A: When a bank teller in New York mysteriously shoots a customer, a priceless Italian statue head is found in his apartment. Then, when a newspaper man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to interview him about it, we flashback to World War II to learn about what it was like to be a Black soldier fighting the Germans in Italy on behalf of the United States.
Q: Who’s in the movie?
A: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Valentina Cervi, Matteo Sciabordi, Pierfrancesco Favino, John Turturro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Leguizamo, Kerry Washington, D.B. Sweeney, Omero Antonutti, Sergio Albelli
Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?
A:
Stop! Spike Lee seems to use every film as a platform to rant on about racism. To which I say, either think of something new to say on the matter or become a preacher! When you constantly accuse White people of being born and bred to be racists against Blacks, all you do is unite Black people in a common (unfounded) hatred of all Whites across the world. Which, first of all, makes you, Spike Lee, look ignorant. And second of all, it doesn't acknowledge the great strides that have been made toward progress-- like, for example, I don't know, that a Black person is probably going to be our next president! Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: your film meanders without focus, or a plot, and it's 2 1/2 boring hours long. Get off your pedestal and learn to tell interesting stories-- it is what they pay you (a lot more than 40 Acres and a Mule) to do.Q: Will this movie make me laugh?
A: One of the characters is given a funny nickname by a young Italian boy with a vivid imagination. I would tell you what it is (since you're not going to see this movie anyway), but without the visual of how massive this actor is, "My Chocolate Giant" doesn't sound all that clever.
Q: Will this movie make me cry?
A: The ending is moving. Unfortunately, you'd have to sit through the rest of the film to find that out. And since you know better than to do that, I don't see how it can make you cry.
Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?
A: It pains me to even consider the question.
Q: How is the Acting?
A: The acting is fine. But ask me to tell you who the main character is supposed to be, or whose point of view the story is told from, and my answer would look something like: ???!#@??
Q: How is the Directing?
A: Since the movie takes place mostly in Italy, it can't help but be beautiful. But if Spike Lee had done his job, and cut out the parts that don't advance the story, the film would only be long enough to distribute on Youtube.
Q: How is the story/script?
A: It starts out with an interesting mystery, and then we flashback 40 years and watch soldiers doing God knows what, because God knows why, for about two hours. And even though the ending is sweet, if you think about it for more than a few seconds you start to realize how many of its elements could never happen without massive amounts of coincidence and unlikely happenstance.
Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?
A: The score seemed to be pulled from a 1940 film, which is an interesting choice. But maybe I wouldn't have been listening to it so much, if I had felt like paying attention to the movie.
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5 comments:
At first, I think this film look promising though but after that racism thing arise, that's truly lost my appetite.
Good review, I have been kinda wanting to see this. Now, Ill probably wait for the DVD.
I didn't have any plans of seeing this film in the first place, but after reading your review, it's a definite no go. Glad to see that I'm not the on;ly that has noticed that almost everything Spike Lee does has some kind of racist theme in it. Kinda like everything Michael Bay does has stuff blowing up...lol
I for one thought the movie was interesting and a nice cinema change of pace. You are right on many points in the film but issues of race surrounded the Buffalo Soldiers so including that aspect in the film isn't out of place.
@mystery man: lol on the stuff blowing up!
@film book dot com: I agree that the Buffalo Soldiers were surrounded by race issues, and in 1944 things were worse than they are now, what I hate is that Spike Lee is so heavy handed about it. He's constantly talking down to the audience like we're a bunch of idiots who couldn't possibly understand the concept of one group being mean to the other... Even though almost everyone's been a victim of discrimination at some point-- and most of us start experiencing that on the day we start school.... I just wish he would say it in an innovative way, or tell me something I don't already know.
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