Cast: Jamie Foxx, Nia Long, Barry Corbin, John Collum, Michael Shamus Wiles, Eduardo Yanez, Julie Hagerty, Sarah Paulson, Roselyn Sanchez. Dalton James, Jake Busey, Natalia Cigliuti, Gary Owen
What should have been a romantic getaway turns into one hilarious debacle after another when Michael’s woman dumps him in the desert where he gets carjacked by a teenager and he is taken hostage in a stickup at the local Sip and Zip.
I have seen this movie more times than I have wanted to. As this was a movie they played at the movie theater I worked at in my 20’s and stayed around for quite a few weeks.
This film showed Jamie Foxx was a major talent and needed better scripts because he is obviously better than the material he is working with here.
The film is likable enough though the cast prospers over the simplistic and silly script. As they are all willing and energetic to throw themselves into it.
The film is a low-grade comedic prejudicial tale with a hostage situation in the middle of it.
What’s worse is that it doesn’t even necessarily work to Jamie Foxx’s strengths. Whereas you could’ve put anybody in this role if anything, it shows somewhat range for Jamie Foxx that he can play more of a straight comedic role rather than be over-the-top comedic.
The film is watchable as every few minutes it throws in a joke or gag to keep it lively and cute. Even if at heart the situations of the film revolve around expectations, stereotypes, and racism.
While it is made for an urban audience where the Caucasian characters are more like yokels.
The film isn’t much to look at visually. The look is usually dull and lacks style but works for the limits of the material and locations.
As the film definitely wants to be more of a comedy with a star at its center yet offers a kind of ensemble all around. Though it’s never quite specific so that it keeps seeming to try to swing and sometimes it gets to hit but it’s never quite a homer. It strikes out more times than it plans.
Jamie Foxx seemed stuck in these types of movies. This is more a starter starring movie but was the type he kept being offered that was more grade-C material. Not even B material that they should have been getting at the time. As he was a proven talent. In other words, while he makes it work. The filmmakers could have cast anyone in the role. He just so happens to make it more his own. As he is the most impressive aspect of the movie. Luckily eventually Hollywood would give him a chance and he just kept running with it after to bigger and better.
Story By: Freddie Gibbs, Diego Ongaro and Xavi Molia
Cinematography: Daniel Vecchione
Editor: Benoit Sauvage
Cast: Freddie Gibbs, David Krumholtz, Bob Tarasuk, Jamie Neumann, Sharon Washington
A famous rapper, disillusioned with the music industry and the pressures of being a celebrity, leaves the city and his career behind to find himself in a small-town farming community.
The film is more of a slice of life. It’s an unhurried character study of its main character. Where are you wondering was the casting of Rapper Freddie Gibbs in this film random or if was it written around him more or less. The film feels kind of like a Bob Raefelson film of the 1970s that he would’ve made with Jack Nicholson. Natural and an experiment. where here you put an entertainer or rapper in another element with a story and see what happens and create a portrait while not being a documentary, but its own drama, or at least a study.
This film has one of the most truest lines in the movie. When the main character says “I got into the rap game to get away from the streets but it seems like the more popular I get the closer, it gets me back 10 times closer to the streets.”
This leads us to wonder why you get so caught up in music and rapper persona, and that’s where your fans are from, so that you wanna be cheered by them and represented even while your life might be getting better, but again being separate from the streets. you might want to stay kind of proving yourself to be still the same person.
Like most of us, we need a vacation from time to time. we need to get away, clear our heads, rest, and relax and I admire that the film shows him trying to create his next album but showing growth. In that maybe he doesn’t wanna do the same thing even though he still has it. but also how artistic pursuits can tamper with the proven formula and, when you have a deadline how easily it is to get distracted, and not feel necessarily inspired
How one might be so successful, but you also kind of long just for the normal things in life that others live and have to work for. While you have worked for it, is paying off, but you never really get it seem to enjoy necessarily the simple things. As the highlife at a certain point is seemingly more normal
I think Freddie Gibbs is cast perfectly. He definitely has the rapping skills and is an underrated rapper. Who I am a fan of even before this film. He’s the main reason I decided to watch the film and here he gives a great performance playing a character maybe not unlike himself. He shows a lot of emotional turmoil throughout not necessarily through dialogue, but body language, and emotionally. He rises to the challenge
This could’ve easily been a comedy with the premise of a rapper getting used to being in the wilderness to make their next album. Luckily it ends up becoming more of a character study. We learn things little by little about them, filling in the blanks as he goes about his days trying to Make out his various interactions with those around him in the woods.
