Tag: Nia Long

HELD UP (1999)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Steve Rash

Written By: Jeff Easton

Story By: Erik Fleming and Jeff Easton

Concept By: Greg Edwards 

Cinematography: David A. Makin 

Editor: Jonathan Chibnall 

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.

Grade: C

MISSING (2023)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

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. 

Grade: B

FATAL AFFAIR (2020)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Peter Sullivan 
Written By: Peter Sullivan & Rasheeda Garner
Story By: Peter Sullivan & Jeffrey Schneck
Cinematography: Eitan Almagor
Editor: Randy Carter 

Cast: Nia Long, Omar Epps, Stephen Bishop, Aubrey Cleland, Maya Stojan, KJ Smith, Estelle Swaray 

Ellie tries to mend her marriage with her husband Marcus after a brief encounter with an old friend, David, only to find that David is more dangerous and unstable than she’d realized.

This is supposed to be an erotic thriller Burt here are only glimpses of erotica maybe two scenes that seem to almost go there before cutting away. There is an opening sex scene where you barely see anything and might be the sole reason for this film Getting an R Rating. 

Sir of the film plays like a Lifetime television movie, one of the more sensationalistic and ridiculous ones. Where you can’t believe half of what is going on. Now mix that with usually these types of films that comes out towards the end of the summer African American cinema is a thriller that has an actress front and center with a recognizable supporting cast.

The film stars the beautiful and overly capable actress Nia Long and Omar Epps as the lead. Yet the film Feels 10 – 15 years too late for them or most of the audience to really get excited about their on-screen pairing.

Also, it already seems that he is obviously a psycho that the film barely holds any surprises. Especially when the film doesn’t.

Live up to the title. As there is no actual affair. There is almost one that ends up. It happens and sets this guy off. Not that he wasn’t crazy before that and worse as unhinged as he is. You would expect him to be more obvious to others.

Not to mention that her old college friends tell her how obsessed the guy was with her in college and the fact she never knew or recognized it seems a little hard to believe. Could see if she thought maybe he had changed or maybe if his psychosis was brought on by seeing her again and that was what triggered her would have been a stronger plot device. 

The fact that he is a tech expert just feels convenient to the story of course. Though when they keep saying his ex looks like Nia Long’s character. When we see her she definitely does not, so while it works story-wise when we see it with our own eyes it seems very far-fetched.

Just as the fact that her best friend would believe a guy she just started dating over her best friend of years.

The film tries to be a thriller but it just comes across as silly and fun and unintentionally funny. Worst of all it’s not even that sexy.

The characters who end up being killed are minor, not even really secondary. It seems like anyone who has less than 10 lines in this movie is fair game to end up murdered. 

Grade: F

ROXANNE, ROXANNE

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

roxanne

Written & Directed By: Michael Larnell
Cinematography By: Federico Cesca
Editor: Claudio Castella
Music By: RZA 


Cast: Chante Adams, Nia Long, Mahershala Ali, Elvis Nolasco, Nelsan Ellis, Shenell Edmonds, Tremaine Brown Jr., Jermaine Crawford, Curtiss Hook, Adam Horowitz 


In the late 80s/ early 1990s, the most feared battle MC in Queens, New York, was a fierce teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At the age of 14, Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend as she hustled to provide for her family while defending herself from the dangers of the streets of the Queensbridge Projects in NYC.

Continue reading “ROXANNE, ROXANNE” →