DivaSoulSista

Movie Review: White House Down

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 23:41:00 +0000

Check your knowledge of civics and government at the door, and go into White House Down purely for the action. Do it that way and once it gets going, you’ll have a good time; otherwise, you’ll end up saying “WTF???” over and over again.

Starring and executive produced by Channing Tatum, Channing plays John Cale, a Capitol policeman who wants to be a Secret Service agent and who won’t be winning Dad of the Year. His precocious 11-year old daughter Emily (Joey King) calls him John. But he’s trying to win points with her by taking her on a tour of the White House (she’s a political junkie and knows as much about the White House as the obviously flustered tour guide). Meanwhile, head of Secret Service Finnery (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is wishing her mentor Walker (James Wood) a happy retirement. President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) is brokering a controversial Middle East peace plan. And then … well … and then all hell breaks loose.

Led by homegrown terrorist Stenz (Jason Clarke) and uber-hacker Tyler (Jimmi Simpson), first the Capitol and then the White House go under full assault.

It took a while to get going. In fact, there was way too much exposition. We got it five minutes in. The president is working on a controversial peace plan. After looking at my watch (theoretically because I don’t really own a watch and it is rude to do the phone thing in a dark theater) several times, the action finally started rolling. And when it did, it never really stopped.

I truly hope the people guarding the president and the members of congress are more skilled than what we saw in this film. It is if the baddies just walked in and killed EVERYONE on the president’s detail without breaking a sweat. Seriously, they made it look easy. Not to mention, there is one glaring plot hole at the end. And I usually get swept away in the movie enough to gloss over a few plot holes so this one had to be major (and it was).

Yet, Tatum and Foxx have great chemistry and little Joey King held her own as the plucky, smart daughter. But the plot took itself way too seriously and got increasingly over-the-top as it went on. The politics were a little too obvious and easy. President ~~Obama~~ Sawyer … good, anyone that doesn’t agree with him … bad. In this movie, not agreeing with the president makes you an extreme right-winger hell bent on destroying the country. It was just a little too pat for me.

The casting almost made it too easy to tell who would end up being a bad guy. There are just some actors that you know, right off the bat, will end up on the wrong side by the end. That was true in spades here. As characters made their first appearances, I knew they'd end up bad just based on casting.

I enjoyed it but that is because I saw it at an early matinee. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I had paid full price.

Movie Review: World War Z

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 00:27:00 +0000

Before I get into the review, I have two things to say. First, within the ‘monster universe’ I like Zombies the least. At least vampires are seductive and sexy. Werewolves are animalistic and .. sexy. Ghoest are terrifying but kind of cool. Zombies? Zombies are unattractive, not especially bright, have no charm to speak of and their cannibals… Gross!

Having said that, I went into World War Z with an open mind. As always, I saw it at a morning show. It’s always a good thing for a film’s box office when a 10:15 a.m. has a healthy audience. It is also good for the film when there is spontaneous applause when the credits begin to roll. What that says to me is that regardless of what the critics say, if this is your kind of movie. Then you’ll probably like it.

We never find out exactly how World War Z started. Basically former UN operative Gerry (Brad Pitt) and his wife Karen (Mireille Enos) are the happy parents of two happy daughters. While taken then to school, all hell breaks loose. Really it does. A traffic jam turns into madness and mayhem when zombies take to the street and begin turning people into zombies.

Brad Pitt gets called back to duty and before we know it, he’s jet-setting around the world – from South Korea to Israel to Europe in search of Patient Zero or some kind of cure.

The action starts and never stops. However, there is a great deal of humanity to the activities that make the action more than just gratuitous scenes action for the sake of action. I also appreciated the fact that the gory was kept to a minimum. Flesh-eating zombies can give filmmakers carte blache to get all bloody and gory and gross. Thankfully, they didn’t go that route.

Can’t say I loved it but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

Movie Review: Man of Steel

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 01:19:00 +0000

Superman is not the easiest hero to bring to the screen. Lately, with Iron Man, Spiderman, and of course, Batman, it was achingly obvious that he was the one most in need of a reboot. What makes Superman so hard to bring to the screen is his perfection. While we all strive for perfection, no one wants to see a movie about a perfect flawless hero. Batman is just dark. Spiderman has teenage angst, awkwardness and the guilt from losing Uncle Ben to contend with. Iron Man has to grapple with his ego and his daddy issues. And the Hulk? Well, it would be an understatement to say that he has anger issues. Superman with his chiseled good looks, strong morals and indestructibility, makes for difficult character development.

So, with Man of Steel we begin again. We see how Clark Kent a.k.a Kal-El (Henry Cavill) got to earth. We meet his parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Faora-Ul (Antje Traue). As their planet imploded, they sent their newborn Kal-El off into the unknown while they perished with their planet. However, before their demise, they thwarted a last minute coup from General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his group of power hungry Kryptonians. Zod and crew escaped the end of their civilization by being sent away in a prison shuttle doomed to an eternity of frozen solitude.

We see Clark’s earthy parents (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). And as a child and young adult, he struggled with his powers and, more importantly, with hiding his true nature (and strength) from the residents of Smallville, Kansas who wouldn’t know what to make of this superhuman alien in their midst.

So as an adult, Clark roams. From fishing boatman to busboy, he bounces from scene to scene. Once he displays his powers – to save a group of men on an exploding oil rig or to come to the aid of an overworked waitress – he has to move on.

He ends up at the South Pole, helping a group of military types who have an unidentified object on their hand. It piques his interest and it should. It’s the last vestiges of his home planet. There, he meets his father, or his memory, and is able to learn about the last days of his people. As fate would have it, a nosy reporter, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is on this case and follows Clark. She learns the truth about him, though no one wants to believe her. Meanwhile, Zod has managed to locate Clark on earth. He holds the planet hostage until they can get a hold of him.

Christopher Nolan, of The Dark Knight Trilogy, produced Man of Steel, but he clearly didn’t direct it. I wanted desperately to love this movie. Henry Cavill was a solid Superman and a very good casting decision. I even liked Crowe, Costner and Lane as his parents. Normally, I can take or leave Amy Adams but she was a plucky Lois Lane. So what was the problem?

I enjoyed the scenes on Krypton and as Clark was growing up. They had heart. However, that heart was lost of the modern day scenes. And heart was needed in the Kent-Lane relationship, in particular, and in these scenes in general. The last half-hour is just a series of explosions and special effects. It went on so long that the intensity was replaced with boredom.

A little romance, or at least a little levity would have been nice. Because Superman is not a Dark Knight, it would have been appropriate to have a little bit of humor. My introduction to Superman wasn’t the comics. It wasn’t the George Reaves of the old black-and-white television show. It was Christopher Reeve, whose Superman was romantic and charming. A dose of that would have gone a long way in this film.

