"Beauty Shop" is Simply a Queen Latifah Vehicle

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux


Beauty Shop (2005)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 on appeal for sexual material, language, and brief drug references
DIRECTOR: Bille Woodruff
WRITERS: Kate Lanier and Norman Vance, Jr.; from a story by Elizabeth Hunter
PRODUCERS: Elizabeth Cantillon, Shakim Compere, David Hoberman, Queen Latifah, Robert Teitel, and George Tillman, Jr.
CINEMTOGRAPHER: Theo van de Sande
EDITOR: Michael Jablow

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Alfre Woodard, Mena Suvari, Della Reese, Golden Brooks, Miss Laura Hayes, Paige Hurd, Little (Li’l) JJ, LisaRaye McCoy, Kevin Bacon, Djimon Hounsou, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Sherri Shepherd, Kimora Lee Simmons, Sheryl Underwood, Bryce Wilson, Omari Hardwick, Jim Holmes, and Adele Givens

Gina Norris (Queen Latifah) is a long way off from Chicago where we last saw her in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. She’s in Atlanta (Hot-lanta!) making her rep with the cutting-edge hairstyles she puts on the customers at a posh Atlanta salon. However, her flamboyant, egotistical boss, Jorge (Kevin Bacon), is jealous of her, and after one insult too many from him, Gina quits. She opens her on beauty shop, but right from the beginning, she has all the usual troubles that a small business has: not enough money, state regulations, unruly employees, etc. One of her old co-workers, shampoo girl, Lynn (Alicia Silverstone), and a few key clients, Terri (Andie MacDowell) and Joanne (Mena Suvari), follow her. Now, all she has to do is maintain her family obligations and keep her struggling business afloat. That should be easy, right? At least, there’s lot of laughter and friendship along the way.

Beauty Shop is a spin off, but by no means a sequel, to the Barbershop films. This really is a women’s movie, and with its diverse cast of black and white actresses, as well as other persuasions, it’s a (grown up) girls’ movie with crossover appeal. The language is a bit blue, and the frank talk about sex is enough to make even a veteran of caustic movies like myself blanch. Still, I saw children buying tickets to see the film, and it does reach out to them. Gina has a daughter, a character to appeal to younger viewers, and frankly, girls want to hear women talk; besides, Beauty Shop’s subject matter isn’t prurient.

The plot is light, but deals with a familiar and appealing theme: the little guy taking on the evil big guy who wants to squeeze the little guy out of existence. Beauty Shop has lots of laughs, but it’s as much a drama as it is a comedy. Gina’s struggle to stay afloat is not only precarious, but has a hard ring of verisimilitude. Also, some of the confrontations between characters are filled with funny wisecracks, but also have a dark edge and tension to them.

This is also an ensemble picture, with Queen Latifah in the lead, a character-driven film that focuses on the players with the plot holding second place. Everyone plays her (or his) oddball well enough, although Alicia Silverstone’s Georgia cracker, Lynn, is a bit too much, as is Kevin Bacon’s ridiculous Jorge. The Queen is an underrated actress. She handles the topsy-turvy of the film’s comic/dramatic turns with dexterity that belies her size. She’s a beautiful movie star, and her radiance grows with each film. Without her, Beauty Shop would be another tired “urban” movie cliché full of mouthy, smack-talking ethnics. Luckily, she is in Beauty Shop, and she raises this sub-par material and takes her co-stars with her.

6 of 10
B

April 10, 2005

Eugene Robinson on Lena Horne

In "Lena Horne: A Glamorous Revolutionary,"  Pulitizer Prize-winning journalist and commentator Eugene Robinson remembers Lena Horne, who died Sunday.  Robinson writes for The Washington Post, but Truthout is carry the piece.  Here is a highlight from the column:

Horne, who died Sunday at 92, was an infiltrator. She strode confidently through doors that had been closed to African-American entertainers, and was able to do so because white audiences found her not just beautiful and talented, but also non-threatening. Late in her life, she gave a sense of how difficult that role had been to play.

I recommend this reading this well written column.

Review: Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood" is Flick Still Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Running time: 143 minutes (2 hours, 23 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Kevin Reynolds
WRITERS: Pen Densham and John Watson (from a story by Pen Densham)
PRODUCERS: Pen Densham, John Watson, and Richard B. (Barton) Lewis with Kevin Costner (no screen credit)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Douglas Milsome
EDITOR: Peter Boyle
Academy Award nominee

ADVENTURE/ROMANCE/DRAMA with elements of action and comedy

Starring: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Alan Rickman, Geraldine McEwan, Michael McShane, Michael Wincott, Nick Brimble, and Soo Drouet with (uncredited) Sean Connery

Plagued by controversy, Kevin Costner’s reworking of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was the first blockbuster hit of 1991 and finished the year in the top five highest grossing films. On the way to the screen, Costner and his producing partners (Costner doesn’t actually get screen credit for his role as a producer) locked director Kevin Reynolds (Costner’s friend at the time) and editor Peter Boyle out of the editing room in order to cut their own version of the film.

