Art in Love Jones

Many movies feature characters who have special talents, but in Love Jones the main characters had talents that match their personalities and helped kindly romantic relations ships. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) a poet from New York who traveled to Chicago for a small vacation ran into Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a inspiring Photographer. Nina had recently separated from her fiance and was trying to find her purpose in the world. Then Darius comes along and they meet at an upscale Chicago Night Club that features poetry and jazz.

Darius's poetry resembles his personality it is suave, smooth and captivating. He uses words eloquently and with conviction, he lures in unsuspecting listeners and he has the enchanted by his style which is very urban and raw but yet it is also tamed. His poetry is dirty but yet its sensual and filled with illusions.

Nina's photography expresses the way she sees the world. It shows the pain and agony she had once felt but it also shows a lot of happiness and strength by her depictions of hard work.

The music that is featured through out most of the movie is mainly jazz instrumentals like Charlie "Bird" Parker, and John Coltrane's In a Sentimental mood. The music works with the film since its set in an Black urban community of poets, painters, and musicians who gather to talk about the secrets to life, love and relationships.

All the different forms of art come together to express individual characters emotions and outlook on life. The music, the poetry, and the lighting all come together to make this movie have a sensual feel, a feel of longing for love and a good relationship and also of sex.

Great Acting!!

One great actor in my opinion would be Denzel Washington. He's a man that can be the lead character in just about any type of role. He has been one of Hollywood's greatest actors for the past two decades.

He has been in multiple movies and has many awards. He one and Oscar for his performance in Training Day when he played a crocked cop named Detective Alonzo Harris. He also won an academy award for Best supporting actor in 1991's Glory, where he played a runaway slave who became a soldier Pvt. Trip.

In all of his roles even ones where he played famous people such as Malcolm X, Steve Biko, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, and Coach Herman Boone Denzel Washington has always been able to bring tons of emotion to his characters. He is one outstanding actor who makes the best out of all the characters he has ever played.

He is a charmer that's for sure, and every one knows his name Denzel. His acting abilities are superb. He has a smile that mesmerizes women every where. His personality is smooth and subtle.

Head of State Trailer

Head of State

It's about time that the Movie Head of State became a reality! OBAMA!

But seriously the movie Head of State was about the United States having its first Black President. Mays Gilliam who was played by Chris Rock, and Bernie Mac was Gilliam's over bearing, insensitive, abusive, but knowledgeable older brother Mitch Gilliam.

The combo of comedic heavy weights paved the way for a hilarious movie. There were all types of antics involving Rock trying to avoid assassination and trying to have him avoid being true to himself. Rocks character was from the streets of D.C. and was chosen so he could loose the elections and make it easier for another Democrat to fun for office.

The movie is full a crazy scenarios where Rock changes his imagine from that of someone dressed in a suit and tie to a man wearing a RocaWear jean suit with timberland boots and big platinum chains. Even his ad campaign commercials had video vixens and a Dj.

The movie was funny and entertaining, but it also did have speeches in it that would make the audience think about policies in the country, and how some may need to be changed.

CB4 n' Don't Be a Menace

What's happened? Where did movies like CB4 short for Cell Block 4 and Don't be a Menace to south central while drinking your juice in the hood movies go? These movies may be classics in a category of their own. A category I'm going to name Hood Classics... Since they're movies that every one has seen in the "hood", they bring a funny side to "the harsh reality of the hood."

Sometimes during certain parts of the movie there are serious scenes that try to convince audience members that acting a certain way is wrong, and that people should take responsibility for their actions. Just sometimes you can forget what was trying to be a social commentary on peoples lifestyles when a baby with head the size of a mans complete with facial hair yells "Message" from its crib.

Also some actors had gained great fame from playing rolls like MC Gusto, who was played by a young Chris Rock in CB4. Also the Wayan's brothers Shawn and Marlon had leading roles in Don't be a menace.

There needs to be a new "Hood Classic", something like CB4 which poked fun at the west coast group N.W.A. changing one of their hits Straight Outta Compton into Straight Outta Lowcash. These type of movies were just fun to watch because they were so ridiculous and if you know exactly who and what situations people are making fun of then the movie becomes very memorable.

My favorite scene is from Don't Be a Menace was when Bernie Mac is mimicking a cop from the movie Boyz N the Hood. A cop who was an African-American and was overly dramatic with how much he hated things that were Black.

We need a new hood classic movie, especially now that the music style and fashion style has changed and how there was a dance craze going on for years with artist like Soulja Boy tell 'em, and Dem Franchize Boyz.

Sexual Exploitation of Women in Film: Princess And The Frog

A New Princess!

A new Disney movie! Awesome! The Princess And The Frog. A new princess, too! In more ways than one!

We meet "Princess" Tiana who doesn't want a prince. She doesn't want true love. She's an aspiring entrepenuer. Yes, independent female... workaholic... a waitress, in the '20's. Yes... 1920's!

Like most "princesses", she is fatherless. But... it's her mother who wants her to meet prince charming... her mother wants her to dance into her "happily ever after"... her mother wants her to become a princess. She wants grandkids after all!


Tiana, our New Orleans "princess", has a different dream. A dream she shared with her father. To own their own restaurant. Wow! What a twist from our typical princesses, huh? Too bad she turns into a frog.


Then, of course the fairy tale kicks in. "Mama Odie" tries to help the princess and prince frogs discover what's most important. (Mama Odie is only one of the many magnificent characters of the film.) Learning a valuable lesson is the only way the frogs can become human again.

What a movie! The Princess And The Frog goes beyond entertaining value. The "New Orleans flavor" is delightful... from the music and characters, to the production and quality. A fairytale "must see" for all!

As for female sexual exploitation? Watch the movie, you be the judge!

30 Second Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

This movie can best be described in three words...
"eh, it's alright."

The movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes, with Jude Law as his trusty sidekick Watson. The duo actually work very well together and have quite a bit of chemistry.

The only problem is that their on screen time is lost in the sometimes overly confusing plot.

Though the movie is still entertaining, viewers can get the sense that the makers of this movie tried to pack as much stuff into this film as humanly possible.

In the end it's a good movie, but not great.

C+


The Good: Good cast and action packed.
The Bad: A little too long and a little too much.
The Ugly: Why is London always so dreary?

Last Note: This movie would have been better if it were starring...
Kim Young.

- Matt