Having said all of that, I will be back in my seat, munching on my popcorn when the next installment comes out. Speaking of being in your seat, you can leave yours when the credits start as there is no post-credit scene to wait around for.

Movie Review: Hangover 3

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 27 May 2013 16:36:00 +0000

I went into The Hangover 3 with high hopes … even though part of me knew better. Comedy trilogies, in my open lose steam with each version. The first is always the funniest. The second is still funny but doesn’t quite have the magic of the first and the third? Well, the third is always the least funny of the bunch. This is exactly what happened with the Hangover series.

This is a departure from the first two in that there is no major blackout involved. They know what is going on the entire time. Long story short … when Alan’s (Zach Galifianakis) father dies, he goes off of his meds and is in dire need of an intervention. So the Wolf Pack reunites: Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha). The group is responsible for taking Alan to the rehab facility in Arizona.

But, a funny thing happens on the way to the facility. They run into Marshall (John Goodman) and Black Doug (Mike Epps). Apparently the Wolf Packs hijinx from the first two films ended up with Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) stealing $21 million in gold bars from Marshall … and he wants his gold back. Since Alan has been writing to Chow throughout his stay in a Bangkok prison, Marshall determines that The Wolf Pack are his best bet for tracking Chow down and retrieving his gold.

They start in Tijuana and, of course, end up in Vegas where the Wold Pack saga comes to a close.
I had some chuckles but I don’t think I had any real laugh out loud moments. Unfortunately, Hangover 3 suffers from trailer-it is – when all the best parts show up in the trailer. You knew the funniest moments were coming a mile away. I would have loved to see a cameo from Mike Tyson, we do get a scene with Heather Graham but it wasn’t all that funny. What was funny were the scenes with Alan and his lady love Cassie (Melissa McCarthy) but then again, the best part of that scene was featured in the trailer too.

I have to say, I’ve never been a huge Bradley Cooper fan but he was definitely bringing the hotness here. Is it wrong to say that I would have loved to see him shirtless? Nevertheless, the end of the Wolf Pack saga was a satisfying one. I just wish it had been a funnier journey.

In the previous Hangover movies, the best outtakes were shown during the credits. While you don’t get outtakes here, there is one great scene that probably had the only real laugh out loud moment (okay there was ONE).

American Idol Reboot

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

The Dawg is already gone, Ms. Mariah needs more than tight
dresses to stay at the judges table. Ryan - aint goin' nowhere.
Nicki? We all know she's already gone. Keith Urban, the only
one I would want to see again next season.

I've been watching American Idol since the beginning. I have to admit, the past few years have been a challenge - lackluster contestants (with Adam Lambert being an exception and probably Philip Philips) and a parade of 'celebrity' judges who have not earned their large paychecks. With the lowest ratings in the show's history for this past season, Idol producers need to take note. Do something different. Do something completely different.

So what happened?

I get it. A lot of reality shows thrive on tension and drama ... but American Idol isn't one of those shows. The immature conflicts between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey was painful to watch. So guess what? A lot of people opted not to. Take a look at The Voice which has benefitted from the great and positive chemstry between judges (and a note to Voice producers, keep this foursome!).

Out of the four, the only one I could possibly see coming back would be Keith Urban. Randy has already bowed out. Nicki Minaj has ticked so many people off that she won't be back and really, I know she's 'Mariah' but I don't think she needs to be back either. The best judge isn't even a judge, it's Jimmy Iovine. He knows what he's talking about and gives targeted feedback.

Then there are the contestants. It ended well, (love me some Candice) but getting there was at times painful. Zonette? Really? Some of the people that made it to the live shows had me questioning the judges' train of thought.

Suggestions

Go back to basics. When Idol started, no one knew who Simon Cowell or Randy Jackson were. I'm pretty sure they didn't break the bank to get Paula Abdul. Yet, it became the #1 show. AI made Simon and Randy stars and revived Paula's career.

Find several industry-insiders who can provide some Jimmy Iovine-style credibility and personality and put them at the judges table. Add a star that is past their heyday, but who has some knowledge and put them at the table. Yes, this would be a Paula Abdul-like role, but don't look for the next Paula Abdul.

Save the Drama for your Mama. And truth be told, your mama probably doesn't want to hear all that mess either. Have judges that actually get along.

Enough of the Judges Already! American Idol is at its best when it operates as a singing competition. In other words, make it about the contestants again and less about the judges. Find contestants that the audience can root for. We should be tuning in each week to see what the singers are going to sing not which diva is going to act the bigger fool.

Current Theme Weeks: After this season when the contestants relieved their painful ignorance of archaic, little known acts like The Beatles, I propose losing the decade-based themes. Instead go with different kinds of themes: Best Break-Up Songs, Diva Week, Acoustic/A Capella Week, Best High School Song.

If Idol wants to dominate the ratings again, they will have to do more than a little tweaking.

Movie Review: Star Trek: Into Darkness

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:35:00 +0000

Weather wise it hasn’t even really started to heat up yet, but the Summer Movie Season is underway. This week’s major release was the second in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek series, Star Trek: Into Darkness. I enjoyed it but I expected it to be pretty good (just not great).

Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) is still a renegade, ignoring orders and doing things his way. The problem, at least in the beginning is that Dr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) is still, well, Spock – logical, pragmatic and unable to tell a lie. So after Kirk goes against order and saves Spock’s life, Spock gets him in trouble for it! Of course, there are bigger problems afoot when John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) shows up with quite an explosive entry. In fact, his actions threaten to start a war between the Federation and the Klingons. Never fear, the faithful Enterprise crew is here: Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Checkov (Anton Yelchin), and Sulu (John Cho).

The performances were good – especially Pine and Quinto who have an easy chemistry with each other – and Cumberbatch who has the intensity necessary of an action movie villian. However, this movie was all about the effects and the action. It starts at the beginning and never lets up. This is a good thing; however, a little more attention to the plot and the story would have made a good thing a whole lot better.

I saw this in 3-D and it was worth it. This is the kind of movie that needs to be in 3-D. It isn’t gimmicky but essential to this kind of movie. I will tell you this upfront, don’t bother staying though the credits. There is no teaser or aster-the-credits extra scene. So when the credits roll, so can you.

Movie Review: The Great Gatsby

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:57:00 +0000

I haven’t seen Les Miserables and, despite the great reviews, I don’t know if I ever will. You see, some 20+ years ago, I was forced to read about Jean Valjean and Cosette and the whole very sad, very miserable crew and I hated every minute of it. I hated it so much that decades later I can’t even bear the thought of a cinematic version. It was the exact opposite with The Great Gatsby. I read it in high school and I loved it. I enjoyed the adaptation with Robert Redford (Gatsby), Mia Farrow (Daisy) and Sam Waterson (Nick). I couldn’t wait to see this one.

