Precious

Precious tells the story of an older teenage girl growing up in a verbally and sexually abuse home on public assistance as defeats the odds of poverty, low self esteem, poor health, and bad education to make a new life on her own. The film is based on the black literature novel titled Push. Like many other black literature novels, Push does not display the best of black American writing or illustrate the complex diversity of the true black American experience, as one would find in the works of James Baldwin or Zora Neal Hurston, but Push does succeed in developing a fine story line fit for a spectacular film.

Much of the initial talk around Precious came first from gossip corners and entertainment news outlets drumming up word the Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry had both invested substantial funds in helping to produce this film. Then there were talks about tiffs between Tyler Perry and Spike Lee, who believed that the Madea star should do more with his influence in the black community to bring about constructive socio-political reform through his work. Talk also surrounded Precious headliner Mo’nique, who people claimed had been so headstrong during the film’s production that she fired her staff, leaving only her husband to facilitate her affairs. It was also said that Mo’nique refused to promote the film by doing television interviews (though the cast was invited to Mo’nique’s own late-night show) because she could not be certain that the film would make any money or that she would be paid handsomely enough.

Why anyone would doubt the success of Precious is truly beyond me. The film is superbly acted and directed and features a star-studded cast in roles that are less than beautiful. Take, for example, singer Mariah Carey, who starred in the film as a social worker. She was not glamorous. She wore average, right-sized clothes that did not hug her shape. Her hair was down and looked unkempt. Her voice was raspy. Her lady moustache showed. Yet, despite all this, or perhaps because of it, she was truly believable as a case worker in a large unknown urban American city. She walked and talked like the haggard case workers you would expect in those towns who day after day see abused children, abused spouses, and those who abuse the welfare system because they don’t want to work.

Precious has so many layers of goodness that it’s difficult to point out just one reason to go see it. If it is not for the academy award-winning caliber of the acting, then certainly let it be for the story line. If is not for the story line, then let it be for the soundtrack. If not for the soundtrack, then see it just to support the fine work and art of a talented cast. While it is true that the cast is black and that the story is told through the black experience, none of this should overshadow the fact that Precious is a just a truly good film. Go see it. I give it my highest endorsement.

*****

Other Mo'nique Movie's You'll Love

Disney's Latest Rendition of A Christmas Carol

Popular critics and general audiences have given Disney’s latest rendition of the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol sour reviews. Reactions range from responding to the so-so performance of megastar Jim Carey to noting Disney’s unoriginality in its use of 3D and special effects to deliver the film. While these faulty points of the film may be true, it is the story line that really makes A Christmas Carol flop.

Since Dickens’ time, A Christmas Carol has been performed in numerous theatrical productions and on film. Thus, when faced with a story so well known, the trick is not in retelling the story, but in adapting the story for modern moviegoers. The fact that children today may not know who Dickens is or have any prior experience to the classic tale makes it all the more imperative that the basic story line be one that today’s young audience can relate to.

A better example of a well-executed modern rendition of A Christmas Carol was in the production and story line of The Family Man, a film starring Nicholas Cage, Don Cheadle, and Tea Leoni. The main character in this film made certain choices in the early days of his life (as did Scrooge), and his decisions have led him to a prosperous yet unfulfilling life. In one instant, the character makes a pivotal choice and this causes him to be visited by a ghost that shows him what his life would have been like had he made different decisions (this twist is different from A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is visited by 3 ghosts who show him what the effects of his life would have been had he continued along the same path).

Though the selection is limited, there are other films out these days geared toward younger audiences and those who love children’s stories. Bypass Disney’s latest attempt at A Christmas Carol, and reach for a more original classic instead.

The Soloist -- Upcoming Film

Here's an interesting tidbit of information about a new Jaimee Foxx film coming up in April. The film is called The Soloist and is about a successful musician who ends up homeless because of mental illness. In conjunction with the release of the film orchestras around the country are accepting donations of non-perishable goods.

The League of American Orchestras (“the League”), Feeding America, and Participant Media are three major organizations teaming up to sponsor this event. For more information about these organizations, visit their websites at americanorchestras.org, feedingamerica.org, or participantmedia.com.

Here's a blurb about the food drive and the upcoming Soloist from a press release:

League President and CEO Jesse Rosen commented, “The story of The Soloist reminds us that classical music has the power to sustain spirits and change lives, even under the most difficult circumstances. Our team effort with Feeding America and The Soloist gives America’s orchestras a way to use that power to make an even greater difference in our communities--to feed both body and soul.”

Vicki Escarra, Feeding America President and CEO, said, “Feeding America is thrilled that America’s orchestras are joining us in our fight against hunger in America. This partnership will help the hungry in nearly every community nationwide and the 36million people who are at risk of hunger.”

The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., directed by Joe Wright, will be released by Paramount Pictures to theaters nationwide on April 24.. A DreamWorks Pictures/Universal Pictures presentation in association with Studio Canal and Participant Media, the film is based on the true story of the relationship between Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a gifted Juilliard-trained string player whose mental illness and unfortunate circumstances landed him among the homeless on the streets of Los Angeles . Featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Soloist is a testament to the redemptive power of music and a reminder of our connections to the most vulnerable among us.

