Change Your Image
bjorkpluto
Reviews
Something New (2006)
Spoilers: Something New is Something Special
Something New shatters a racial and social taboo and that's a romance between a black woman and a white man. We are used to seeing the reverse and this movie is powerful. It was disappointing that the box office for this wonderful film wasn't great. I honestly believe Focus Features didn't market this movie well because they were too involved with another film. However, I hear the DVD sales are very good for tbis movie. Due to the cast of "Something New" being on Oprah America will fall in love with this movie. Its a truly wonderful film because so often in society the black woman is invisible. Here we have a beautiful black woman being desired by an intelligent, smart, and sexy white guy. This movie dares to show that yes some white men do love black women. This movie had upset some black men but they do not see this movie clearly. This movie is about love its about black women not waiting around anymore. 1 out of 10 black men in America are married to white women that's a big number. Black women are waking up and for good reason 42.4% of black women never marry and its because these black women are waiting. And this movie Something New is telling black women don't wait for love. If the good man comes along and he is good, respects you, and just happens to be of another race, give the man a chance. We only live once might as well make the best of it. This is a wonderful movie about finding love when you least expect it. Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker have amazing chemistry. Unlike other interracial movies this moves beyond the fluff and goes under the surface. The movie discusses cultural, social and gender issues. I was impressed that topics such as the "black tax", hair weave. The movie also explored another battle interrracial couples endure and that's dealing with external envrionment such as society. I believe that if an interracial couple is strong and doesn't allow other people to tell them what to do they can thrive. However, we learn during a very powerful supermarket scene that Kenya and Brian had been avoiding the race topic. Some may say we shouldn't talk about race but its a factor in our lives and its real. When Kenya complains about a white client being one of the "boys at the plantation" Brian responds "can we not talk about race for one night." Its a great scene because Brian doesn't understand what it means to be black and he thinks maybe Kenya is overreacting. Yet Kenya feels Brian is trying to ignore race and Kenya also believes she shouldn't have to censor herself about the realities of her life. The movie is predictable but its enjoyable. My only complaint is I wanted to know more about Brian's family and he was a bit too perfect which was kind of bad in the writing I feel. Brian needed a flaw and I think make him more real. Hopefully the next interacial movie between a black woman and a white man gets more press and more box office. If its as good as Something New it just might happen.
The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
The movie wasn't deep enough: SPOILERS
I give this movie a 6 out of 10. I thought that Gretchen Mol was a good choice for Page and she played her well. However, I don't like how Mary Haron and Guinevere Turner made Page out to be an idiot. I find it hard to believe Page was so incredibly naive. Page seemed oblivious to ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. The movie in the beginning alludes to Betty getting raped by her father as a child. However, I think the writers did not peel beneath the surface enough. Then they show Betty about to get gang raped. Again, not saying we needed to see the rape. However, we NEEDED to know how Betty felt a about that traumatic EXPERIENCE. This is my complaint there wasn't e enough TRUTH shown in the film. And the scene with the black photographer was he Betty's lover? Who was he? The movie didn't SHOW ME ENOUGH. I want to SEE the movie and I felt like I was being TOLD. The movie seemed to PUSH the image and message that Betty Page is a nice sweet Southern Girl that got into taking nude photos/pornography and making S&M films. We know Page is not a bad person. However, the filmmakers seemed too TIMID to me, they held back and that HURT THE FILM.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Brokeback Mountain Is A Good Movie But Not Great
For all of the hype for Brokeback Mountain I was surprised at the misogyny of the director Ang Lee. It seems to me Focus Features, Lee and the main actors are trying to make this movie something it is not. I am glad some posts have called the film lame in the aspect of the intimacy. I was surprised the lack of physical intimacy between Ledger and Gyllenhaal. How is it groundbreaking that in the third act of the film..the viewer still doesn't sense that Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are in love? Why is Lee cloaking the same sex intimacy in the film? If the film is supposed to be groundbreaking shouldn't there be more showing and less implying?
The performances were great though all around. I was most impressed with Anne Hathaway even though Michelle Williams of course was amazing as well. However, Lee did not explain enough by SHOWING the viewer why Lureen and Jack's marriage broke down? I understand that Jack and Lureen's marriage was the more secondary marriage...but there wasn't enough background information into their relationship..that's my main problem with the movie. The middle of the film was boring and it dragged a bit...There wasn't enough EXPLAINING and SHOWING the viewers or building up to the conflicts that are dealt head on in the third act of the movie after Ennis divorce.