For the most part, I wasn’t disappointed. Leonardo DiCaprio did a great job of capturing Jay Gatsby’s determination and hopeless hopefulness. Normally, I’m not a huge Tobey McGuire fan but he did a solid job of capturing the role of the trying-to-be-objective narrator, Nick Carraway. For those who aren’t familiar with the story, five years earlier, a penniless Gatsby met Daisy Buchanan and fell head-over-heels with the beautiful young privileged girl. He went off to war and made Daisy (Carey Mulligan) promise that she’d wait.

Daisy, however, broke that promise and married Tom (Joel Edgerton) a boorish, philandering man who, like her, came from old money. If she would have waited, Gatsby would have come back. It was always his plan. In the years he was away, he earned millions, enough wealth, he thought, to earn Daisy’s heart.

With Tom’s constant cheating, Daisy seemed like she might be ready for what Gatsby had to offer but as Nick warned his friend, "You can’t recreate the past."

As I said, I really enjoyed DiCaprio as Gatsby the hopeful dreamer who, you could tell, wasn’t afraid to be ruthless to get what he wanted. Like his character in Catch Me If You Can, DiCaprio (and the character of Gatsby) have mastered the art of reinvention. Edgerton's Tom also proved to be a formidable challenger for Daisy’s heart.

Now, the movie opens and closes in a snowy asylum where Nick pins The Great Gatsby as part of his therapy. What? Hey, kids, if you want to bypass the book and just use the film instead, know that this little artistic license did not happen in the novel. I didn’t understand why Nick, for one, would end up in an asylum and, two, why the book would have to be written there. Couldn’t it just be a memoir based on an important and pivotal time in his life?

Then there is the matter of Daisy. I thought Carey Mulligan was good but I left wondering if someone else could have been better in that role. Mulligan was good but not great. Director/co-writer Luhrmann gave Daisy a lot more depth than she had in the book. As she was written by Fitzgerald, Daisy just wasn't the kind of woman who would ever be capable of the kind of love that Gatsby demands … and never was. Part of the tragedy is that the past Gatsby so desperately wanted to create was never there.

Yet this is a Baz Luhrmann spectacle and he brings on the dazzling visuals. The infamous parties Gatsby is known for as well as the speakeasies and mansions give him a colorful playground to romp and play in. The soundtrack, has more than a nod to executive producer Sean “Jay-Z” Carter. It is a mash-up of rap and current songs with a 20’s feel. Jay-z, Beyonce, and Will-I-Am are featured. There is even a 20’s version of Amy Winehouse classic Back to Black.

Gatsby is a kinetic visual spectacle with a few really strong performances. We saw it in 2-D, if I could have done it again, I’d do the 3-D version.

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:37:00 +0000

Iron Man 3 appears to be the last in the Iron Man trilogy. If so, the movie went out with a bang, lots of bangs. Out of the three, I have to say I think the first one is the best but 3 makes a very valiant effort to usurp that first one. It says a lot that I saw the movie twice over the weekend.

Iron Man 3 takes place after The Avengers. As a result of going through the wormhole in that film, the Tony Stark in this film is scarred. He can’t sleep and he’s having panic attacks. His solution? Throw himself into his work. He ends up with over 40 Iron Man suits that respond to his beck and call.

He’ll need all of those suits to combat the latest terrorist threat, The Mandarin (played deliciously by Ben Kingsley and not to be confused with the delicious little oranges usually in a light syrup). Working for The Mandarin is Aldrich Killian (played by a slightly bulked up Guy Pearce), a scientist that Stark blew off at a party over a decade before.

The Mandarin is wreaking havoc through a series of televised terrorist events. It is first up to the Iron Patriot (a red, white and blue Iron Man worn by Don Cheadle) to vanquish him. Adding to the mix is the head of Stark Industries and Stark’s significant other, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow – who could use a few sandwiches with cheese and extra mayo) and her new head of security, Iron Man’s best friend and former bodyguard Happy (Jon Favreau).

Lovers of action will love Iron Man 3 which has some seriously intense and long action sequences. Yet, Robert Downey Jr. has always brought the fun and comedy to the series and he definitely does not disappoint here. Some of his best lines are exchanged with Harley (Ty Simpkins) a young boy he meets along the way to saving the world.

If I had a problem with the movie it was the nature of the villain. The Mandarin’s warriors have the ability to regenerate limbs and survive just about anything. Yet, to me, it was never clear what could actually kill them and what made some of them blow up. Was it intentional? Was it accidental? It was never made clear.
However, the villains did turn into a freaky red-orange color and the fact that they could blow up made for a lot of cool explosions and ratcheted up the action feature a few notches.

The film ‘ended’ the trilogy satisfactorily. It seemed like a fitting conclusion - so much so that a 4th Iron Man would seem a little disingenuous. Of course stay until the very, very end for a funny little after the credits sequence.

Movie Review: A Place Beyond the Pines

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:05:00 +0000

At its core, The Place Beyond the Pines is a tale of fathers and sons. It’s about how the actions of the father affect the son and ultimately how he son eventually comes full circle incorporating a lot of who the father was into who he is. With award-worthy performances from Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, this two hour and twenty minute film sometimes meanders but redeems itself in the end. It’s a movie that stays with you.

In the beginning, Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a carnival worker whose act involves motorcycling in a circular cube. As he travels from city to city, he has his share of hook-ups with the local ladies. One such connection comes in the form of Romina (Eva Mendes). When he returns to her town the following year, he’s surprised to find that she’s had a baby, his baby. This is a game-changer for Luke and he vows to be the father he never had. Immediately he quits the circus. Yet he doesn’t make the money to support himself, not to mention a child.

When his friend and landlord, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) suggests they rob a bank, Luke initially balks. However, he realizes that he isn’t much good at anything else and the pair set off to make some fast cash. All goes well until Luke gets a little too cocky. After a botched robbery and a high speed chase, he ends up trapped in a house. Enter patrolman and father of his own one-year old, Avery (Bradley Cooper). The two have a showdown that ends up making Avery’s career.

Soon, the privileged son of a judge and law school graduate is making a name for himself as an assistant district attorney. Years pass and as his career climbs, both boys get older. The film’s final act show the boys as teens on the cusp of manhood.

Director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance paces his movie slowly and takes time to let it evolve. This is both a good and a bad thing. We have the time to see the characters develop – which is awesome given the caliber of the performances. Gosling especially embodies the intensity and the desperation of a man who wants to be better but doesn’t know how to go about it. For his part, Cooper’s character doesn’t have the same intensity but he has the thoughtfulness and ambition that a man like his character would require. While not as flashy, he gives a very solid performance.

