Robert Townsend's "B.A.P.S". is a purported comedy about two best girlfriends from Decatur, Ga., who follow their dreams and end up heading for the twinkling Hills of Beverly.
While some may find the term, "B.A.P". -- an acronym for Black American Princess -- offensive, that's nothing compared with the film itself.
Awkwardly written (by co-star Troy Beyer) and directed (by Townsend), this unfunny production has all the substance and half the laughs of a five-minute sketch.
Halle Berry, determined to shake up her glamorous image, and newcomer Natalie Desselle play the title characters, Nisi and Mickey, respectively. Armed with extreme hair, milelong press-on nails and gold-capped teeth, these "Homegirls in Outer Space" cash in their life savings for two plane tickets to Los Angeles, where there's a talent search for a new Heavy D video that pays $10,000 to the winner.
Hoping to use that money to open the world's first soul-food restaurant/hair salon, Nisi and Mickey instead find themselves in a swank Beverly Hills manse as guests of the nephew (Jonathan Fried) of the kindly but terminally ill Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau). Nisi is hired to pose as the granddaughter of the forbidden, long-lost love of the elder Blakemore's life -- Lily the housekeeper.
Of course, not everything is what it seems to be, but by the time the girls realize they were pawns in a sinister scheme to take control of the Blakemore fortune, they have become better, spiritually enriched human beings.
Missing comic opportunities by the barrelful, "B.A.P.S". actually generates a few snickers. Unfortunately, that happens once Townsend and Beyer have abruptly switched gears at the halfway mark, turning the picture into an unbelievably maudlin heap of mush. The resulting giggles are purely unintentional.
Berry is willing enough to go there, but her comic chops remain untested by the lame material. The usually effective Landau also appears out of sorts. Only Ian Richardson manages to mine the most from his role as Manley, the sullen butler. Those unfortunate enough to agree to cameos include Dennis Rodman, LL Cool J, Downtown Julie Brown and Heavy D.
On the other side of the camera, those who truly deliver are costume designer Ruth Carter ("Malcolm X") and hair consultant Kimberly Kimble, whose wild assortment of fashion fiascoes and hair-don'ts (Kimble's award-winning helicopter 'do is particularly impressive) are responsible for generating the few laughs to be found.
B.A.P.S.
New Line
An Island Pictures production
A Robert Townsend film
Director Robert Townsend
Screenwriter Troy Beyer
Producers Mark Burg, Loretha Jones
Executive producers Michael De Luca, Jay Stern
Director of photography Bill Dill
Production designer Keith Brian Burns
Editor Patrick Kennedy
Costume designer Ruth Carter
Music Stanley Clarke
Casting Valerie McCaffrey
Color/stereo
Cast:
Nisi Halle Berry
Mr. Blakemore Martin Landau
Mickey Natalie Desselle
Manley Ian Richardson
Isaac Jonathan Fried
Tracy Troy Beyer
Antonio Luigi Amodeo
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
While some may find the term, "B.A.P". -- an acronym for Black American Princess -- offensive, that's nothing compared with the film itself.
Awkwardly written (by co-star Troy Beyer) and directed (by Townsend), this unfunny production has all the substance and half the laughs of a five-minute sketch.
Halle Berry, determined to shake up her glamorous image, and newcomer Natalie Desselle play the title characters, Nisi and Mickey, respectively. Armed with extreme hair, milelong press-on nails and gold-capped teeth, these "Homegirls in Outer Space" cash in their life savings for two plane tickets to Los Angeles, where there's a talent search for a new Heavy D video that pays $10,000 to the winner.
Hoping to use that money to open the world's first soul-food restaurant/hair salon, Nisi and Mickey instead find themselves in a swank Beverly Hills manse as guests of the nephew (Jonathan Fried) of the kindly but terminally ill Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau). Nisi is hired to pose as the granddaughter of the forbidden, long-lost love of the elder Blakemore's life -- Lily the housekeeper.
Of course, not everything is what it seems to be, but by the time the girls realize they were pawns in a sinister scheme to take control of the Blakemore fortune, they have become better, spiritually enriched human beings.
Missing comic opportunities by the barrelful, "B.A.P.S". actually generates a few snickers. Unfortunately, that happens once Townsend and Beyer have abruptly switched gears at the halfway mark, turning the picture into an unbelievably maudlin heap of mush. The resulting giggles are purely unintentional.
Berry is willing enough to go there, but her comic chops remain untested by the lame material. The usually effective Landau also appears out of sorts. Only Ian Richardson manages to mine the most from his role as Manley, the sullen butler. Those unfortunate enough to agree to cameos include Dennis Rodman, LL Cool J, Downtown Julie Brown and Heavy D.
On the other side of the camera, those who truly deliver are costume designer Ruth Carter ("Malcolm X") and hair consultant Kimberly Kimble, whose wild assortment of fashion fiascoes and hair-don'ts (Kimble's award-winning helicopter 'do is particularly impressive) are responsible for generating the few laughs to be found.
B.A.P.S.
New Line
An Island Pictures production
A Robert Townsend film
Director Robert Townsend
Screenwriter Troy Beyer
Producers Mark Burg, Loretha Jones
Executive producers Michael De Luca, Jay Stern
Director of photography Bill Dill
Production designer Keith Brian Burns
Editor Patrick Kennedy
Costume designer Ruth Carter
Music Stanley Clarke
Casting Valerie McCaffrey
Color/stereo
Cast:
Nisi Halle Berry
Mr. Blakemore Martin Landau
Mickey Natalie Desselle
Manley Ian Richardson
Isaac Jonathan Fried
Tracy Troy Beyer
Antonio Luigi Amodeo
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 3/31/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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