Luckily, the film doesn’t bring up race though in one scene. It does kind of show maybe one character’s racism in a minor way though that doesn’t affect the rest of the film but is acknowledged that the film nor the characters are blind to that.
I guess it depends on, even though there’s a certain type of sound, song, and artistry that made you famous. also having no friends primarily only your fans. if you want to stay true to them only or if you wanna please the people almost like marriage, but also even as you grow as a person. You have to wonder, do you want to keep your music that represents yourself to a certain extent. So do you want to be that same person or over the years do you want to grow and show an evolution? you’re always gonna be true to yourself but you know you can’t stay the same forever and you change with the times. so to speak. I know everybody’s like “Oh I’m the same person. I’ve always been” though certain things in life happen and responsibilities take over.
The film also shows the business side of how sometimes you might get fed up and wanna leave it all behind, but you have way too many people depending on you, that you’re kind of forced back in. Even when maybe you wanna try something new.
It’s also interesting that as a rapper he’s the most financially successful character in the movie surrounded by these working-class Caucasians. Who love what they do up to now and he is the one of privilege. Even if he did work his way to where he is. he’s the one who seems to have all the benefits. yet he is the most tortured character emotionally throughout
The film also shows him not totally removing his toe from his surroundings and he still has a connection back to the country and his old life. Reminders of his old Life like a continuing beef, though he’s enjoying his life remoteness. In other words, fighting and coming back to a certain reality that is a fantasy to others. Kind of like a fantasy. He is living full of discovery, and a slower pace is a reality that is a fantasy to him. He feels maybe he has moved on or reached a different part of his life, or he’s making money off of his old life that he’s not necessarily in tune with anymore
Not to mention, he finds the people he’s around in his seclusion more real than the people in his more superstar life as they’re not making any money off of him when he’s in his seclusion, and he’s more in control of his life, whereas in his professional life he has certain obligations, and people making decisions for him, even though this is what he strives for
In the end, having an epiphany or realizing kind of house, shallow, his show business life is, More is
The ending pretty much spells it all out. Where he finally catches the skunk that has seemingly been hiding underneath his house. He traps it, and he tries to dispose of it in the woods by himself even though his friend Bob, the farmer tells him to call him immediately. Once he gets it he decides to dispatch the skunk Still in the cage and then when he turns around, he sees that the skunk has escaped which could have meaning for him as is seemingly the skunk chose to be trapped and acted that way, but in the end could’ve escaped whenever he wanted to and chose to leave when he was back Where he wanted to be
Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis-Ross, Issa Rae, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Miriam Shor, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Michael Cyril Creighton, Patrick Fischler
A novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
The cast is excellent and the screenplay is excellent Unfortunately the film has what feels like flat direction that sinks the material a bit. as it feels like the film is constantly searching for the right way to present itself, and how to live in the material
As the writer of the film or Screenwriter of the film is also the Director, though, based on a novel by Everett McGill, entitled Erasure
The film is a satirical comedy as is the book which has some comedic elements and tone, but is definitely much darker than what we see on the screen. The film improves on certain aspects or gives the historian characters more hope, but could have had some of the stronger ones. The changes might be minor, but they are meaningful such as the way his sister passes away and the role of the maid of his mother. That would allow the film to be more acceptable than the book, taking away some of the sharper edges, but replacing those edges with some stronger commentary and dramatic issues
This is what makes the film so strong in dealing with prevalent social issues, especially for African-American artists, art, and a sense of self
Film keeps its world smaller, but makes it more personal, and still stays in vent allowing for the supporting characters to have stronger roles and much more range
The film also offers a bred, Jeffrey Wright, and a rare leading role. With Sterling K Brown as his coming-out-of-the-closet brother, Sterling Brown can never do wrong, even bad films. He is still sometimes one of the more interesting performances so he makes his screen time lively, and memorable. Never feeling out of place
Also, it’s nice to see Erika Alexander on the big screen again in an important role.
Something can be said when movies like this come out in theaters they mostly have a crossover audience as the intended audience rarely seems to go see it, and more discover it at home on streaming or from word of mouth. Which eventually helps its legacy, but does not help its box office at the time when it is needed.