Both Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen, who play the teenage sons of Luke and Avery also give genuine performances.

However, there are lulls and moments when the pace seems too slow. The film is long, but in retrospect, it isn’t a case where I could see where it was indulgent. It is long because it has to be to tell the story it’s telling fully. The film has a lot to say and none of it can be said quickly.

Movie Review: 42

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:44:00 +0000

My grandfather was a huge baseball fan. In fact, I can’t think of baseball without thinking of him. He was a fan, a Cleveland Indians fan, for life. He was an adult in 1947 and rooted for Jackie Robinson as he made history (and later Larry Dobie as the first black man on the Cleveland Indians). As I walked into the theater to see 42, Grandpa weighed heavy on my mind. When I left the theater two hours later, he was still there and he would have been proud.

42 chronicle the decision by Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) to bring the first African-American to professional sports. At the time, Jim Crow and segregation were the law …. But that didn’t mean blacks weren’t playing baseball. It just meant that they were relegated to playing in their own league where players like Satchel Page were making names for themselves. Rickey chooses Jackie Robinson (newcomer Chadwick Boseman). In their first meeting, he asks Robinson, if he is strong enough to fight back by not fighting back. Throughout the film, Robinson proves that turning the other cheek took a lot more strength than giving into the quick and understandable response of fighting back.

And fight he must. He fights against teammates, fans, members of the opposing teams and his own desire to fend for himself. In his corner the entire time is his wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie). Hailing from California, the missus hadn’t encountered Jim Crow segregation until she traveled with her husband. She too, had to restrain her urges to fight back (although she does walk into a Whites Only bathroom to prove a point).

42, wisely chooses to focus on the decision to make Robinson a Brooklyn Dodger and his first year on the team. The movie does lag at times, but by focusing on this targeted and critical time period, it moves along without being mired in years of a long life well-lived. I also liked the fact that writer/director Brian Hegleand chose not to go with a basic black and white portrayal (pun intended). Of course, blacks rooted for him. However, not all white people were against him. A lot of them were but not all of them. I also appreciated the fact that many of his teammates eventually came around (but it took time) and others never did (and in several instances were traded).

When I looked up Chadwick Boseman, I found that he had a number of guest roles on a variety of shows (Law & Order, Castle, Justified, Fringe, etc.) and roles in several series, Lincoln Heights and Persons Unknown. However, 42 is his first lead role. I want to see him in more. He was great. He carried his rage with restraint and dignity. Quite a performance! Hats off to Beharie as his wife. I was introduced to her in 2008 with her debut American Violet. She played a single mother facing serious prison time for trumped up drug charges. I’ve wanted to see more of her as well. Hopefully, we all will now. Finally, Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey got to act. He’s getting a little long in the tooth for all of those action roles and it is good to know that he can still act.

My least favorite sport (sorry Grandpa!), 42 even made baseball look interesting. And that’s saying something. Like any bio-pic, there is more to this story than meets the eye, but 42 is a solid effort chronicling an important moment in American History.

Movie Review: Tyler Perry's Temptation

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:59:00 +0000

I know what I am about to write is tantamount to heresy in some circles but I have never been a huge Tyler Perry fans. Sure Madea is funny and he has gotten some solid performances from his actors. However, his tendency to sermonize, his kitchen sink approach to storytelling (let’s throw about four or five stories into the plot and see what happens) and his tendency to cast himself into a number of his films often leave me wanting more … a lot more. So I was surprised that I liked Temptation as much as I did.

Based on his play, The Marriage Counselor, the story is told by a counselor speaking with a client. She tells the cautionary tale of her sister Judith (Jurness Smollett-Bell) who was married to her childhood sweetheart Brice (Lance Gross). After college, they leave the country and head to the big city, Washington D.C. He is a pharmacist in a small pharmacy and she takes a job as a counselor in a matchmaking firm run by the very French Janice (Vanessa Williams) and her designer label-conscious co-worker Ava (Kim Kardashian). Judith desperately wants to run her own marriage counseling practice while her practical (and absolutely delectable husband) sees her dream as coming to fruition in about 10 years.

Complicating matters is Harley (Robbie Jones), an ambitious young Internet billionaire, who isn’t a client at the matchmaking firm but is considering taking their company and Judith’s compatibility test to the Internet. The two work together very closely and before long he’s giving her the attention her husband has often overlooked. He also stokes the fires of her ambition and before long he’s stokes some other fires as well. Judith’s mother, the Reverend (Ella Joyce) sees exactly what’s going one while poor Brice takes longer to realize what’s really going on.

This is still a Tyler Perry morality play. The people who behave badly (sinfully) will pay the price for their actions and the ones who stay the course will eventually get the pay-off they deserve. However, what I liked were the performances … especially by Smollet-Bell and Gross. I liked the fact that there was a main plot and a sub-plot, involving Brice’s new pharmacist’s assistant (Brandy Norwood). There weren’t a ton of distracting sub-plots. And, Perry didn’t play one of the leads. While he is coming into his own as a director, his acting leaves a lot to be desired, especially if the role requires sexiness. Lance Gross had it in spades, Robbie Jones not so much but he was the rich guy who paid attention to her and I guess that was what mattered most with his character (he did bring some shirtless sexy but Gross outsexied him by a mile).

I do think that this movie is a bit of a risk for Perry. It is sexier that any of his previous films and I think that will alienate a sizable portion of his Christian audience. Yes, there is a strong moral and Joyce plays the Voice of Religious Reason well (a bit too over the top at times) but there are several sex scenes as well. Tame sex scenes but sex scenes none the less.

This was a pleasant surprise.

Lose the 'Tude!!!

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:07:00 +0000

If you just looked at these pictures, you'd
think the Idol judges were the ones having
all the fun. You'd be wrong!

The Voice started last week. Because I’m obsessed with The Following on Mondays and I don’t get home til late on Tuesdays, I caught the encore episodes on NBC last night. Almost immediately, I realized why The Voice was the #1 music competition show. It was fun. The judges seemed to be having fun. The contestants seemed to be having fun. I was having fun watching it.

Now move over to FOX and take a look at American Idol. It becomes painfully clear why Idol is experiencing the lowest ratings in the shows history. Yes, they got several ‘big names’ but they also have a ton of unnecessary drama.

On The Voice, the single-monikered newbies, Shakira and Usher, fit in nicely with Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. Yes, it’s a competition, but it’s an enjoyable competition and the chemistry between the four of them is pleasant to watch. In fact, I am liking Shakira, as the resident girl much better than I ever liked Christina Aguilera (especially in her last season when she really let the bitch out of her cage).

