"Dolemite is My Name" Review
First, I want to take the time to welcome Eddie Murphy back to cinema. It's been a long time coming and now he's hit the Netflix small screen with a star studded cast to give us Dolemite is My Name. If you know anything about comedy and Blaxploitation from the 70's then you've heard of the man known as Dolemite. Director Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) gives us a look at Rudy Ray Moore's story in how he brought his first movie to the big screen and his tenacity to become the "Baddest Motherf*@#*& alive."
The film starts off with Rudy (Murphy) trying to find his niche in the entertainment industry doing odd jobs from singing, hosting clubs and working at a record store in order to find his claim to fame. After receiving inspiration from a local homeless man, Rudy creates the character Dolemite (a provocative pimp character with legendary stories). With the help of this persona, he finds his calling in the industry as a successful comedian. Subverting the norm, Rudy continues to find ways to push the envelope and turn his comedy albums into must have records around the US. It’s during a moment on the road that he gets the idea to make a motion picture of his character and bring it to the big screen with the thought process that movie distribution will put him everywhere at once. The only problem is he has no idea what he's doing. As he takes on the task, he quickly finds out he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
In the words of Dolemite, "its a movie that's made for the people and has funny, titties and kung fu." And this movie has all that and more! This movie also gives an inside scoop on what it took for black entertainers to breakthrough and have a voice in the entertainment industry in Hollywood by building from rock bottom in the 70s. The movie has a star studded cast featuring Snoop Dogg, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Keegan Michael Key, Bob Odenkirk, Luenell and Tituss Burgess as well as appearances from other A listers. Seeing all these great actors in a cohesive film felt like a relatable episode of SNL.
Each actor embodied their roles. Ms. Lady Reed (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) did an outstanding job as Dolemite's first lady. I was surprised to see the chemistry of Da'Vine and Eddie work well together. Eddie Murphy is the and delivered with a capital D. Also seeing Wesley Snipes (D'Urville Martin) in a comedic role was another hidden gem in the movie. He gave the zeal and tenacity and has me looking forward to Coming to America 2 (still on the fence about this sequel).
Overall, this might go down as a cult classic about a cult classic. Funny, witty and did I mention funny? It made me want to go watch some Dolemite (not the greatest films by far) films over again with my new appreciation for what it took to make them. This film has great production value and a big screen film feel to it, which isn’t always typical of a Netflix movie. This is guaranteed to be a film you watch a few times with your family, friends and your pimp friends over the coming holidays.
Rating: B
"Incredibles 2" Review
Incredibles 2 is a fun summer movie sequel. The new film from Brad Bird, whose previous film 2015’s Tomorrowland underperformed greatly at the box office, returns to the world that he created back in 2004 (which feels oddly similar to how after 2012’s John Carter bombed badly at the box office, director Andrew Stanton retreated back to Pixar to direct 2016’s Finding Dory). Even though it feels safe at times, this is an enjoyable film from start to finish! Given Pixar’s spotty track record with their sequels, I would say that this is their best sequel they have made since 2010’s Toy Story 3.
Immediately picking up after the events of the first film, the Parr family comes across Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), a telecommunications tycoon who wants to bring superheroes back into the spotlight. With the assistance of his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), they propose a plan to have Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) be the face of the new program. Helen goes off on her missions leaving Bob/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) in charge of looking out for their kids: Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (newcomer Huck Milner, replacing Spencer Fox), and Jack-Jack. Along the way, the Incredibles comes face to face with The Screenslaver; a mysterious figure that has nefarious plans of his own.
I enjoyed how Bird switched up the dynamic in this one by having Helen take the lead while Bob watches the kids. It’s hilarious to see how Bob adapts to being a stay at home dad, and you can tell that Bob wants no part of it as everything slowly overwhelms him. More often than not, some of the strongest parts of the film revolve around the domestic aspect of the story with fun moments Bird plays with. The voice acting is still on point, especially between Hunter and Nelson and the chemistry they have with one another. Bird gives strong characterizations to the family themselves allowing each family member have their own standout scene. The MVP of the film is easily Jack-Jack, who they all come to realize is way harder to handle than they previously thought. Although at times it feels as if his scenes are lifted from a Looney Tunes short. Side note, if Disney/Pixar can make a spin-off film or a short involving Jack-Jack and Edna (also Bird), that would be awesome!
