I rated this a 4 because of several factors including the casting of Franklin, and the overall movie based on the book. I don't expect the movie to replicate the book, but I do expect a good adaptation, which this movie was not. Had they cast Franklin more like he was in the book then I would the rating would have gone up at least 2 numbers. There is Zero chemistry between Sanaa and Wesley. Franklin is supposed to be a large, handsome intimidating Black man, but Wesley is a small Black man who, in this movie at least, was NOT handsome in the least. From what I've read in the book, Franklin's pleasing appearance is supposed to be something that kind of held Zora in place as his woman. It's mentioned several times throughout the book. Though it was not the only thing, it was certainly a large factor. In this movie Snipes was made to look kind of ugly, so that was a downer. He was also supposed to be an alcoholic, something that did not translate well in the movie. On the whole, the movie did a poor job of showing the journey of this woman, man, and their relationship. There are so many ways in which this movie went wrong that I'm not going to spend my life naming them. I didn't expect a replica of the book, but I did expect a good adaptation, which I did not get. The one good thing that can be said about this film is Sanaa Lathan's performance. When I think of the character Zora I think of someone who looks like Sanaa and she performed the role just as I saw it in my mind.
Review of Disappearing Acts