On Idol, the only judge I like now is Keith Urban. He’s engaged and enthusiastic. Randy, Nicki and Mariah look like they don’t want to be there. Nicki showed up late for one of the live shows, since then she’s managed to show up promptly but is it any better? Not really. Her crazy, rambling, bitchy commentary is unnecessary (The one she gave about fixing pancakes with syrup and butter on a Saturday morning was the most ridulous thing I've heard in a while). Plus, she has already stated repeatedly that she wants to see all five girls in the top five. Biased much? Great quality in a judge!

Mariah is a joke. She’s literally phoning it in … yes, she’s been caught several times texting during performances. Really? The live shows are an hour-long. She’s being paid a shitload of money (sources say $18 million for one season) for Idol. Crazy idea but maybe just showing up isn’t enough. Try earning the money. Dare I say, work for it? It’s not really a hard job.

Then there is the two of them together. I guess not all train wrecks are that worthy of watching. These two ‘divas’ can’t even stand or sit next to each other. One cringes every time the other one speaks. Well, I guess no one said topping the charts required maturity.

With the low ratings (which are still pretty damn good), it’s clear that Nicki is not bringing in the younger audience and Mariah doesn’t have the pull everyone thought she would. Neither one of them need to be back next season. In fact, throw Randy out too!

Finally, there is the talent. The Idol formula is no longer working. Effeminate black men, obligatory country girls, a couple of cute white guys, someone who appeals to an ethnic audience (Filipino or Hispanic…)Yawn! The Voice has better talent and it’s not nearly as cookie cutter.

Whether we are talking the not-so-dearly departed (from The Voice) Christina or Ms. Minaj or Queen Carey, the truth of the matter is that when it comes to television ratings or just making good TV show that diva attitude that serves them so well on stage and in the recording studio doesn’t translate to television. If these divas want to do reality TV, they should ditch the competitions and go the way of the Kardashians and The Real Housewives of Whatever. They can build an entire show around diva-tude, bitchiness and grown women acting immaturely. There is definitely a market for that kind of bad behavior, it just isn’t the Idol/Voice market.

A Good Reason to Watch SNL!

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:26:00 +0000

It seems like Adam Levine is trying to give Samuel L. Jackson some competition for the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Maroon 5 is so popular that their latest effort is called Overexposed. He's about to start on the fourth season of The Voice. He tried his hand at acting in this season's American Horror Story. So what is the next frontier for our Jack of All Trades? Comedy. He'll be hosting the January 26 episode of Saturday Night Live. The band will get to rest a bit because Maroon 5 will not be the musical guest - that duty will fall to Kendrick Lamar.

Each time Maroon 5 has performed on SNL, Adam has appeared in a sketch. I'm a little scared though, SNL is so hit or miss when it comes to writing for their hosts. I hope they do my boy justice. I will be counting down the days.

Here's a Digital Short he did with Andy Samberg and Jake Gyllenhaal (blink and you'll miss him!) a few seasons ago.

Oops ... I Forgot!

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:06:00 +0000

I was looking at my last post and realize I forgot several programs that I really am looking forward to.

Catfish (Monday, January 7, MTV, 11:00 pm): I've only seen trailers and excerpts of the documentary, Catfish, but I know the story. A young man (Nev) was duped by a woman he 'fell in love with' online. Of course, the dowdy middle-aged housewife was nothing even remotely close to the hot young thing she claimed to be. In fact, she had lied about almost everything. Now, Nev, together with MTV, is helping people meet and uncover the truth about their online loves.

I cannot stop watching this show. The only thing more amazing than people willing to maintain a relationship, in some cases for years, with someone they've never met is the lengths people will go to to lie and manipulate someone else. A new episode airs this Monday night and I can't wait!

Scandal (Thursday, January 10, ABC, 10:00): I got hooked on Scandal when it debuted late last season. It started off strong but since then, it's really picked up momentum. Kerry Washington is a crisis management expert who can manage any crisis but has a much harder time managing her own life. With her true love, The President of the United States, fighting for his life after an assassination attempt and one of her staff members being blamed for it, she'll have her hands full Thursday night!

Nashville (Wednesday, January 9, ABC, 10:00): I can't say that I am a country music fan, but over the past few years, I've come to really appreciate it. However, it says something when a show called Nashville can stand on its own, outside of the music. Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere, play a country music icon and a country It Girl who will eventually have to work together (it helps that they can't stand each other). It also has family drama and politics thrown into the mix.It also has Powers Boothe as a powerful and corrupt family patriarch.

Praise the Lawd and Pass the Remote!

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:42:00 +0000

The holiday season is great for friends, family and, of course, shopping but it’s not so great for TV viewers. Ah the Doldrums of December! Three weeks of repeats and Christmas movies that you’ve already seen a million times. I was just about to crawl out of my skins; but, starting tonight, things are going to start getting better.

Wednesday, January 2: It starts with a new episode of American Horror Story tonight at 10:00. It looks like someone beside Sister Jude (or should I say the former Sister) has seen the real Mary Eunice.

Saturday, January 5: There are repeats of Once Upon a Time all evening. I can live with that because it’s a lead-up to an all-new episode Sunday night.

Sunday, January 6: Finally, new Once Upon a Time! I’ll go ahead and say it. This will probably be the best part of my weekend. I know I need to get a life but for now this will have to do!

Monday, January 7: Castle (ABC, 10:00)is back. I know most people don’t like it when the couple finally gets together on a show but I think Beckett and Castle work well as a couple. I enjoy watching their banter and chemistry. Yet, I’m sure there relationship will be tested on this evening’s show when Castle’s ex-wife moves in to care for a sick Alexis. I’ll most likely DVR Castle and watch ….

Deception (NBC, 10:00) is a new show I plan on checking out. Megan Good plays a detective trying to infiltrate her best friend’s family to find out who killed her.

Tuesday, January 8: All of my FOX comedies are back: Raising Hope, Ben & Kate, The New Girl and The Mindy Project. Although Ben & Kate got a full season order of 19 episodes, ratings are far from hot. It isn’t expected to last past the season. The Mindy Project is firmly on the bubble and could go either way. Having watched several episodes of both shows, Ben & Kate is definitely funnier. If I were a FOX exec, I’d keep Ben & Kate and axe The Mindy Project.

Other Midseason Shows on my calendar.

American Idol (Wednesday, January 16, FOX 8:00): I know all about the Nicki Minaj/Mariah Carey feud and I couldn’t care less. Am I the only AI fan who, and call me crazy, actually watches for the talent. It really doesn’t matter if NM and MC get along or not. What matters to me is if they can spot and put through good talent that makes me want to watch.

The Following (Monday, January 21, FOX 9:00): Kevin Bacon doesn’t really do TV. I’m hoping that since he’s signed on to The Following that it will be pretty good. He plays a former FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer (James Purefoy) who has escaped from prison and has a legion of followers who are willing to kill for him. Really looking forward to this one.