Critics and fans panned Costner for his wooden acting, stiff speaking style, and bad English accent or half-accent, but the movie is entertaining. It’s not Errol Flynn’s The Adventures of Robin Hood (of which I find critical and fan opinion a tad bit overblown), but Prince of Thieves is rousing entertainment. Despite it’s almost television movie quality, Robin Hood is charming with its humor, slightly cheesy romance, and stirring adventure.

In this version, Robin of Locksley (Costner) returns from the Third Crusades with a foreign friend, the Moor Azeem (Morgan Freeman). Robin finds his father dead and his lands dispossessed to the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). Nottingham is starving the poor peasants and stealing their money, as well as gold and other treasures in order to create a large enough bribe to get the English barons to join him in a revolt against the still-missing King Richard the Lionhearted. Locksley becomes Robin Hood and joins a band of peasants hiding in Sherwood Forest. He convinces them to follow his lead in a revolt against Nottingham. Robin also has time to romance a childhood friend, Marian Dubois or “Maid Marian” (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who is also the flower of Nottingham’s eye.

Alan Rickman drew very favorable responses, even raves, for his performance as Nottingham, and he gives the film a decided edge with his gallows humor and his odd combination of self-deprecation and egotism. His Nottingham serves to make Costner’s stiff Robin Hood really seem like a bold and brave leader against Nottingham’s tyranny. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is a lovely presence and she brings enchantment to the Robin and Marian romance. This isn’t a great film, but Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a simple film that gives simple pleasures.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
1992 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Song” (Michael Kamen-music, Bryan Adams-lyrics, and Robert John Lange-lyrics for the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You")

1992 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Alan Rickman) and 1 nomination: “Best Costume Design” (John Bloomfield)

1992 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Michael Kamen) and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Michael Kamen-music, Bryan Adams-lyrics, and Robert John Lange-lyrics for the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You")

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On Lena Horne's Passing

As many of you know, iconic singer and actress Lena Horne died Sunday, May 9, 2010 at the age of 92.  I first became familiar with Horne through her appearance on the Sanford and Son episode "A Visit from Lena Horne" as herself (Season 2, Episode 12).  I admired her, but I'd being lying if I said that I was a big fan because I was not.

Most of Horne's film appearances were stand-alone sequences, in which she usually sang, that could be edited out without disrupting the films' story.  That was done to appease theatre owners and chains in the South that could not show black performers during the 1930s and 40s.

Associate Press writer Verena Dobnik offers this obituary via Yahoo.
At BET.com, April Woodard has an appreciation of Horne.

Review: Queen Latifah Makes "Taxi" a Winner

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Taxi (2004)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, sensuality, and brief violence
DIRECTOR: Tim Story
WRITERS: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, and Jim Kouf (based upon an earlier screenplay by Luc Besson)
PRODUCER: Luc Besson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Vance Burberry
EDITOR: Stuart Levy

ACTION/COMEDY with elements of crime and a thriller

Starring: Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Henry Simmons, Jennifer Esposito, Gisele Bundchen, Ana Cristina De Oliveira, Ingrid Vandebosch, Magali Amadei, Ann-Margaret, and Christian Kane with Jeff Gordon

Belle (Queen Latifah), a mouthy and feisty New York City cab driver with a souped up cab, helps Washburn (Jimmy Fallon), an inept and green cop, solve a series of bank hold ups committed by a band of female Brazilian bank robbers, led by the sexy Vanessa (Gisele Bundchen), who is as good at driving at super high speeds through NYC traffic as Belle is.

The first scene of Taxi, an American version of the French series created by Luc Besson (creator of The Fifth Element, who also produces this version), features a NYC bike messenger flying through and over the streets and landmarks of the city in a manner that would mark him as super human. It was like something out of a video game or a James Bond movie. When the biker reaches the office where he works, he slips off his helmet to reveal that he is Queen Latifah. A slim stunt rider can’t pass for someone as… pleasantly plumb as the Queen. But the Queen and her co-star, Jimmy Fallon, have it going on.