Superbad

From the filmmaker who brought you 40-Year-Old Virgin comes the most surprising coming of age story since Stand By Me. It's Superbad, and it's hilarious. The film chronicles the adventures of three teenage boys in their senior year of high school. They're eager to graduate, but their interest in the opposite sex also plays a dominant role in their lives. In fact, it is their motivation to impress their high school crushes that leads to run-ins with the police, an under-age drinking party, a fake ID for with one name (McLovin) and other antics. Along the way, the boys learn to recognize the importance of their friendship, all the while grappling with the necessity to let go and start their new lives in the adult world.

Car Wash

I can't believe I watched the whole thing. Car Wash must be the highest grossing no-plot film of the 60's era. The film purports to follow the workaday lives of a big city car wash crew. It parodies religion, love, hope, and expectation without ever really delving satisfyingly into any one character's experience. On the bright side, Car Wash does attempt to reconcile itself in the last half hour. Its attempts at real drama, however, are too little, too fast, and far too late. Thus, in spite of the nostalgia for the past that it brings, Car Wash cannot be viewed in any other light save in glorification of the past. And its humor is fleeting, dashing any expectation that a film so comically studded would produce at least more than a chuckle. George Carlin and Richard Pryor barely exude talent in their performances.

Milk

Alas, Milk is not yet out on DVD. Instead, here is a trailer to the film The Times of Harvey Milk.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I left the theater with my friends thinking, "Wow. That was like a documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." The similarities between the life of Dr. King and Harvey Milk are uncanny. They were both civil rights activits, both fighting for the rights of underprivielged groups, both leaders among their peers, and both meeting the same demise. Harvey Milk was assassinated, like Dr. King, for standing up to established injustices. He is a hero among the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities, and he is a hero among straight people, too. Again, the same is true for Dr. King. You don't have to be white or American or straight to love either of these men.

Sean Penn acted out the life of Harvey Milk beautifully, and with such elegance. Often, we see straight men act out homosexual roles with exaggerated flamboyance. And while Penn did portray one "flaming" role, he did so respectfully so as not to turn the role into a farce. I appreciated that. Penn played a man so familiar to us all that the Harvey Milk on the screen could just as easily have been the lesbian next door.

The power of Milk is that it urges us to think. We think about stereotypes and consider how they conflict with reality. We're also called to remember how viciously people treated homosexuals, how it was difficult just for people to come out. I also think about how many people were forced out, too, simply because in spite of butch or macho they seemed, to everyone else something about them was queer.

I wholeheartedly recommend Milk.

The Devil Wears Prada

First, please see my book review for The The Devil Wears Prada on my blog at Walking Toward Wisdom and on Amazon.com. I give the book a pretty good review in spite of the widespread criticism against it. Conversely, with the film, I have to admit that the book was better and that film was really, well, too small for Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep really made this film a hit while the other actors were entirely supporting, even the woman/model who played the book's main character, Andrea Sachs. Andrea was played as a woman straight from college with no wits about her save her ability to have a sexual relationship with a man. There was no complexity about her character, no conflict. Even the story line in the book about Andrea's drunken friend was eliminated.

Comparing the film to the book is not entirely fair, of course. So on the merits of the acting alone, the screenplay, the direction, and all that go into producing a blockbuster film, my final review is that The Devil Wears Prada is a flimsy tale without much substance worth spending money to watch. Fans of Meryl Streep, will be pleased, however, for Ms. Streep entirely steels the show. In this role, she could have acted the entire film alone, saved the studio tons of money to make a better film, and even won an Oscar in the end. It was really that bad, and Meryl Streep was really that good.

A movie about a high powered executive in publishing, struggling to achieve the highly sought after work/life balance, raising two children all in a world that values beauty and youth over aging wisdom would have been a better movie. Yet, for a light (and, I do mean light) film with a simple story line and not much challenge, the movie awaits for your viewing pleasure.

Dan In Real Life

Before I go further, let me announce my biases. I am attracted to Steve Carell, and I immensely enjoy watching him in The Office (I'd love to watch him out of the office, too.). I've been a fan of his since his work in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and I have followed most of his releases since then. The one I haven't seen is Get Smart. So many people have commented so poorly on the film, I've had no interest in seeing it, but I will definitely get around to it, and I will definitely make a post here.

All of that being said, my review of Dan in Real Life is that it is a must-see film. So much more than just a romantic comedy, Dan in Real Life plays out the excruciating story of unrequited love, happenstance, and family relations. The story line is a common one, but the characters play their roles so beautifully that it is difficult not to feel their emotions. Dan is a widow with three intelligent girls: one older and wise, one young and in love, the other just shedding her childhood innocence. Dan puts all of his energy into being a good father and in providing for his girls as a writer for an advice column. Then, one day, life catches up to him, and somewhere between being a man and being a father, serendipity draws him to an anonymous woman who turns out to be his brother's girlfriend.

At the end of the film, Dan in Real Life leaves viewers with a void, a longing for love and a desire to stay with the characters with whom they've developed a relationship. It is a testament to the film's screenwriters, the director, and film editing staff.

Dan in Real Life seems like such a simple film, yet it calls out for big emotion. As of the writing of this review, you can find Dan in Real Life on Netflix on demand and at Blockbuster. Happy viewing!

Milk

Look for a review of this film in an upcoming post.