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Reviews
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
an eye-opener
This movie seems to be the first to successfully portray the harsh circumstances that frequently comprise life in the urban ghetto. It neither romanticizes nor trivializes the brutal violence that falls disproportionately on the urban Black community. It deals frankly and unapologetically with the social circumstances that contribute to the atmosphere, from within the Black community (participation in the illicit drug trade, rampant absentee fatherhood) and from outside (apathy, exploitation of racial tensions).
Two acting highlights: a) a somewhat green Cuba Gooding Jr. shows promise in his major acting debut; b) rap star Ice Cube demonstrates he is a surprisingly good actor, considering he had no prior acting experience. Gooding has since made good on his promise (see Jerry Maguire), and Ice Cube has similarly demonstrated an astonishing natural and versatile talent for acting (see Fridays, Three Kings).
Final vote: 8 of 10
Good Times (1974)
A valiant effort
This show, set in Chicago's notorious Cabrini Green housing project, attempts to depict a side of life that most Americans have never been exposed to. The show tries to avoid certain stereotypes (not everyone in the projects is a shiftless welfare leech without ambition, not everyone in the projects is a drug dealer or a thief or other petty criminal, etc). At the same time it acknowledges certain realities of ghetto life in Chicago (public housing residents are almost exclusively Black, the neighborhoods are unpleasant at best and downright dangerous at worst, and of course there is chronic poverty and unemployment). While the show is a valiant effort, it is awkward in its execution. For starters it is difficult to walk the delicate line between negative stereotyping and acknowledging the way life is in the projects. Its attempts to tackle profound social issues in 25-minute blocks yields dialog that is highly contrived. Finally, it is hard to accept that a family could have such high spirits while living in the miserable Hell that is Cabrini Green.
Final rating: 6 out of 10
Below Utopia (1997)
This movie sets extraordinary new heights in stupidity.
Insipid plot, exquisitely bad acting, and a climax that drags on long after one loses interest. The only redeeming feature of this movie is that it showcases Alyssa Milano's lovely face. In short, the 2 hours required to view this movie could easily be invested in more gainful and rewarding pursuits.
Dip huet seung hung (1989)
An unmitigated bloodbath and little else
This piece of filth had absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever, save some good cinematography. The body count in this movie makes Natural Born Killers look like Sesame Street material. How many times do we need to see bullets whizzing through people in nearly frame-by-frame slow motion? While I recognize the value of exaggeration for artistic effect, the gunfight scenes in this movie--all 3,827 of them--are so unrealistic as to cross the line into self-parody. And don't insult my intelligence by trying to have me sympathize with an assassin. A dirtbag is a dirtbag, no matter how tender he might be to his girlfriend.
The Commitments (1991)
How hope can elevate the hopeless
I must confess that this is my favorite movie of all time, and the music plays a large part of why I enjoy it so much. Don't expect stellar acting in this movie unless you want to be let down--though make no mistake, the acting is certainly adequate. The key players in this movie were not chosen for their acting abilities, but rather for their musical talent. The people you see on stage in the movie are the same people who play the music you hear. (If you appreciate soul music, do not pass up the chance to purchase The Commitments Vol. I and Vol. II.) And what a talented assembly of musicians they brought together for this movie. Most astonishing is the lead vocals of prodigy Andrew Strong (playing lead singer Deco Cuffe) whom, at 16 years old at the time of filming, possesses "a voice that Bob Geldof would starve for." More than anything, this film is about hope. It is about the hopes and dreams of a handful of poor north side Dubliners striving to beat the odds and make something of themselves. The film follows the near-rise and eventual fall of a band that, on the verge of a record deal, could not bear to watch success interfere with their destiny to remain destitute. But was destitution their destiny after all? "Success of the band was irrelevant," the main protagonist and band manager is told moments after the band breaks up. "You raised their expectations of life--you lifted their horizons!" And indeed, the epilogue reveals that, even though the band itself was a failure, virtually every band member had achieved a greater level of personal achievement than they had hoped for before they had joined the band. This is a movie about the raw appeal of soul music; it is a movie about Dubliners; it is a movie about the economic conditions in general that grip Ireland; it is a movie about poor folks who endlessly toil in the vain hope that they can make ends meet. But more than anything, it is a movie about how hope alone can be the ultimate salvation of of those who have nothing else to look forward to.