Smash (Tuesday, February 5, NBC 10:00): The second season of Smash moves from Monday to Tuesday and it opens with a two-hour premiere (starting at 9:00). We’ve gotten rid of four old characters and welcomed in a few new ones … including a recurring role for Jennifer Hudson!

Celebrity Apprentice (Sunday, March 3, NBC 9:00): By far, this is the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. I am dying to know what will top last season’s Clay Aiken “I’m a grown ass man!” rant. This is the All-Star season which includes former winners Trace Adkins and Brett Michaels. However, it also includes LaToya Jackson, Gary Busey, Dennis Rodman and Omarosa (who was never on Celebrity Apprentice but became a celebrity after being featured in the first season of regular Apprentice).

The Voice (Monday, March 25, NBC, 8:00) Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are back for Season 4 of The Voice. However, we’ve got two new stars in our revolving red seats. Replacing Cee-lo Green and Christina Aguilera are Usher and Shakira.

It's getting cold (hey, I'm in North Carolina). It's a great time to sit in my favorite chair, in my nuggie and watch some good TV. .... Oh, and the dog has a Snuggie too ... yeah, I kind of need to get a life.

Weekly TV Recap

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:19:00 +0000

I’ve still loving Once Upon a Time and 666 Park Avenue. I hope though the plan isn’t to keep Emma and Snow in the Enchanted Forest for the entire season. I think this would be a great November Sweeps arc but then it should end after that. I am very pleased with this show. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go after magic came back to Storybrooke at the end of the Season 1 finale but it is almost as if the show has been reborn.

I tuned into Nashville’s premiere last week and I like what I saw. Ever since Friday Night Lights and American Horror Story, I’ve become a huge Connie Britton fan. I was unsure about Nashville at first. I’m not a huge country music fan but I not only enjoyed the music but the acting and the plot as well. It’s not just about music y’all. It’s political too … and it has Powers Booth chewing up the scenery as Connie’s protective, manipulative and highly unlikeable dad!

Tonight though something’s going to have to be DVRed. Nashville is going up against American Horror Story – Asylum. Season Two has a who new locale, era and cast, even though several regulars have returned. Speaking of scenery chewers, Jessica Lange is back, only this time she’s the head nun at a home for the criminally insane. Evan Peters is back – still creepy as ever – this time as an inmate in the asylum. Zachary Quinto is back as a psychologist and new faces James Cromwell, Joseph Fiennes and Adam Levin (yes, Maroon 5’s front man and featured judge on The Voice).

Hell, I might just DVR both of them because both shows are worth rewatching!

Weekly TV Recap

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Look for the TV Recap every Tuesday night!

Glee came back in a big way with The Break-Up episode. You knew it was bound to happen. Long distance rarely works … especially when graduating seniors are heading off to college and/or the real world. After four months of radio silence from Finn and a lot of attention from upperclassman Brody, Rachel had purchased her tickets to Splitsville. Kurt got the companion pass as his job at Vogue opened new avenues for him that didn’t feature hometown boyfriend Blaine (who sought comfort on his own). Blaine and Finn show up in NYC and the break-ups were underway – including a heart-wrenching performance of Teenage Dream. Back in Lima, Santana returned to levy the boom on an unsuspecting Brittany. Even the adults were immune as Will’s new commission position is taking him away from Lima briefly and from Emma (although I think these two will end up back together). This episode alone almost redeemed this season for me.

The New Girl and Raising Hope were some of my favorites last season and in their second season they aren’t disappointing. Schmitt impersonating a Romney was laugh-out loud funny. I hope that postpone Jess and Nick getting together. I think it’s too early in the show’s run for that kind of couple … although it is obvious that it’s moving in that direction. Raising Hope came back as zany as ever (I can’t believe I just wrote the word zany but I think it is strangely apropos).

I missed The New Normal to give The Mindy Project a second chance. It wasn’t worth it – definitely the weak link in an otherwise strong comedy night. From now on it’s FOX from 8:00 – 9:30 and then over to NBC at 9:30 for The New Normal. Sorry Mindy.

I liked the twist of being able to steal a contestant over on The Voice. I think it will help keep the battle rounds interesting. Based on last night’s show, the coaches did an excellent job of picking teams AND musicians to help them work with the teams. Michael Buble (Team Blake), Mary J. Blige (Team Adam), Rob Thomas (Team Cee-lo) and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong(Team Christina) all added some valuable advice to the contestants. This show keeps getting better.

And so does 666 Park Avenue. I like the direction the show is heading. The subplot with the birds was sufficiently creepy and there are enough questions to keep you guessing. I’ll be watching.

And of course, I can’t end without talking about Once Upon a Time. I was worried at the end of last season, when magic returned that the show would have nowhere to go. However, it reinvented itself in a good way. I hope Mary Margaret/Snow and Emma aren’t trapped in the Enchanted Forest for the entire season. I also appreciated Charming’s explanation for David’s wishy-washiness. Charming is clearly more heroic and I’m glad to see he’s really back (and heroic is also pretty damn hot).

Movie Review: Pitch Perfect

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 19:49:00 +0000

Pitch Perfect was the perfect film to see on a cloudy, slightly chilly Sunday. I really enjoyed it. As readers of this blog know, I love a singing competition and my favorite is not American Idol or even X-Factor or The Voice but, it’s actually, The Sing-Off. Various a capella groups get together and sing. Sure, there is a cash prize and a recording contract, but Iget the feeling that these groups are formed for one reason and one reason only, and that is to sing. Pitch Perfect captured that fun, well, perfectly.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a wannabe deejay whose college professor father wants her to get a college eduation before she heads off to Los Angeles to find deejaying fame. What she finds is a campus filled with a capella groups including the all-male national champions, the Treble Makers, and runner-up the Bellas led by task master Aubrey (Anna Camp) and her nicer half, Chloe (Brittany Snow). Aubrey is convinced, the only way to national success is to have her hot group of girl singers sing traditional a capella songs. She’s running into two problems. Auditions make it clear that she’s going to have to dramatically expand her definition of hot girls. New members include Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), black lesbian Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean) and others who don’t fit the mold. Secondly, she insists on using the same songs and routines that got them to nationals the year before.

Beca has other plans for the group, as well as a love interest in Jesse (Skylar Astin) who sings with the competition.

When I left Pitch Perfect, my thoughts immediately went to a movie released in June, Magic Mike. Stay with me now. Magic Mike promised to be the ultimate girls night out film. However, the movie us girls saw was not the same as the one that was promised. It was a lot more serious and there was a lot less stripping and dancing than we’d wanted. With Pitch Perfect, the audience wanted light comedy, lots of singing and fun – that’s exactly what the movie delivered.