The animation in this was a beauty to look at, which is expected from Pixar, and there are some gorgeous shots that Bird and his team put together. The 60s aesthetics that Bird employed with the first film is carried over into here, and at times, the film feels like an animated James Bond movie come to life. The action scenes are inventive and nicely edited, with each having their own rhythm and pace to them that doesn’t feel stale. Finally, Michael Giacchino’s score is an absolute standout! Make no mistake about it, it’s one of the best film scores I’ve heard in a theater so far this year!
While I had a good time in the theater watching this, the story in this is predictable at times. This was one of those films where you can figure out the basic plot points of the film from watching the trailers. I didn’t buy into the villain’s motivation at all in the context of the story. In fact, a couple of the storylines that we are introduced to don’t get resolved at all, as if Disney/Pixar were setting certain things up for an inevitable Incredibles 3. Finally, even though the family had great character development, there isn’t much character development with the other characters in the film.
Overall, I think families will love this film. If you enjoyed the first one, chances are you will get a kick out of watching this one. As I said in my opening, I had an enjoyable time watching Incredibles 2. The question I had going into this film was whether or not the story that was presented was absolutely necessary for Disney/Pixar to tell. Even though I had some slight issues with the film, Bird accomplished what he needed to do, which is to make a fun superhero film for families to watch. After watching this, would I watch an Incredibles 3? Sure I would. When you do see this, you will be treated to Pixar’s latest short Bao, which is a sweet and touching story about a lone dumpling. So, on that note, I would say check this out in the theater.
Rating: B
"The Post" Review: Truth is Timeless
What happens when you get one of the greatest directors of our time to work with two of the greatest actors of our time? Well, it may not be the best journalism thriller of our time, but the answer is The Post. It’s still a good time at the movies and a movie that speaks to our time!
Not long into the running time will you be able to draw the parallels between the need for the freedom of the press now and the same need during 1971 in which the movie is set. The film covers the Washington Posts’ fight to print the Pentagon Papers, documents containing highly classified information about the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Meryl Streep is Katharine (Kay) Graham, the owner of the Post. She has to walk a thin line of being a woman in power, pleasing her board of directors in seeing papers sell, and trying to stay true to the paper’s journalistic integrity. Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is the editor of the Washington Post. He’s old school and doesn’t care about the politics behind the scenes that Graham has to deal with.
When the New York Times gets the scoop on the Pentagon Papers, Bradlee is on a mission to get the story. An opening arises when Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) chases down sources to get his hands on the Papers and the Times comes under fire from the government. The crux of the conflict in the film comes down to whether the Post should publish the truth by printing the classified documents and risk being destroyed. It’s the moral conflict that director Steven Spielberg is able to explore with his camera and cast of amazingly talented actors that makes this film so intriguing.
Both Graham and Bradlee come to see that the frequent social activities they’ve shared with government officials they call their friends has put them in a tough spot. Publishing the papers can bring sons of the United States home from a war that they’ve been losing for years, but it may put their friends in legal trouble. It’s the personal connection that we all have had to deal with in our lives that can create a moral dilemma out of something that should be simple. Of course, the right thing to do is to burn the establishment down and print the Papers, but it’s difficult when you know the faces of those who will be affected.
Spielberg uses plenty of one takes to draw us into the tension. He gives a master class in how to keep the camera rolling through a long scene without cutting away, but instead allowing the camera to focus on what’s important. He moves out of a closeup with one character, into a two-shot with another, and then to a wide with effortless ease. It’s also evident that Spielberg respects the process and importance of the printing press in the era. He takes moments to show letters being arranged for printing, and groups of people running to the paper to consume information that we take for granted receiving these days in an instant on our cell phones.
There’s no doubt that there is a beautiful dance between the camera and the actors’ performances. With lines being delivered by Hanks, Streep, Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Plemmons, (an underused but serving the storyline of woman’s roles in the 70‘s household) Sarah Paulson and more, the combination makes for an entertaining film.
While The Post may not stand with titans like All The President’s Men and Spotlight in regard to incredible journalism thrillers, it’s not too far behind. The public should know the truth about the government who is supposed to serve them, but The Post explores the grey area that makes it hard to be done at times. Nonetheless, it shows that the right side of history is always the one that tells the truth.
Rating: B+