Chris Rock to Remake Akira Kurosawa Film

According to AOL Black Voice, BV on Movie blog, Chris Rock is working on a screenplay for director Mike Nichols' planned remake of High and Low, a film from legendary Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa.  According to the article, Rock revealed this news while promoting his new film, Death at a Funeral (itself a remake of a British comedy).

Akeelah and the Bee Spells Wonderful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 200 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
Running time: 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Dough Atchison
PRODUCERS: Nancy Hult Ganis & Sid Ganis, Michael Romersa & Danny Llewelyn and Laurence Fishburne
CINEMATOGRAPHER: M. David Mullen, ASC (director of photography)
EDITOR: Glenn Farr

DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring: Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Curtis Armstrong, JR Villarreal, Sean Michael Afable, Sahara Garey, Erica Hubbard, Lee Thompson Young, Julito McCullum, Dalia Phillips, and Tzi Ma

11-year old Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer) has an aptitude for words, and after her principal compels her to enter the first spelling bee ever held at her school, Crenshaw Middle School, Akeelah wins. Entering local and regional contests, she places high enough to land a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee (a real event broadcast annually on ESPN) in Washington D.C. Despite her own reluctance and her mother, Tanya’s (Angela Bassett) initial objections, Akeelah gets support from her bookish spelling coach, Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), her principal, Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong), and proud members of her community. She even makes a friend of one her rivals, Javier (JR Villarreal), and earns the grudging notice of the previous two years’ runner up at nationals, Dylan Chiu (Sean Michael Afable), who is the boy to beat this year. Now, can Akeelah win?

Family dramas are rarely this good, and if part of the reason that some of us think Akeelah and the Bee is so good is because the movie’s characters are African-Americans in the kind of story and setting that so rarely sees winning black characters, well, the problem is the game, not the players. Combining the best aspects of plotlines involving the against-all-odds, the fish out of water, and the underdog scenarios, Akeelah and the Bee is determined to make the audience feel extra good. It’s a direct cousin of such rousing flicks as Rudy and Coach Carter.

Though writer/director Doug Atchison can be forgiven for his script’s more mawkish moments, as a director, Atchison trusts his casts to make this uplifting story work. Keke Palmer is puckish as the fiercely intelligent Akeelah, who is struggling to find her place. Laurence Fishburne’s somber turn as Mr. Larabee is spiced by Fishburne’s grave but wise voice, as Larabee guides (Morpheus-like) Akeelah down the path to accepting her gifts and glory. Even Angela Bassett turns a stereotype into a character with whom everyone else has to reckon, and Curtis Armstrong is always a welcomed presence.

Akeelah and the Bee almost convinces me that I should get into spelling bees, but it completely convinces me of the joy a feel good movie can bring, especially when the filmmakers actually succeed in what they’re trying to sell. It might be hokey how the community rallies around Akeelah, but this would happen in real life. The truth of the matter is that some of us would really enjoy seeing a competitor who shouldn’t be there take on the establishment. As Fishburne’s Mr. Larabee guides Akeelah, his rich voice steering her to her destiny, we’re with him encouraging this lovely flower to bloom. When she wins, the audience wins.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Review: An Education

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


An Education (2009)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running minutes: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking
DIRECTOR: Lone Scherfig
WRITER: Nick Hornby (from the memoir by Lynn Barber)
PRODUCERS: Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John de Borman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Barney Pilling
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Matthew Beard, and Emma Thompson

An Education is, at the very least, an exceptional coming-of-age film because it is exceptionally well-directed and well-written, and the actors give high-quality performances. However, it is Carey Mulligan’s star-making turn that anchors An Education.

Set in England in 1961, An Education focuses on Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan), a bright schoolgirl who is focused on taking and passing the A-levels, the exams that could help her get into Oxford. She meets David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming, older Jewish man, and the two begin a relationship that steadily leads to romance. David even manages to charm Jenny’s protective parents, Jack played by Alfred Molina, giving his usually fine performance, and Marjorie (Cara Seymour).

David introduces Jenny to his fast lifestyle and to his friends, Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Danny’s girlfriend, Helen (Rosamund Pike, who is so radiantly beautiful that she steals practically every scene in which she appears). Jenny becomes torn between studying for a place at Oxford and enjoying the more exciting and fun alternative lifestyle that David offers, but then, she must also confront the darker side of David’s freewheeling lifestyle.

In creating Jenny Mellor, Carey Mulligan fashioned the kind of female character that carries a drama all the way to victory. Mulligan convincingly gives Jenny that cheeky arrogance which makes high school age teens believe they know how to live a much better life than any adult they know has ever lived. Jenny is a clever girl, and Mulligan makes sure her smarts shine through every time. This is a rich, multi-layered performance that absorbs everything that An Education is trying to convey to its audience and makes it crystal clear.

Mulligan’s wonderful turn almost eclipses the exceedingly fine performance by the underrated Peter Sarsgaard as David. Sarsgaard deftly keeps David’s secrets close to him, making David act as the perfect foil for Jenny’s haughty smarts, but Sarsgaard also gives David an edge that is somehow too sweet to resist. Sarsgaard’s wonderful contribution and Mulligan’s terrific performance make An Education a coming-of-age story that will work its magic through the ages.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2010 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Carey Mulligan), and “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published” (Nick Hornby)

2010 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Leading Actress” (Carey Mulligan); 7 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Odile Dicks-Mireaux), “Best Director” (Lone Scherfig), “Best Film” (Amanda Posey and Finola Dwyer), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Nick Hornby), “Best Supporting Actor” (Alfred Molina), and “Outstanding British Film” (Amanda Posey, Finola Dwyer, Lone Scherfig, and Nick Hornby)

2010 Golden Globes: 1 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Carey Mulligan)

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Tyler Perry is Glenn Beck's Hero

Yep.  You'll have to go to AOL Black Voices' Black Spin blog to read this article.  I would prefer that it explain itself.  Still, Beck apparently said:

"How is it I don't know this man? How is it we are not friends?" said Beck who admitted to just recently seeing his first Tyler Perry movie.