It’s also nice to see the character have an inner life and family problems. This is what sets the plot forward and one of the reasons for the continuance of his situation that only grows the longer the facade goes on.
The irony here is that what is playing on screen might be satirizing it but it feels like it’s the same situation that is happening when it comes to this film in the marketplace.
It seems at times we will support others yet, not our own community. Even when it is telling stories meant for us, we will accept others telling us about ourselves rather than someone from our own culture at times. Which is disheartening, but still thankful that these movies, subjects, and material are out there for those who identify with it
Cast: Ashley Madekwe, Bukky Bakray, Maria Almeida, Jordan Myrie, Samuel Small, Justin Salinger
Neve lives an idyllic life in the suburbs with her loving family and works a fulfilling job at a private school. But when she begins to notice a strange man and woman appear unexpectedly at odd moments, she starts to doubt her sanity. Of course, she turns to her family and friends for assistance, but she is helpless when they hesitate to believe her.
The film is about colorism and by the end you think it is going to say something heavy and important about race, but more just hints around about it.
Only one wishes the film had dug deeper as it seems like a good setup but ends up a kind of shell game.
All the performances are spot on especially the lead played by Ashley Madekwe.
The violence in the movie seems there only for the mood of the film to make sense and show possibilities. As to what the characters are capable of.
The film offers so much potential, that it’s not shocking that the writer/director Nathaniel Martello-White is a playwright. At Its heart, it feels stage theatrical. Which is why it never quite feels realistic. It feels produced manufactured or pretty much a setup to entice.
This film manages to keep you interested, even on the edge of your seat throughout. As it builds and brings things to a boil and cops out at the end like the filmmakers gave up or couldn’t think of anything good after painting themselves into a corner. Where it kind of loses the audience.
By the end, the film offers the main character a realistic reaction that is still shocking but also is just part of her nature.
The film feels inspired by Jordan Peele’s films US and GET OUT. This could have been part of the series THEM on HULU
In the end, the film is thought-provoking. That wants to be a well-thought-out thriller but also has something to say. While being a character study. Unfortunately, the end feels like a cop-out and almost comedic in its own way,
Cast: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector, Leslie Uggams, Olamide Candice-Johnson, Princess Adenike
Piecing together a new life in New York City while caring for the child of an Upper East Side family, immigrant nanny Aisha is forced to confront a concealed truth that threatens to shatter her precarious American Dream.
The film is scary but more human and emotional. It is not exactly a horror movie but more magical realism. Yet still manages to stay haunting.
The film deals with the degradation of what she suffers. The microaggressions are harassed sexually by an oversexed person who believes her to be naturally sexually available. She is treated almost like slave labor by doing unscheduled overwork and not being paid on time or enough.
Then getting mad when she deviates a bit from their rules and instructions. yet are never there to deal with the problems of the child. The reason she went against them was to improvise with the situation
Where the people she works for make money off of the culture and pain of others and yet feel sorry for her, At least one of them. Yet never try to get to know her and expect her to have sympathy for their own problems and dysfunctions. Like she owes it to them.
At least they are not Painted as total villains, just characters who have their own personal problems and take them out on others and expect them to be their caretakers. When they have never shown them any true sympathy. They at least are not just one thing or shown to be one-sided.
The main character has a romance that is explored but doesn’t become the main narrative.
She is haunted by vivid dreams of water and insects that are nightmares or premonitions of what is to come or a kind of connection to the world and those close to her.
The film stays beautifully stylishly directed and well-acted with worn-in believable performances. That feels like not only a character study but a sharp slice of life.
Where the strength lies in the storytelling is that on the one hand, we have this supernatural tail that we believe we’re watching more of a horror film, but while we watch, we notice all these other issues being brought forth that are much scarier, because they happen more often every day. Yet for some, the supernatural terrors are more believable, or at least the ones they choose to believe in more.
Cast: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington, Jean Reno, Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, Ursula Corbero, Yun Jee Kim, Vivek Kalra, Jacob Batalon, Burn Gorman, David Proud
Follows a master thief and his Interpol Agent ex-girlriend who team up to steal $500 million in gold bullion being transported on an A380 passenger flight.
