At one point in this sweet gem of a documentary, two tap dancers from different parts of the world define the joy and philosophy of tap dancing: “Dance to express, not to impress” says Chloe Arnold of the U.S. “I dance, therefore I am,” states Arthur Benhamou of Paris. Those basic acknowledgements are probably why […]
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
It was a sign of the times for Black life in the ‘60s. Police brutality. Poor housing. Few job opportunities. Little chance for higher education. The response to the oppression in The South was demonstrations, sit-ins and peaceful civil disobedience. The response that bubbled to the surface in Oakland California was sheer anger and defiance. […]
Lila & Eve
“When our child is killed we feel guilt. We feel like failures,” says the leader of a women’s group devoted to mothers whose children have been murdered. “Get to acceptance, so you can get on with life.” Those words of comfort and guidance are lost on Lila (Oscar-nominee Viola Davis) in this oddly affecting, but […]
Black Artist Make Waves at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival has aged gracefully into its 40th year anniversary. Black directors, actors and writers have enhanced the celebratory occasion with fine performances and artistic contributions in indie films, big budget movies and life-affirming documentaries. Their work in films that are positioning themselves for the upcoming awards season is on display […]
Straight Outta Compton
Warning: This isn’t some chump change Sundance indie movie about the rap group NWA. Nor is it a should-have-gone-straight-to-DVD after-thought about hip-hop culture. This is a full-fledged, big-budget looking homage to the L.A. rap scene, that smartly, emotionally and historically capsulizes the life and times of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and everyone around them […]
The Martian
Flashback to the films Interstellar and Gravity. Now hold that thought. This latest voyage into outer space places itself firmly between the two. It’s not as sterile as the former and not nearly as OMG entrancing as the latter. The entertainment value is steady, but once the premise is set, the storyline becomes predictable. The […]
Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation
The first 15-30 minutes of this new Mission: Impossible entry lacks electricity. Yes it opens with the stunt that is on every trailer; Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt clutching the side of a cargo plane for dear life as it lifts off at over 100 MPH. This should be an OMG moment, but […]
Avengers: Age of Ultron
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic They’re back. The chummy Marvel superheroes assemble once again to fight evil. In this case it’s Ultron, a vicious technological villain hell-bent on ridding earth of human life. There is little in this film that is new, but that doesn’t matter. The characters are still entertaining, the action scenes […]
Timbuktu
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic As Islamic fundamentalists encroach on the basic liberties of people in Africa and the Arab world, we hear about it, but it’s hard to put it into context and understand the magnitude of the situation. Leave it to veteran, Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako (Bamako) to boil a complicated social […]
The Wedding Ringer
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic In a now infamously leaked email, Screen Gems President Clint Culpepper called comedian Kevin Hart a “whore” because he wanted him to use his huge social media following to promote Think Like A Man Too, and Hart wouldn’t do it without being paid more money. Kevin politely responded in […]
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