Evolution: the process by which one grows and transforms into a more complete and mature individual. No, that’s not Webster’s definition, rather that’s my own interpretation of the word - and by my definition O’Shea Jackson has evolved. You might know Mr. Jackson by another name: Ice Cube. The one time “gangsta rapper,” and star of the seminal flick Boyz n the Hood has evolved into a kid-friendly box office draw. Who would think “Doughboy” would be coaching a little girl in Pop Warner Football? That’s just what he does in The Longshots, an inspiring movie based on the true story of a little girl with one helluva arm.
Cube (Are We There Yet?) is Curtis Plummer, an unemployed former high school football star who walks around the small town of Minden with a football in one hand and a beer in the other. When his brother’s ex asks him to baby-sit his niece Jasmine (Keke Palmer of Akeelah and the Bee) after school for a few hours each day, he can’t think of anything he’d hate more. The feeling is mutual, as Jasmine would rather be left to her own devices. She’s a shy girl who gets teased frequently, but finds solace in science fiction books. The first few times uncle and niece hang out are strained at best. Curtis has a warm heart underneath his gruff exterior, and Jasmine longs for a father figure to replace Curtis’ absentee brother – but they have to realize that they need each other. Eventually the two let their guards down, especially after Jasmine reluctantly begins to toss the pigskin around with her uncle. Curtis convinces her to try out for the school’s football team, after seeing that she’s a special talent. She’s a natural, easily outperforming the starting quarterback while leading the team to the Pop Warner Superbowl. Throughout the course of the movie Jasmine and Curtis’ relationship grows into one characterized by love and pride. She becomes more confident, and Curtis’ life takes on a new purpose. There’s also a good bit of info about the fundamentals of football, which helps the believability factor. The movie does a good job of illustrating how organized sports builds self-esteem and serves as a positive outlet for young people. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I recommend you take your kid or little brother/sister to check this movie out. It’s heartwarming without being totally corny. Sure, it’s a little cheesy – but most sports movie are, to some extent. Plus, the movie is based on a true story, so although a female quarterback may seem far-fetched – it can actually happen. The movie will put a smile on your face, so what more could you ask for?
This article first appeared on Poptimal and can be found at http://poptimal.com/2008/08/the-longshots-oshea-is-okay/ . The article was reprinted with permission.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona intrigued me for a few reasons. I looked forward to a new Woody Allen (Match Point) movie, plus I am a fan of Scarlett Johansson – his latest apparent muse. I also wanted to get a gander at Javier Bardem in a role that promised to be drastically different from his character in No Country for Old Men.
Vicky Cristina was a charming, sensual film that explored the complexities of matters of the heart, from the perspective of best friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall, The Prestige) and Cristina (Johansson, The Black Dahlia, Match Point). The pair visit Vicky’s relatives in Barcelona on an extended vacation, where they immerse themselves in local culture. Vicky is the more grounded, traditional type, whereas Cristina is a whimsical free-spirit who doesn’t conform to traditional societal norms. They have a good yin and yang friendship and an effortless camaraderie exists between them. Their days are spent drinking wine, admiring local architecture, and soaking up the arts. The backdrop was so enchanting I wished I could hop a plane to Spain myself.
Their trip takes an interesting turn when Cristina catches the eye of painter Juan Antonio, played by Bardem. Their attraction is instant, both of them exuding an obvious magnetism. Juan Antonio unabashedly asks Vicky and Cristina to spend the weekend with him, away from Barcelona in the city of Oviedo. Such a proposition is right up Cristina’s alley, but Vicky needs convincing, and only agrees so that she can keep an eye on Cristina. In Oviedo the groundwork is laid for a complicated relationship/friendship between the three of them. Juan Antonio’s romantic, frank overtures mesmerize Cristina and annoy Vicky, but a chance event turns the tables. Juan Antonio awakens heretofore undiscovered passions in Vicky, but his true connection is with Cristina. Sounds like I’m describing some kinky love triangle, right? Not exactly. The real trio to which the movie lends its romantic focus is Juan Antonio, Cristina, and get ready…his ex-wife Maria Elena, played by Penelope Cruz (Volver). Maria and Juan Antonio had a toxic relationship that ended less than amicably. I won’t reveal the details of how the three ended up sharing the same home, and bed – but suffice to say it’s the stuff of movies. In what world can a man shack up with two women and have them be ok with it? In Woody’s World, I guess! But you know what? Somehow it worked. When your characters are non-conformist, free-spirited, sexually liberated artists you can get away with this stuff. While the overall tone of the movie was light, there were moments that made the viewer examine his or her own life, whether single or in a relationship. The idea of pursuing happiness and living with no regrets was a recurring theme, and much like real life there are no easy answers. This was a provocative film with an alluring cast that is sure to please, both aesthetically and intellectually.