The singing and performances were on point. Sure, it’s hard to believe that the Bellas ever got to nationals with the songs and routines they were doing but this is not a film where thinking to hard will work in your favor. Just sit back and enjoy it.

American Idol: Minaj vs. Mariah - Round 1

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:20:00 +0000

OMG! We are just as surprised as
everyone else that we don't get along.
We were expecting to be besties!

Is anyone surprised by the feuding and fighting (well, almost fighting, definitely threatening) between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey? As far as I’m concerned, that’s part of the reason they were hired. Everyone knows the ratings for American Idol, while still awesome, have been declining. This is an easy way to boost them by bringing some Real Housewives kind of crap (and by crap I mean high school-ish drama) to the show.

For me, although the judges are entertaining, I watch for the talent. Maybe efforts should be spent on getting a more exciting mix of contestant and finding more relevant theme weeks. Those are changes that I could get behind. Hot messes and emotional train wrecks have never been of much interest to me.

At the Movies - Dead Dogs, Singing Single Ladies and a Really Desperate Housewife

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:10:00 +0000

This weekend features three major releases.

Frankenweenie: A tale of the love between a boy and his dog that transcends the grave when young Victor manages to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life. Burton clearly has an affection for the Halloween holiday (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and all things creepy (just about every other film he's done - Dark Shadows, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorshands, Sweeney Todd, ...) From the fertile (and weird) mind of Tim Burton I’m sure this will be a kids film that parents will love just as much.

Pitch Perfect: Leaked in limited release a week ago, Pitch Perfect expands in full release this week. With lots of music, comedy and great buzz, I think it will be competing with Frankenweenie for the top box office spot this week. As a fan of Glee and The Sing-Off (and just about every other vocal competition out there … except Duets and the stuff on the country music channel), I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while!

Taken 2: After Taken, you got the impression that deadly covert operative Bryan Mills reunited with his wife Lenore after he saved the life of his daughter Kim who’d been traveling in Europe with a friend when she was taken. Now both of them are set to be taken in Taken 2. I don’t know but if I were Lenore, this would probably be grounds for a second divorce. First they take my daughter? Now they take me and my daughter for a second time? Enough is enough! Taken 2 looks like it’s bringing the action though and if you want action (and/or Liam Neeson), this would be your best bet for the weekend.

Weekly TV Recap

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:10:00 +0000

Look for the TV Recap every Tuesday night!

The new Fall Season is underway and I have a few comments on some of the new shows as well as some of my recurring favorites.

New Shows

666 Park Avenue: (Sundays, 10:00 p.m. – ABC) I was looking forward to this show and after watching the premiere, I will be watching it again. Lost’s Terry O’Quinn and Vanessa L. Williams, most recently of Desperate Housewives fame, star as Gavin and Olivia Doran, the owners of the posh New York apartment building where they can give you anything you want, for a price. Rachael Taylor (Charlie’s Angels and Grey’s Anatomy) and Dave Annable (Brothers and Sisters) are the new apartment managers who will be in over their heads with the Dorans in no time. In this first episode we were introduced to several tenants and the price they’ve paid to get what they wanted (or what they thought they wanted). I like dark and this show looks like it could be dark and mysterious. It’s no American Horror Story but it will do for a Sunday night.

The New Normal: (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. – NBC) This show is funny. Sometimes touching, other times provocative but always funny and that is what a comedy is supposed to be … funny! It’s also unexpectedly real and grounded. Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells star as David Murray and Bryan Collins a gay couple expecting their first child with their surrogate Goldie (Georgia King). Throw in Georgia’s mom Jane (Ellen Barkin) as the Archie Bunker for the 21st Century and The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Nene Leakes as Bryan’s assistant and this show had me laughing out loud.
Other people must like The New Normal too because NBC just ordered a full season (from six episodes).

Ben and Kate: (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. – FOX) I really like Fox on Tuesday night. Raising Hope and The New Girl are two of my favorite sitcoms. Although not quite as strong as those two, Ben and Kate was both sweet and funny. I’m hoping for more funny than sweet in coming weeks.

The Mindy Project: (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. – FOX) Definitely the weak link in an otherwise strong night. I watched the first episode and just couldn’t get into it. Mindy is a doctor and hopeless romantic. Mindy Kaling was good as part of the ensemble on The Office but I’m just not feeling her here. I don’t think this will be a successful project.

Returning Favorites
Once Upon a Time: (Sunday, 8:00 p.m. – ABC) I have been counting down the days until September 30. I didn’t know what to expect when magic came to Storybrooke and all of our favorite characters finally remembered who they really were. I didn’t expect the direction the story would take but now I’m counting down the days until next Sunday!

Glee: (Thursday, 9:00 p.m. – FOX) I have to say I have not been that thrilled about this new season – especially since my least favorite Glee Project finalist, Alex Newell, from Season 1 is now a series regular. True he can sing but he couldn’t act his way out of a termite-filled paper bag. His presence has truly put a damper on this show for me. I do like the fact that they are following Rachel and Kurt’s exploits in New York. Kate Hudson has been really good as Rachel’s nemesis, dance instructor, Cassandra July. Sarah Jessica Parker however, was, underwhelming in her guest-role as Kurt’s boss at Vogue.com. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the new kids (except Unique) and more of what has happened to our original Gleeks now that they have graduated. However, Glee isn’t what it once was for me.

Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:38:00 +0000

The Bourne Trilogy was a nice trio of action films, but how could Jason Bourne continue without Matt Damon? Well, it could if the hero wasn't Jason Bourne but newcomer Aaron Cross (played by Jeremy Renner). Yet, after seeing The Bourne Legacy, it's clear that continuing a franchise takes a lot more than another actor playing a similar character.

As The Bourne Legacy opens, Aaron Cross is stuck in the Alaskan wilderness, surviving on his wits and being chased by a pack of wolves. At the same time in Washington, they find that a British reporter has compromised all of their secret programs. Led by Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton), his top-secret governmental agency seeks to eradicate all of the black ops programs. Cross is a member of Operation Outcome (Bourne was part of Treadstone) where operatives take blue pills to enhance their mental capabilities and green pills to enhance the physical. Yet Byer wants all operatives eliminated. Cross is about the only one they can't get rid of.

While in Alaska, he runs out of pills and needs a new supply if he's going to outrun Byer's henchmen. He finds Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) who has just narrowly escaped being killed in a rampage by a fellow co-worker (Zeljko Ivenek). She explains that he no longer needs the green pills because he has 'viraled off' of them. If they can get to Manila, where the pills are manufactured, she can viral him off of the blue pills so he will no longer need them either.

