(**1/2) It’s an illusion. When actress Naomi Ackie stands with her back to the camera, you stare at her clothes, wigs, physique and mannerisms and get tricked into thinking that’s Whitney Houston. Then she turns around, and it’s not. It’s a recurring mirage. A string of images that give Houston’s fans something to cling to. Veteran record executive […]
10 BEST FILMS 2022 & BEST OF THE BEST
Call it a comeback! In 2022 the movie industry roared back with high-quality films, stellar performances and great artistry. For the record, movie theaters aren’t dead yet and streaming is a part of the equation and not the whole picture. These noteworthy films and artists will vie for awards in weeks to come. Check out the best in cinema […]
Avatar: The Way of Water
(****) It’s more than you can possibly imagine. A fantasy world so vivid and real it commands your full attention for 3h 12m. And when it’s done, you’ll still want to linger in this heightened state of make believe. You’d think after creating The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and the ground-breaking Avatar that writer/director James Cameron had put all his creative cards on […]
Toast To The Holidays With Wines By Black Vintners
This year you can express your appreciation for those you love with a bottle of vino or sparkling wine from a Black-owned winery. Check out my article in Essence to find out which wines pair well with the holidays, for drinking or gifts. 10 Black winemakers share tips on their wineries’ favorite wines and which […]
Emancipation
(**) It’s a miscalculation. This film is built around a former slave seen in a horrific photo whose back bore the scars of whippings and evil vestiges of slavery. Reimagining his life is a noble endeavor, but this is the wrong execution. Aside from a brief interview and the short news article “Whipped Slave,” which […]
Discover Miami’s Top Black Restaurants and Global Cuisine During Miami Art Week
Miami Art Week features Art of Black Miami in its many events and Art Basel too. If you’re looking for Black restaurants and chefs to support while in Miami, I’ve written about a few for Essence.com. Check out my where-to-dine article and enjoy! Click here: https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/essence-eats/discover-miamis-top-black-restaurants-during-art-week/
Strange World
Strong familial conflict, magical adventures and timely social messaging make this animated feature a bit deeper than most.
The Wonder
(***) It’s a very simple story, at first. A modest allegory that pits religious fanaticism against common sense in a test of wills that slowly becomes biblical. Ireland 1862, 13 years after the Great Famine of 1845/49 caused millions of deaths. Anna (Kíla Lord Cassidy), an 11-year-old girl living in the rural Irish Midlands, is […]
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
(****)Wow! You’ll say that over and over again as this mind-blowing, superhero epic unfolds. Wow! The loss of King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), aka Black Panther, weighs heavily on the people of Wakanda. More so on his sister Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) and his mother Queen Ramonda (Angel Bassett). They try to move forward but are paralyzed […]
Wendell & Wild
(**)Sometimes there’s too many cooks in the kitchen. Sometimes there are too many storylines in a movie. Same difference. Thirteen-year-old Kat Elliot (Lyric Ross, TV’s This is Us) lost her parents (Gabrielle Dennis, Gary Gatewood) in a tragic car accident when she was eight. She still blames herself for their deaths, wants them to come back […]
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