and those who appreciate humanity, have this documentary.  The tag line for the doc is “Like you’ve never seen him before.” In most cases that would be media hype, but in this case, it’s the absolute truth.

At this point, we all give any Michael Jackson project the side-eye, wondering if another person is trying to capitalize off the King of Pop’s name. However, in this case, not enough praise can be given to the creators of This Is It, especially the director and MJ’s choreographer, Kenny Ortega. This Is It clearly comes from a pure place and honors Jackson’s legacy like no other project since his death.

This Is It includes most of Jackson’s hit songs like “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” “I’ll Be There” and  “Beat It.” The viewer gets an intimate look at Jackson’s rehearsal style, his quest for perfection and gifted attention to microscopic detail.  Jackson operated from feeling and passion, at one point, when he is standing in one space after a musical number he says, “We’re sizzling,” to the crew that waits for him to move. Or, while arranging the music, he walks the musical director through the tempo and explains, “You gotta let it simmer” versus jumping right in to the beat.  It’s truly fascinating to watch and makes you want to study so you can somehow factor these skills into your own life.  It would be similar to viewing footage of Beethoven composing a musical number or Picasso painting a portrait. This glimpse into MJ’s genius is awe-inspiring.

With all the rumors, there were some doubts if Michael could still perform and sing like his fans would expect. This Is It clearly shows Michael still had it.  The dancing was incredible with his movements like water.  Personally, I was amazed at MJ’s vocals.  At 50 years old his voice was in stellar shape. To hear him hit those nearly 30-year-old notes (no key change!) in “Human Nature,” do improvisations on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” or doing vocal warm-ups was riveting.

Most importantly, in Michael Jackson’s This Is It, you don’t see death, just life.  There is no sadness or tears; you walk out with a smile on your face, feeling loved and more human. Forget the controversies, scandals and drama. This Is It is truly who Michael Jackson was — his music. It’s a film that you don’t want to end.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It opens toay and is only in theaters for two weeks.

Summary

Review: Who can expect something worthy of good reviews after the sixth installment?  Saw is the Friday The 13th or Nightmare On Elm Street of this generation: plots are secondary, strong acting is unnecessary and the creators are more interested in cashing in on the franchise.

Well, this time around the writers of Saw watched too many Michael Moore movies. The victims are all folks who are involved in predatory lending and denying health care. Yep, Jigsaw is a health care advocate — in his own gruesome way. For some viewers, this might be a cute little twist, for others it will be Saw taking itself way too seriously. Whatever the case, this injection of social commentary is about as much storyline as you will get in Saw VI.

On the gore level, it’s just as gruesome as the rest. However, unlike the first two Saws, it’s purely for shock value and completely irrelevant to the story.  Random people pop up like janitors, secretaries and detectives, their scenes are so quick you forget their names and why they are forced to play Jigsaw’s game. There is no investment in the disposable and underdeveloped characters.

On the other hand, the traps are interesting. It’s clear the creators are focused more on intricate traps than a movie that would keep your attention. This lack of intellect and creativity is perplexing, considering the first two Saws are horror classics with clever twists. Do writers and producers purposely give up when there are too many sequels?  I’m assuming the creators of Saw walked into the movie saying, “We are going to make a stupid movie and everyone will watch it because it’s Halloween!” Talk about being duped.

Saw VI is in theaters now.

Summary

Review: Like many action-revenge movies, Law Abiding Citizen starts strong. The intro scene is always graphic. There is a trigger for why he must take the law into his own hands and before you know it, he is Superman.

Of course, someone who takes the law into his own hands is no original plot. But, in pop movies like these I am not expecting fresh ideas and groundbreaking material. Give me some solid acting, hardcore action and most importantly, a respectably believable plot line and I’m happy. Law Abiding Citizen failed on the believable part, which unfortunately ruined a potentially enjoyable movie.

The director F. Gary Gray is clearly one of the most gifted directors of this generation. I can only assume he started with a messy script and tried his best to make it work. The implausible, like Butler’s character’s laughable demands and epic revenge sequences with no explanations, leave you with a “Huh?” rather than a “Wow!” The man seeking revenge might have been more believable if he was a psychic with X-Men gifts or a god sitting in jail, magically having the power to create chaos behind bars.

The action is good, but the scenarios are so outlandish that it’s hard to enjoy the big explosions. Butler as the family man-turned-psycho is a treat to watch.  Jamie Foxx effectively slips right into his role of the heartless lawyer. Viola Davis, who plays the Mayor of Philadelphia, doesn’t appear until an hour into the movie — you could basically describe her role as a cameo, which was a disappointment. Actually, what might’ve saved the movie is if Viola Davis was the one who was wronged by the justice system and seeking revenge. Ms. Viola could read the back of a Listerine bottle and make it award-worthy!

Law Abiding Citizen is in theaters now.

Review

Summary: Bronson is all about style and flawless acting rather than a completely enjoyable movie. Tom Hardy, who plays Bronson, gives a disgustingly excellent performance with monologues, various costumes and musical numbers. He manages to take us into the world of Michael Peterson/Charles Bronson, who is creative, campy and crazy, but there is no explanation for his psychosis. The movie shows no childhood abuse and no reason for his obsession with being a career criminal. One can only assume there is no reason – this is just how Bronson was born. Nonetheless, Hardy cleverly manages to give the unsympathetic character a spirit.

The director, Nicholas Winding Refn, delivers the movie with incredible color, style and polish. Any film guru or even student of film would have to admire Refn’s cinematography and eye for making the unnatural work. That said, the glamour was almost distracting in a movie that is about such an outrageous person. I needed a little more grit and grime than glowing perfection. Hardy’s vulgar performance is not complimented by Refn’s decorative filmmaking style. The movie might have been more effective if it followed a standard biopic tale versus something that played like an off-off-off Broadway musical.

Whatever the case, even with its flaws Bronson is still a good movie. Not sure if I would recommend it, but you may hear the film’s name this awards season.

Bronson is playing in select theaters now.

Summary

Review: There have been several spoofs on the over-the-top era of Black exploitation films of the 1970s (one might say Black exploitation films were spoofs themselves). But, director Scott Sanders and co-writer Michael Jai White perfect the urban camp genre in a film that will easily go down as classic in the way of 1988’s I’m Gonna Git You Sucka or 1999’s Jackie’s Back. Black Dynamite is deliciously packed with jive talk, big Afros, sticking it to the man and lines like, “Shake the scene you turkeys!”

Michael Jai White, who is one of the most underrated actors of this generation, plays Black Dynamite. His performance as the smooth talking, always-lands-a-Kung-Fu-kick-and-never-gets-hit-by-a-bullet hero seems like he was time warped right from 1972. Everything from his look, walk and talk personified the big Black hero who overthrows “The Man,” but still keeps his Afro even on each side while doing it.

On paper, Black Dynamite couldn’t have been the most interesting. I couldn’t imagine an actor reading lines that say, “This is where we stick it to The Man — The Honky House!” and think it was brilliant comedy. Therefore, lines like these are all about the delivery and a clear vision. Sanders and the gifted comedians (Arsenio Hall, Kym Whitley, Tommy Davidson, and Nicole Sullivan) deserve incredible accolades for nailing a film that could’ve clearly been a dud.

Black Dynamite is at its best when it overflows with camp and raunch. Names like Honeybee and hang out spots like Rosco’s Chili and Donuts, make the trashy film enjoyable from the opening scene to the rolling credits. Furthermore, even if you’ve never seen a Black exploitation film you will be thoroughly entertained by “DY-NO-MITE! DY-NO-MITE!”

Black Dynamite is in theaters today.