This article first appeared on Poptimal and can be found at http://poptimal.com/2008/08/vicky-christina-barcelona-crazy-sexy-cool/ . The article was reprinted with permission.
Vicky Cristina was a charming, sensual film that explored the complexities of matters of the heart, from the perspective of best friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall, The Prestige) and Cristina (Johansson, The Black Dahlia, Match Point). The pair visit Vicky’s relatives in Barcelona on an extended vacation, where they immerse themselves in local culture. Vicky is the more grounded, traditional type, whereas Cristina is a whimsical free-spirit who doesn’t conform to traditional societal norms. They have a good yin and yang friendship and an effortless camaraderie exists between them. Their days are spent drinking wine, admiring local architecture, and soaking up the arts. The backdrop was so enchanting I wished I could hop a plane to Spain myself.
Their trip takes an interesting turn when Cristina catches the eye of painter Juan Antonio, played by Bardem. Their attraction is instant, both of them exuding an obvious magnetism. Juan Antonio unabashedly asks Vicky and Cristina to spend the weekend with him, away from Barcelona in the city of Oviedo. Such a proposition is right up Cristina’s alley, but Vicky needs convincing, and only agrees so that she can keep an eye on Cristina. In Oviedo the groundwork is laid for a complicated relationship/friendship between the three of them. Juan Antonio’s romantic, frank overtures mesmerize Cristina and annoy Vicky, but a chance event turns the tables. Juan Antonio awakens heretofore undiscovered passions in Vicky, but his true connection is with Cristina. Sounds like I’m describing some kinky love triangle, right? Not exactly. The real trio to which the movie lends its romantic focus is Juan Antonio, Cristina, and get ready…his ex-wife Maria Elena, played by Penelope Cruz (Volver). Maria and Juan Antonio had a toxic relationship that ended less than amicably. I won’t reveal the details of how the three ended up sharing the same home, and bed – but suffice to say it’s the stuff of movies. In what world can a man shack up with two women and have them be ok with it? In Woody’s World, I guess! But you know what? Somehow it worked. When your characters are non-conformist, free-spirited, sexually liberated artists you can get away with this stuff. While the overall tone of the movie was light, there were moments that made the viewer examine his or her own life, whether single or in a relationship. The idea of pursuing happiness and living with no regrets was a recurring theme, and much like real life there are no easy answers. This was a provocative film with an alluring cast that is sure to please, both aesthetically and intellectually.
This article first appeared on Poptimal and can be found at http://poptimal.com/2008/08/vicky-christina-barcelona-crazy-sexy-cool/ . The article was reprinted with permission.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Hancock
I'm late as hell with this review, so gimme a break.
Will Smith (I Am Legend) AKA Mr. Fourth of July is back. He’s a certified cash cow, and Hancock is no exception. Regardless of your opinion of Mr. Smith, he’s box office gold. Hancock opened at number 1 over Independence Day weekend, marking the twelfth time Smith has grabbed the top spot in his career. While Smith’s resume is impressive, the same cannot be said for Hancock, an entertaining romp with more fluff than substance.
Smith stars as the titular Hancock, a reluctant super-hero. His trusty sidekick is a bottle of whiskey, not another dude in tights. Hancock protects the citizens of Los Angeles in hit-or-miss, devil-may-care fashion, nabbing the bad guys while leaving millions of dollars of damage in his wake. Imagine using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito, and you’ve got Hancock’s approach to crime fighting. His methods don’t exactly endear him to the city, and soon its residents would rather Hancock take his super powers elsewhere. Hancock does have at least one fan, a man he rescued from death by the name of Ray Embrey, a public relations executive who would like to repay Hancock by repairing his damaged public image. Embrey is played by Jason Bateman (Smokin’ Aces, Juno), an actor whose movie career has been steadily on the rise as of late. Ray has a young son and lovely wife Mary (Charlize Theron, In the Valley of Elah), who curiously takes an instant dislike to the abrasive Hancock. We soon discover that Mary and Hancock have more in common than Hancock could ever imagine and that’s when we enter into (to borrow a phrase from Barack) “silly season.”