This is the third movie I have seen of Lee where a young actress must show her breasts. There was absolutely no reason why Anne Hathaway had to expose herself in this film. I thought this movie was supposed to be about homosexuals? So why is there more sex scenes between Ledger and Williams and Gyllenhaal and Hathaway? And why was Michelle Williams also exposed? Seems like Lee just likes to see young actresses naked or something. Some male directors are so sexist its disgusting. The film overall gets a 6.5 out of 10. The critics are seriously delusional here. The middle of the movie..should of EXPLAINED MORE...SHOW MORE..TELL MORE...
Girlfriends (2000)
Girlfriends deserves more
As a black Canadian I am impressed with Girlfriends because in my country Canada there is virtually no representation of black women on television. Hell, there is no representation of black people period on Canadian television unless it is some stereotypical crap. I was surprised when I found out that a white man Kelsey Grammar from Frasier fame was one of the executive producers behind this show. I am impressed that this show is NOT typecast! Some people that compare this show to Sex and the City got it all wrong. In fact, Girlfriends is much better because it is more realistic and more real. Girlfriends taps into the life I know about successful hardworking black women and one of the things I love about this show is that it does not hide away from race issues. One of the things I don't like about certain current sitcoms on television is that they try to hard to not be "real". And this show is very real. I do wish that Girlfriends got the RESPECT that it deserves. It just shows how racist America is though that this AMAZING show is only on UPN because its probably the only American network to give a show like this a CHANCE. Girlfriends should be getting A LOT MORE PRESS. Why haven't any of the actressses on girlfriends been nominated for an Emmy award or a Golden Globe award or a People's Choice Award? Is the rule that a show about black women doesn't mean it is critically acclaimed..This kind of thinking is unfair. I will continue to support this show because it is GROUNDBREAKING in a lot of ways...and I hope one day Girlfriends gets the PRESS it so richly DESERVES...
Night Stalker (2005)
A Good Show Needs Time To Develop (SPOLERS)
I will be the first to admit that the first episode was slow. I think it was slow because the writers had to provide context to the viewers yet they only had 44 minutes to do so. I don't understand these old people that complain..the show is not supposed to be like the original Night Stalker.They talk about how great the original was..yet it ONLY LASTED ONE SEASON. I am glad Stuart Townsend and Gabrielle Union are the leads..they have chemistry, they have the looks, they have the talent..and the show is good. Add in Eric Jugglman as Jain the photographer and you got three young good leads. Can the show get better? Absolutely..but I will not judge a show just from the FIRST EPISODE..it is IDIOTIC AND STUPID to judge something so quickly..and I'm not doing it. Personally, I am sick of these CSI crime shows, I like something that deals with the supernatural..some say the show is like X FILES...Its like so what? I like X FILES and I like this show so I'm going to watch it. For the people that don't like the show just change the channel and leave your bitching to yourselves..And the funny thing is the people that continue to bitch about Night Stalker are STILL WATCHING THE SHOW...So thank you for watching and helping with the ratings..
Max (2002)
The movie was excellent
Seems to me the Jewish political machine hurt the success of Max. I remember during the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2002 there was an uproar from the Jews that this movie somehow was trying to twist history. Of course that's BS...this movie is fictional..it was about Hitler as a young man in 1918 after WWI...This movie wasn't meant to be literal..it was simply asking a question of "what if?" I wonder if people know John Cusack didn't even have a SALARY for this movie..that's right he forfeited his salary because he really wanted this movie to be made...I have to say this is one of John's BETTER performances...Here he plays a young shrewd womanizer that has a German mistress played by Leelee Sobieski and his wife is played by the amazing Molly Parker...The cast shines and Noah Taylor as young Hitler was Oscar caliber...But due to the controversy of the nature of the movie it did not get the respect it deserves...I notice the movie is a Canadian/UK/Hungarian production and I can see how..The Americans are so wrapped up in their hypocrisy and paranoia that they wouldn't dare touch this movie...and the Jews...well we know how powerful the Jews are in Hollywood...now don't we....
Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
Excellent movie about Asian American men
I just say this indie movie "Better Luck Tomorrow" yes because I loved John Cho in Harold and Kumar. I also saw Kal Penn's earlier indie work movie "Where's The Party". It is fascinating that these two young Asian American male actors are very good indeed. In Cho's film "Better Luck Tomorrow" is about a group of young discontented Asian American youth. The central character is Parry Shen who plays Lin. Lin is a nice young Asian guy on his high school basketball team yet he rarely ever gets to play. This basketball scene to me seem to be sending the message that Asian American men are never shown to be masculine, or strong or to be part of the "in crowd". The basketball scene to me seems to be inferring that Lin is an outsider because he is Asian even though he is American as any of the other kids. Now the star of the movie played by Parry Shen has a crush on a girl that has a weird boyfriend played by John Cho named Steve. Steve despite his wealth and riches allows Parry's character to go on a date with his girlfriend. But Steve isn't being nice he is imposing the message to Lin that he is more of a man and he gets to have sex with the girl while Lin doesn't because he is viewed as a wimp. So, Parry's character and his friends Virgil and the others are tired of being viewed as stereotypes and they decide to rebel against the system and commit some petty crimes. I won't give anymore plot info. For all of the people that judge the director the movie only cost $250,000 to make which by Hollywood standards is very very low budget. Lin did an amazing job and this movie is long over due. Its nice to see that John Cho and Kal Penn progressed to Harold and Kumar a big screen movie about Asian American men which wasn't stereotypical. Although people like Jet Li and Jackie Chan are stars they do make millions of dollars in salary and at the box office they are not considered serious actors. John Cho and Kal Penn it seems to me they are both now leaders of a new Hollywood movement that details the experiences of young Asian American men. And I hope more excellent films will follow.
Where's the Party Yaar? (2003)
Excellent Movie
Wherre is the party yaar is an excellent independent film and it is a shame this movie wasn't widely distributed internationally. The film is first viewed as just another twentysomething comedy but is much more. Although I am not Indian the movie is about the young Indian American experience. Kalpen Modi (Harold and Kumar) shines as the cruel and evil Mohan. The guy that plays his cousin Hari is a FOB from Indian in search of education and happiness in Houston Texas. I like the fact the movie wasn't based in New York or Los Angeles so it didn't have that Hollywood gloss to it. The movie was just about how young Indian Americans negotiate between the public and private spheres the cultural conflicts between being Indians and being young Americans. The movie exposes this ludicrous caste system where some kids the Indian Americans think they are superior to Fresh Off the Boat kids. It shows that although they are the same race some kids want to act like as though they are better and somehow more "American" meaning not being less Indian. The movie exposes the viewer to the feelings of feeling like the "other" in Hari's case of a young attractive Indian man that just wants to fit in. While his cousin Mohan is disgusted by Hari and wants him to disappear. Although the ending is rather predictable I still recommend anyone to see this movie. This movie is very important because it is about the Indian American experience that Hollywood only now in the early part of the 21st century is finally capturing their experiences on film. I hope to see more good films like this about the diversity of America in the future.
We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004)
Good Acting But BAD script
I will give this movie a 6 out of 10 because the acting was very good. However, the script was very bad. The movie didn't explain why Edith was so unhappy or why Jack cheated on Terry or why Hank was such a creep. I really feel that flashbacks would of made the movie not only more interesting but also make more sense. The movie also failed in my eyes because I just didn't feel the movie moved fast enough. It was extremely SLOW PACED there wasn't ENOUGH CONFLICT OR URGENCY to the FILM. The movie was also VERY DEPRESSING AND VERY BORING.I also feel that Laura Dern and Naomi Watt's characters were not DEVELOPED enough. I thought it was RATHER SEXIST that these two attractive and intelligent women were JUST HOUSEWIVES. To me this just REEKED OF MISOGYNY. I think Naomi Watts character seemed like a VERY SMART WOMAN and it was VERY HARD FOR ME to believe she was JUST A HOUSEWIFE.
Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)
Halle and Michael Ealy were excellent!!!