I wanted to like this movie but several things prevented that from happening. First, the Alaskan portion seemed to go on forever. Second, the scenes with Norton and in the 'control room' are bogged down with so many acronyms and technical jargon that I lost interest. Third, there is a parallel story about Jason Bourne's whereabouts that really has nothing to do with the story.

Fourth, yes, there is a fourth. There are the questions. Why again, was Cross traipsing around the Alaskan wilderness? Why did the doctor go ballistic and massacre all of his co-workers? Where is Jason Bourne and what does that have to do with anything?

Renner, Weisz, Norton et. al. were solid as actors. It was Tony Gilroy (writer of the Bourne trilogy) who seemed to drop the ball as the director. The first half-hour his idea of creating a fast-pace is jetting across the globe and letting us know by placing the locations in the lower right-corner of the screen. The alphabet soup of acronyms and tech talk didn't help.

I don't know if there will be a fifth Bourne. I didn't think we needed a fourth one. However, if they do a fifth one, I hope to see Renner and Weisz but maybe someone else behind the director's chair.

Movie Review: The Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:23:00 +0000

I was sold the first time I saw a trailer for The Campaign. Zack Galifianakis and Will Ferrell in the same movie! I was in. I was also nervous because where there is the potential for great reward; there is also the potential for great disappointment. I went into The Campaign hoping that I wouldn't be sorely disappointed. I wasn't.

Incumbent congressman Cam Brady (Will Farrell) loves being in office and being re-elected is easy, since he usually runs unopposed ... until now. Big-time industrialists, the Moher brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Ackroyd) want to move their Chinese factory to the U.S. with the same low wages and lack of environmental regulations and governmental controls. To make this happen, they need a congressman. Cam Brady might have been their man but a recent scandal (he left a vulgar voicemail for his mistress on the answering machine of a devout Christian family) has rocked his campaign. They need an opponent and they find one in Marty Huggins. He runs the town tourism bus and is the son of a major politico. With the help of campaign manager Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott), Marty's innocence soon gives way to a no-holds-barred win-at-all-cost battle.

First of all, this is an R-rated comedy. The 'R' definitely stands for raunchy as the language and the subject matter isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you like your comedies with a high raunch factor, you will probably enjoy The Campaign, I know I did. There were many, many laugh out loud moments and we laughed loud and often.

Ferrell and Galifianakis delivered laughs throughout. I was surprised that Dylan McDermott could be funny but he was. At the same time Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis, along with Lithgow and Ackroyd actually played it pretty straight.

This is a funny, slapstick and completely low-brow affairs. People going in expecting incisive political commentary or satire will be sorely disappointed. Of course, what did they expect from Ferrell, Galifianakis and director Jay Roach? This is not at all an intellectual affair.

Yet, if you like your comedies silly and you enjoy a good laugh, you'll probably like (if not love), The Campaign. I might even have to add it to my DVD collection.

What I'm Seeing: August

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:27:00 +0000

August is normally the stepchild of the summer movie season. Frankly, most of the best movies have been released before now. Normally, it is one of the months I dread as a moviegoer (but nothing is worse than January!). Yet, here I am, excited about a handful of movies coming out in the next few weeks. Expect reviews of the following:

The Bourne Legacy: Jeremey Renner takes over the Bourne franchise from Matt Damon (the series that turned him into an action hero). Renner doesn't play Jason Bourne but a stronger, faster, and even deadlier operative, Aaron Cross. Along for the ride are Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz. I'm really looking forward to this one! (August 10)

The Campaign: Zach Galifianakis versus Will Ferrell. Seriously??? And, they are running for Congress? Really??? This has to be funny. It just has to be! (August 10).

Hope Springs: This one just looks cute. Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones go to Steve Carell for marital advice. The trailer sold me. I hope it doesn't disappoint. (August 8)

Sparkle: This remake marks Whitney Houston's swan song and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks acting debut. I grew up with the soundtrack so I'll go for that alone and to bid a fond farewell to Whitney. (August 17)

Lawless: Not a huge Shia LeBeouf fan but my British crush Tom Hardy is in this one and his beautiful face isn't obscured behind a mask for the entire film (Dark Knight Rises). Anyway, this will be a welcome dose of drama to send my summer of popcorn flicks. (August 29)

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

noreply@blogger.com (DivaSoulSista) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Well, it's the end of an era. The Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale Batman trilogy has come to an end. The Dark Knight Rises was a fitting and satisfying end. Before the first film, I doubted that the Batman series needed a reboot but Christopher Nolan did a fabulous job. Of the three, I would say this is the third best in the series. However, that is less a testament to the quality movie and more a testament to the quality of the trilogy of films that Nolan, Bale and company have produced. It's a damn good film.

The movie picks up eight years after the last movie. Harvey Dent/Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart) has been turned into a hero and Batman shunned. In fact, Batman has disappeared and Bruce Wayne (Bale) has become a recluse. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is still in place but is facing the end of his career with a younger Captain Foley (Matthew Modine) eager to take his place.

In regards to Wayne Enterprises, one of Bruce's final decisions before his self-imposed exile was not to move forward with a nuclear-based fusion reactor that holds the key to a clean energy future. He knew it could be easily turned into a devastating weapon. The decision has been a dire one for the once very profitable company. To save his company, he gives Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard), a wealthy investor with a passion for clean energy, the reins at Wayne Enterprises to oversee the project with Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman). It doesn't hurt that she's stunningly beautiful, a fact that doesn't bypass Wayne.

Of course, she's not the only beautiful woman in Wayne's life. There is the cat burglar he catches in the act. She's the beautiful Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).

Then, there is the villian. The most imposing villian in the series (at least to me), Bane (the delicious Tom Hardy who is regrettably masked for all but two seconds). He's got the brains and the brawn to be a seriously formidable foe. The masked man has a plan to overthrow the powers-that-be in Gotham and hand the city back to the people ... oh and steal the reactor and turn it into a powerful nuclear weapon. Young policeman Blake knows that only Batman can save the day and, having figured out his true identity, he knows exactly who to go to to make that happen, Bruce Wayne.

There is a lot of exposition because there is a lot going on in the movie. In fact, there are long stretches with no Christian Bale at all! I did feel his absence during these extended sequences but there is a lot going on in this movie.

The performances were first-rate beginning with Bale but extending to Michael Caine (always a very protective and loving Alfred), and newcomer to Batman Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I initially had serious reservations when Anne Hathaway was casted as Catwoman but with Nolan's decision to play her sans camp, it was a good choice.

There are several stunning action sequences, starting with the daring hijacking taking place between two planes in mid air. The football scene is a staple of the trailer but it's even more intense than what's shown there. Then, there is the new and improved - flying -Batmobile and Bat cycle.

I loved the ending. In fact, I loved the movie so much that I'll probably see it again.