"It's exactly the kind of movie that would make a lot of money. It is amazing -- he can't get it done so he sets up his own production company and he's wildly successful.... I just told the guys this morning that I want to meet him – I want to set up a meeting because from what little I know, we think exactly the same way."

No, wonders will never cease.  And this is Glenn Beck, so...

Tasha Hopes for Third "Why Did I Get Married?" in Paris

According to the BET.com blog, What the Flick, Tasha Smith, a co-star in the Tyler Perry films, Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, hopes for a third film in this franchise.

Review: Why Did I Get Married Too?

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 of (2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
Running time: 121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic material including sexuality, language, drug references and some domestic violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tyler Perry
PRODUCERS: Tyler Perry and Reuben Cannon
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Toyomichi Kurita
EDITOR: Maysie Hoy

DRAMA with elements of comedy

Starring: Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Neal, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones, Tasha Smith, Lamman Rucker, Michael Jai White, Louis Gossett Jr., Cicely Tyson, Richard Whiten, and K Callan

We last saw them in the 2007 film, Why Did I Get Married?, working through marriage and relationship issues at a beautiful house in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Now, Why Did I Get Married Too? reunites those four close couples. They have gathered together in the Bahamas for their annual one-week reunion. They’re eager to reconnect and share news about their lives and relationships, but there are some changes and looming troubles.

Best-selling author and popular psychologist, Patricia (Janet Jackson), and her successful architect husband, Gavin (Malik Yoba), show their friends smiles, but their marriage is deeply troubled. Successful attorney, Dianne (Sharon Leal) and her supportive husband, Terry (Tyler Perry), once had sexless marriage, but while there is now plenty of lovemaking, a secret threatens to destroy their union.

Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) still argue all the time, but now Marcus has a successful new career as a television sports commentator. Angela, who once criticized Marcus for not having a job, is now jealous that Marcus makes more money than she does, and that envy drives her suspicious that he is cheating on her.

Shelia (Jill Scott) replaced her emotionally abusive and philandering husband, Mike (Richard T. Jones), with the former Colorado sheriff, Troy (Lamman Rucker). However, a recent move, a new baby, and Troy’s difficulty finding a job have put a strain on their marriage. Then, Mike also decides to visit the Bahamas.

2007’s Why Did I Get Married? was a scandalous relationship comedy and engaging reunion drama. It had plenty of soap opera theatrics and over-the-top drama with a capitol “D.” Why Did I Get Married Too? is also filled with theatrics and big “D” drama, but this second film is also darker and edgier. These squabbling couples now have even bigger problems, problems that would give marriage counselors pause. In each case, husband and wife are unsatisfied with each other, and instead of talking through their problems, they scream at each other, rant and rave, and storm out the door.

It’s fun to watch… sometimes. Other times, it’s painful to watch – not only because the anger is so raw, but also because sometimes the couples’ problems seemed contrived. This might be Tyler Perry’s best effort at writing emotional character drama and at constructing multi-layered conflict. This may also be his worst screenwriting simply because the quarreling and marital problems come across as greatly exaggerated. Perry packs this movie’s two hours with wall-to-wall marital discord; then, he ties it up with a pat happy ending that simply cannot wash away the grit Why Did I Get Married Too? leaves in the viewer’s mouth.

This is still a Tyler Perry movie, so it is entertaining, and there is also a cameo at the end that adds much needed sweet to the previous two hour’s sour. Still, with all the arguing the characters do here, the question is not Why Did I Get Married Too? but why are any of them still married!

6 of 10
B

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Entertainment Weekly Celebrates "The Empire Strikes Back" 30th Anniversary

Highlights from ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’s April 16, 2010 issue


(on newsstands nationwide Friday, April 9):

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CELEBRATES THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK WITH EXCLUSIVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN PHOTOS

George Lucas celebrates the 30th anniversary of his landmark sequel by opening his vault of rare and never-before-seen photos for an upcoming book, and this week’s issue has the exclusive excerpt. Star Wars hit theaters on May 25, 1977, and it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. However, when most Star Wars aficionados go back to watch their favorite installment from the franchise it is not the original film, but its follow-up, The Emperor Strikes Back, that fans gravitate towards. EW explains why The Empire Strikes Back remains the ultimate Star Wars film.

The book also has great quotes from the cast and crew such as:

Mark Hamill: “Actually, Harrison and I never fought in either picture. It was Carrie and I who had the screaming matches from time to tie, though afterward neither of us could remember what they were about”

Carrie Fisher: “Eric Idle had returned from Tunisia, where Monty Python were shooting Life of Brian [1979]. And he brought over what I believe he called ‘Tunisian Table-Cleaner,’ which was a beverage. Well, Harrison came over and the Rolling Stones came over, and I think we stayed up most of the night. So when we arrived at Cloud City, we were very happy.”

(Cover Story, Page 34)

Link to story on EW.com http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/08/empire-strikes-back-star-wars/