Park City's Flick Chick by Jill Adler
February's Lastest Movie Reviews in a Nutshell
Well, that‘s a wrap. One seriously crazy time over the last 10 days of January came to a close with a stellar outcome from an indie distribution standpoint. By the end of the Sundance Film Fest, 20 Sundance films and two Slamdance films had been bought by independent distributors, TV markets and major studios- and that doesn’t include the 26 premieres you will soon see on the silver screen.
The most expensive Sundance film to date came out of this year’s festival. Hustle and Flow sold as part of a three-film deal for $16 million.Some reported a sleazy tone to the films debuted in Park City; there was an overabundance of sexual explicitness running rampant in this year’s selections, according to some critics. If there was, I couldn’t find it (darn it :)). In the 10 films I saw, only Inside Deep Throat touched that statement. But I found it compelling and classy rather than nauseating or offensive. Still, be prepared for a little shock value when these flicks hit the screen sometime later this year.
Lackawanna Blues
Film Rating: PG-13
Look
to HBO the rest of February and March for one of Sundance’s
first sales. This autobiographical one-man show by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
was scripted for film and expanded for an outstanding cast of
Terrence Howard, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jimmy Smits, Rosie Perez
and co-executive produced by Halle Berry. We get a slice of life
in Harlemesque Lackwanna, New York, before desegregation ruined
everything for Rachel "Nanny" Crosby (Merkerson) and
her rooming house. This extraordinary black woman with her regular
Sunday fish fries in the 50s and 60s brought a black community
together and held them in her heart. Lackawanna plays like a great
blues ballad with all of the highs and energy and all of the tragedy.
The story is told by little Ruben Jr., who’s taken in by
Nanny after his birth mom trots off to find financial freedom
(with deadbeat men). Fine acting and a vibrant set keep Lackawanna
Blues from sinking into extreme melodrama. Just wish the kid (and
later his adult counterpart) could do more than stare and pout.
No matter. LB will have you laughing and living that era of rhythm
and soul.
Hustle and Flow
Film Rating: R
When
I first saw Producer/Director John Singleton’s Hustle
and Flow, I assumed it was a premiere film and not a dramatic
competition entry. This story of a Memphis, Tenn., pimp (Terrence
Howard again) who dreams of becoming a rapper not only had a superb
and relatively unknown cast but a well-crafted script, Grammy-quality
soundtrack, precise editing and pointed cinematography. Frankly,
it knocked my ski socks off. The story set in Ghettoville may
not capture everyone’s taste but I dug this Rocky-like tale
in a big way, feeling the tugs of emotion in all the right places
with a satisfying ending that doesn’t totally sell out.
Beware of some violent scenes, lewd lyrics and gutter sex talk.
This one ain’t for the shy and reserved. HF will be released
by Paramount/MTV Films sometime this summer.
Inside Deep Throat
Film Rating: R
It’s
said that Deep Throat, starring Linda Lovelace and Park
City realtor Harry Reems, was the most profitable porno in the
history of motion pictures. But popularity came with a price –
years of fighting for the right to act in porn and the right to
produce it. Inside Deep Throat chronicles the rise and
fall of DT and the film’s biggest star, Lovelace, beginning
in the early 1970s. The fascinating tale was crafted with comedy,
factual interviews, and honesty. Anyone over 17 with an interest
in the seedy side of life, will be drawn into the tales of the
cast and crew of DT and the effect this movie had on them. It’s
gritty stuff and so are the images revealed on screen. I had no
idea that DT lead the way for skin flicks but thank God something
did. Universal releases this documentary this month.