This film has everything going for it. A lot of great talent so it’s disappointing that it plays so basic. Already going into it you probably know how it’s going to end. Part of the fun is seeing how it gets there. But how it gets there is so predictable that it seems to lack pizzazz.
The film is ok it’s entertaining, but it never has any character or comes alive. As it plays like the typical Netflix action film with a big star at the center.
While it’s nice and fun to see Kevin Hart play the more Noble leader. As he tries to show range and be less comedic in this film. Which is admirable, He comes across as flavorless, and unexciting charisma isn’t there. Nor the laughs even though he’s not trying to get any this time. Though I will give him points for putting in an effort and trying to be an all-around movie star, unfortunately here he’s not that engaging. Where it feels like anyone could have played this role.
Even his romantic scenes with Gugu Mbatha Raw come across his bland. Not to mention she should be getting better roles than this.
It’s a sharing, especially as you have such wonderful actors throughout, who are never really given enough room to breathe other than their characters, expertise, and little hints of life.
Not to mention, you have F Gary Gray, a talented Director in his own right. Who seems with this barely lifeless action B-Movie. That while high concept still comes across as uninventive.
If you’re looking for something, entertaining that you’ll soon forget afterward, or just to have on in the background while you do other things this might be the movie for you. as this feels like a less stylistic and more calm Six Underground-type action film from Netflix again.
I can at least say this film isn’t too embarrassing for him.
Written By: Andrew Scheinman & Adam Scheinman and Tony Gilroy
Cinematography: Tobias Schliessler
Editor: Alan Edward Ball
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Doug Hutchinson, David Morse, Kimberly Elise, David Paymer, Jamie Kennedy, Mike Epps, Nestor Serrano, Tia Texada, Robert Pastorelli, Kirk Acevedo, Jeffrey Donovan, Jason Jones, Megan Dodd
An ex-con is used by police to lure a criminal out of hiding.
Though most of the film is a comedy it is filmed slick like an action movie with tons of style, but at turns seems to be more a comedy at heart with dramatic moments.
Hard to believe such veterans of the FBI would so easily get caught up In A drama they are watching, personally. Which offers up an interesting dynamic of how involved you get in watching reality unfold in front of you. So it was even a precursor to how Audiences would react once reality television seemed to take over the airwaves. At least it humanizes the agents involved.
The film definitely looks state-of-the-art and big-budgeted. That truly showed off what director Antoine Fuqua could do. This is practically a calling card for him and Star Jamie Foxx. As the film is a visual delight, and definitely feels like a big-budgeted action extravaganza.
As it not only showed Foxx’s star quality. Even though not written to his strengths. It seems like the type of film he should be getting chances to star in. That eventually happened and worked out for him. Wish he got offered more films like this (only better written)
The film also excels thanks to a good cast of veteran actors. Who goes well with the material and Foxx’s acting.
Even though it seemed to be released with little fanfare. It’s not the best but it is interesting and entertaining.
Doug Hutchinson as the villain comes off as if he is impersonating John Malkovich.
The film has enough thrilling and laugh-out-loud moments of equal measure. That allows for some good action sequences. To live up to the promise of the presentation.
It’s the little movie that could. As it stays small scale due to its budget but feels like a bigger film that it is and where it deserves.
Cast: Kevin Hart, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Travolta, Josh Hartnett, Jean Reno, Brandon Quinn, Milana Vayntrub, Kenneth Trujilio
Kevin Hart – playing a version of himself – is on a death-defying quest to become an action star. And with a little help- he just might pull it off.
This is a movie that has been edited together from the episodes of the Roku series that Kevin Hart had for 1 season. You can easily tell when each episode begins and ends throughout the film. So it should be no surprise that the film is episodic.
The film is also really bad, as it tries to be meta which is really hard for it to work when you have recognizable actors like Josh Harnett play themselves but you have more recognizable John Travolta play a totally different character.
It also doesn’t help that Kevin Hart plays himself. The themes for his character are pretty much the same as most characters he plays in other films.
This film is bad, John Travolta seems to not only be over-acting but giving a career-worst performance so far, as he oddly seems to curse funny and have a kind of way of speaking that is ridiculous.
The only bright spots in the movie are Nathalie Emmanuel and Josh Hartnett playing himself. The action sequences are passable but never quite exciting or stunning and the film stays pretty much only using a few sets. So there isn’t much to look at.