Well, I can admit when I am wrong and I was wrong about Halle Berry's performance. Halle was incredible as the head strong Janie Crawford and Michael Ealy added some sexy sizzle to the drifter Tea Cake. I really was impressed with the chemistry Berry and Ealy had it seemed so real. Also, I loved the production from the beautiful Florida Everglades, to the rural Eatonville town. The clothing was great as well. I also must thank. Ms. Oprah Winfery for once again bringing the rich African American literature to the masses in America. Zora Neale Hurston must also be thanked for discussing the sexism, and the patriarchy that affected black women in the early 20th century. Zora's novel is not just an American classic people from all over the African Diaspora and the world thank Ms. Hurston for her work. She will never be forgotten.
Sólo mía (2001)
Excellent commentary on Spainsh gender and social culture
Paz Vega is just as famous as Penelope Cruz in Spain. Vega was excellent in the film Sex with Lucia and now she shines in Solo Mia. Solo Mia is excellent it shows the humiliation and the torture women experience due to domestic violence.Also, Solo Mia is very different from many Spainish films I have seen this movie is not about love or no latin lover this movie is about a cruel evil man Joquain played by Sergi Lopez that is insecure and hates his wife. Unlike typical North American movies on domestic violence Solo Mia goes BEYOND just showing Joquain beat his wife Angela once or twice this movie goes beneath your skin and SHOWS HOW HORRIBLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS. Also, when Angela goes to court to get Joquain charged she learns Spainsh women have NO RIGHTS IN TERMS OF PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM THEIR HUSBANDS. The movie also is a social commentary on Spainsh attitudes towards domestic violence but also about Spain's brtual sexism and misogyny against women. Paz Vega can now be seen in the Adam Sandler flick Spanglish but Vega is a true star already. I wish Vega great success in the future. I admire European cinema that doesn't sugar coat violence against women like North American films tend to do.
Mambo Italiano (2003)
Mambo Italiano is a real to a certain extent but...
Although I am not Italian I am from Canada. I find the subliminal messages in the movie to be racist, xenophobia, and extremely prejudiced. I didn't like it that Nino and Angelo did not get back together. If anything I think this movie proves the stereotype that Italian men that are gay got to get married in order to please their heterosexist families. The movie does talk about the importance of family and the way in which homophobia can destroy a person's identity and life. Angelo definitely seemed to have the courage to fight the homophobia in his family but Nino did not. I believe that aspect is probably realistic not everyone can have that perfect "coming out" experience. Nino's character was real there are so many ethnic men whether they are Italian or Spanish or Jamaican or Caribbean or Asian or whatever that face so much pressure from their families that they have to marry a woman just to appease their families. I did NOT like that Angelo had to get with that white Anglo guy. I think THAT aspect is extremely RACIST. The reason being once again the white Anglo Saxon person is constructed as being more OPEN MINDED THAN ETHNIC PEOPLE. Why couldn't Angelo fall in love with another Italian man that was comfortable with his homosexuality? I think that would of been a fair balance. Also, I didn't like the ending. I don't care what people say but I didn't like that Nino married that horrible abhorrent loud mouth woman.
Out of Time (2003)
Sanaa Lathan steals the movie!!!!
Sanaa Lathan is sexy, sultry, and amazing in Out of Time. Sanaa had the most difficult character to play the femme fatal Ann Merai Harrison. The viewer has to love Ann because she is "suffering" from Cancer then we hate her for tricking Denzel's character. Sanaa definitely had a juicy role and she had to do several auditions just to get the role it wasn't handed to her. Sanaa clearly is a very talented African American actress and this movie proves she doesn't just want to play the good girl! Sanaa really shows in this movie that she wants to be a serious actress and advance beyond those stereotypical "black" romantic comedies.
Go Sanaa!!!
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Sanaa Lathan the next black female superstar
Sanaa Lathan was simply amazing in Alien Vs Predator. Finally, this young talented black actress got to be THE STAR. It is so refreshing because black women in Hollywood still get typecast and don't get to be the lead expect for Halle Berry. Also, AVP made over $38 million in one weekend while beating the total gross of Berry's bomb Catwoman. Sanaa Lathan was incredible, she was strong, beautiful, powerful, in control all at once. She fighting hard and trying her best. For all of the computer and science fiction geeks that expected a different movie too bad for you!!! I certainly don't watch a lot of science fiction movies but I was drawn to this movie because Sanaa a black actress was in the lead role. I am sure for other blacks they were drawn to this movie because of Sanaa as well.