Taxi is a cheesy, thrill ride, a funny action comedy that has more laughs than it has moments that stretch belief, and it has lots of moments that cross over into fantasy. Still, the important thing in terms of entertainment is to make a funny movie. No, the cop/FBI angle, as it is in Taxi, wouldn’t work in the real world, but here it works to lots of laughs. And the car races and chase scenes may not be The Fast and the Furious, but they’re 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Queen Latifah and Fallon have great screen chemistry. You can really believe that her Belle hates Fallon’s Washburn, but there’s truth in both their characters. You can buy their characters and the progression of their relationship as the film progresses. It’s dumb, but funny. The Queen is a talented and funny screen comedienne, and Fallon’s shtick works here. He’s not the macho action star; he’s more sweet, charming and vulnerable, but what keeps him from being a chump is that his Washburn is perseveres. No matter what knocks him down, he’s subtly relentless and machine like in his quest to be an effective cop. You can respect this soft guy who is not so soft after all. He’s got grit and determination. So you may not have wanted to buy a ticket to see Taxi, but if you have a sense of humor, this thrilling, action-paced comedy is worth a rental.

7 of 10
B+

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Terrence Howard Opposite Jennifer Hudson in "Winnie" (A Negromancer News Bits & Bites Extra)

South African filmmaker Darrell J. Roodt (Father Hood and Cry, the Beloved Country) is directing a film called, "Winnie," with the screenplay based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography, Winnie Mandela: A Life.  Jennifer Hudon has been cast as Winnie Mandela.

Now, according to Hollywood trade paper, Variety, Terrence Howard has been tapped to play Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and Winnie's former husband.  The article at AOL Black Voices' "BV on Movies" blog has more information.

I do remember that there was some controversy in South Africa over the casting of Hudson as Winnie Mandela, and the BV article does mention it.  I have to say that I'm not crazy about this casting either, but I look forward to being surprised.

Review: "Iron Man 2" Doesn't Disappoint

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Iron Man 2 (2010)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: Justin Theroux (based on the characters and stories created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique (director of photography)
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Richard Pearson

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, John Slatterly, Jon Favreau, Garry Shandling, and Paul Bettany (voice)

Back in 2008, the most anticipated superhero event movie was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which certainly delivered on its promise and more. Many people were looking past the early May release of Iron Man; some had even been laughing at this film, which starred a superhero character that was probably C-list (at best) in the minds of the general movie-going audience. Iron Man was a surprise smash, grossing over 300 million dollars domestically. Now, the sequel, Iron Man 2, arrives with a bigger bang, and actually improves on the original – giving us more Iron Man-in-action.

As the new film opens, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) reveals to the world that he is the armored superhero, Iron Man, whom people previously believed was Stark’s bodyguard. However, that only puts Stark under more pressure from the federal government, especially the grandstanding Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), to share his technology with the military. Stark is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the technology will slip into the wrong hands.

When an unexpected adversary attacks Tony Stark using technology similar to the Iron Man armor, the public, the press, and Senator Stern are no longer willing to take no for an answer. In fact, this new villain, a Russian named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), has a connection to Tony’s late father, Howard Stark (John Slatterly), and Vanko even joins forces with Stark’s industrial rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). With his secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) by his side, Tony forges new alliances – the mysterious Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a shadowy new assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) – and confronts the two men determined to destroy him.

Watching Iron Man 2, one gets the feeling that the cast is having a good time, especially Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Downey spent a decade sabotaging his career via drug addiction, which was sad, but made even worse by the fact that Downey was such a damn fine actor. Surviving the scourge of Lady Cocaine, Downey has resurrected his career, in large part by revealing his deft skills as a comic actor who can throw down droll wit and sledgehammer snark with equal power. Iron Man 2 simply reminds me that I could watch Downey all day as Iron Man or Tony Stark

Gwyneth Paltrow is equally good as Pepper Potts, but her good work only serves as a reminder that this is a sadly underutilized character. Don Cheadle is a better Rhodey than Terrence Howard. Cheadle is so serious and strong in his performance that he makes it believable that Rhodey is one of the few people Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark respects, takes seriously, and genuinely likes. I was also quite surprised at how good Mickey Rourke is as Ivan Vanko; in fact, Rourke’s Vanko is good enough to become Stark’s signature film rival.

Sam Rockwell is not good as Justin Hammer, an annoying character that seems out of place here and is actually a detriment to the film. Scarlett Johansson is actually good in this film, but her character, though fun, is a little extraneous. Pepper Potts could have done much of what Natalie Rushman did in the story. That said I wouldn’t mind seeing the Natalie Rushman in her own movie.

Iron Man 2, however, is so highly-polished and entertaining that I’m inclined to ignore the faults: the occasionally clunky pacing, too many superfluous or unconnected characters, and that isolated awkward Nick Fury/Shield sub-plot. The superhero fight and action scenes make Iron Man 2 seem like a superhero comic book come to life as a high-octane thrill ride. Robots, Iron Man armor, battle suits, rockets, and assorted big guns pound away at the senses. The big (and extended) final battle between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko is dazzling. Though not perfect, moments like that made me wish Iron Man 2 wouldn’t end.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, May 10, 2010

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