I would only suggest this movie if you are a Kevin Hart completist. Though at this point he has so many movies coming out one after the other. No one will blame you if you miss this one.
Cast: Kiersey Clemons, Alex Wolff, Jim Gaffigan, David Walton, Rachel Sennott, Ken Marino, Isaac Powell, Geoffrey Owens, Alex Moffat, Dolly Wells, Jared Gilman, Kat Foster
An awkward college student who seizes the opportunity to bolster her popularity and her under-the-radar true-crime podcast by solving the disappearance of a classmate.
This is a perfect starring vehicle for actress Kiersey Clemons who hasn’t gotten a role this rich and expressive since SWEETHEART. She ends up being the major reason to watch the film. She is not only the star of the film but It’s heart.
The film starts off as quirky before taking more of a dark spin that even at its darkest stays a bit light. It seems like a film that will be Smile but by the end, it becomes more of a character study.
It offers some twists though eagle-eyed viewers will be able to predict certain elements and revelations, but you can’t see the emotions attached to them.
What at first seems like a movie that could easily be made into a franchise ala MURDER SHE WROTE only younger and with a goody too shoes who is socially awkward at its center. Maybe even on a smaller scale KNIVES OUT Slowly turns into a thriller that slowly becomes thrilling and strangling. Even if for us in the audience the consequences aren’t as daring.
It does stay tight. The only weakness it has is that it never feels like we are that involved and we are held at a distance. Just as we get to know Susie’s day-to-day before she starts investigating. There could have been more scenes to flesh everyone out. Instead of just moments. Where we are not quite sure what the meaning of them exactly are.
The film stays colorful and a bit odd at times. it never breaks into feeling bigger. Even though it takes place in a small town. The film stays feeling minute throughout.
However, it should be noted that race never plays into the film. Her being one of the few minorities in the film and being one of the smartest characters. Also helps her stand out and be more of interest.
It is a perfectly quirky film to watch and be a kind of time waster. Though by the end for all that it succeeds. You just wish it had a bit more impact. You want to give the film the goodwill it seems to want and deserve. Just as the main character seems to desire and lack.
By the end it is ambiguous though it leaves you quite sad. As a kind of melancholy begins to take over.
Written & Directed By: Nick Johnson & Will Merrick
Story By: Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty
Cinematography: Steve Holleran
Editor: Austin Keeling & Arielle Zakowski
Cast: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Ken Leung, Megan Suri, Amy Landecker, Joaquim DeAlmeida, Tim Griffin, Daniel Henney, Lauren B. Mosley, Jasmin Savoy Brown
After her mother goes missing, a young woman tries to find her from home, using tools available to her online.
This film is a good mystery, and will especially be a pleasure for homes loose in the audience. Especially true crime podcast audiences, who get shoutouts, and the film makes you feel like you are experiencing one of them.
It’s all about the reveals, but letting us know just enough information to see if we can get there first.
The first film, SEARCHING, was about learning all about who the father-daughter was, different from who he thought she was, and a kind of race against Time. Which this film offers similarly to an extent. Both films are told through modern technology. This one has more at its disposal. As we have gotten more innovations over the years
This film seems to be more about things at once, buried from the past coming to light and seeking revenge. Also comes across a bit more smooth and streamlined yet not as shocking as the first.
This film is perfect for these days as it is innovative while keeping that procedural feeling and getting to know the lead character along the way
It also offers to show the appeal for older audiences getting to know the technology used so much so that shocked that it didn’t have cross-promotion with Apple to help sell because there is plenty of product placement
It also offers a new friendship for the main character to bounce off of who helps along the way
We are given glimpses throughout, yet we are taken on by putting this puzzle together in front of us yet it offers a chance for us to put it together before being explained so that it feels more interactive
The third act feels a little far-fetched and reaching
The film is a crowd pleaser and better to watch at home not necessarily the theater as it might feel a little more realistic, watching it on the screen
The film is satisfying, which is becoming rare these days. As even though this film has a gimmick, it still focuses on character and story whereas it seems at times a lot of films get lost in the gimmick, or promote the gimmick and sacrifice the other things that would make the film, satisfying or even good
This film is definitely a product of its time in the modern era. It’s over the top but lets you know what to look for in a modern-day mystery.
Cut To The Chase 