I enjoyed Hancock in part because it provided the staples one can expect from a summer flick: entertainment, good special effects, and lots of humor. These are the mainstays of a so-called “popcorn” movie, and in that regard Hancock did not disappoint. On the other hand, the storyline wore quite thin and was actually nonsensical in certain parts. Characters referenced events that didn’t transpire and the dialogue became contradictory. For example, in one scene Hancock attempts to kiss Mary and she rejects him. Later, Hancock references the kiss. The only problem is that it didn’t happen, there was no kiss! Whenever you have characters referencing scenes that were left on the cutting room floor, it serves as an overall detraction from the movie. The performances were fine, but let’s be real – this is fluff stuff here. The camera loves Will Smith and he has charisma by the truckload, but there was no challenge here. The movie tried to explore the emotional pain Hancock experiences as a result of being unappreciated, and his desire to be loved and accepted – but those moments were fleeting and quickly forgotten once the script veered toward the ridiculous. To put it simply: the explanation of Hancock’s backstory and how he discovered his powers was just laughable. Regarding Charlize Theron, she is an extremely talented Academy Award winning actress with a nice mix of serious and light movies in her repertoire, but this is not a performance anyone will be talking about months from now. Actor and director Peter Berg (The Kingdom) has a bright future behind the camera, but I just don’t think he had a strong script to work with, and the movie suffered as a result. Once you get past Hancock’s interesting premise of an “everyman” superhero, the movie falls short. If you haven’t seen it in theaters already, I’d suggest adding Hancock to your Netflix queue instead. If you want to see a real superhero movie check out The Dark Knight.
Will Smith (I Am Legend) AKA Mr. Fourth of July is back. He’s a certified cash cow, and Hancock is no exception. Regardless of your opinion of Mr. Smith, he’s box office gold. Hancock opened at number 1 over Independence Day weekend, marking the twelfth time Smith has grabbed the top spot in his career. While Smith’s resume is impressive, the same cannot be said for Hancock, an entertaining romp with more fluff than substance.
Smith stars as the titular Hancock, a reluctant super-hero. His trusty sidekick is a bottle of whiskey, not another dude in tights. Hancock protects the citizens of Los Angeles in hit-or-miss, devil-may-care fashion, nabbing the bad guys while leaving millions of dollars of damage in his wake. Imagine using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito, and you’ve got Hancock’s approach to crime fighting. His methods don’t exactly endear him to the city, and soon its residents would rather Hancock take his super powers elsewhere. Hancock does have at least one fan, a man he rescued from death by the name of Ray Embrey, a public relations executive who would like to repay Hancock by repairing his damaged public image. Embrey is played by Jason Bateman (Smokin’ Aces, Juno), an actor whose movie career has been steadily on the rise as of late. Ray has a young son and lovely wife Mary (Charlize Theron, In the Valley of Elah), who curiously takes an instant dislike to the abrasive Hancock. We soon discover that Mary and Hancock have more in common than Hancock could ever imagine and that’s when we enter into (to borrow a phrase from Barack) “silly season.”
I enjoyed Hancock in part because it provided the staples one can expect from a summer flick: entertainment, good special effects, and lots of humor. These are the mainstays of a so-called “popcorn” movie, and in that regard Hancock did not disappoint. On the other hand, the storyline wore quite thin and was actually nonsensical in certain parts. Characters referenced events that didn’t transpire and the dialogue became contradictory. For example, in one scene Hancock attempts to kiss Mary and she rejects him. Later, Hancock references the kiss. The only problem is that it didn’t happen, there was no kiss! Whenever you have characters referencing scenes that were left on the cutting room floor, it serves as an overall detraction from the movie. The performances were fine, but let’s be real – this is fluff stuff here. The camera loves Will Smith and he has charisma by the truckload, but there was no challenge here. The movie tried to explore the emotional pain Hancock experiences as a result of being unappreciated, and his desire to be loved and accepted – but those moments were fleeting and quickly forgotten once the script veered toward the ridiculous. To put it simply: the explanation of Hancock’s backstory and how he discovered his powers was just laughable. Regarding Charlize Theron, she is an extremely talented Academy Award winning actress with a nice mix of serious and light movies in her repertoire, but this is not a performance anyone will be talking about months from now. Actor and director Peter Berg (The Kingdom) has a bright future behind the camera, but I just don’t think he had a strong script to work with, and the movie suffered as a result. Once you get past Hancock’s interesting premise of an “everyman” superhero, the movie falls short. If you haven’t seen it in theaters already, I’d suggest adding Hancock to your Netflix queue instead. If you want to see a real superhero movie check out The Dark Knight.
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