Shaft

First Hit: Simply, this is Samuel L. Jackson’s film through and through.

It’s hard to take this film seriously, and it is seriously fun to watch. Jackson, as John Shaft, is still the king of the neighborhood, has a stern attitude, and rollicks through this story taking full ownership.

This story begins when he and his wife Maya Babanikos (Regina Hall) are arguing in their car. JJ Shaft (Jessie T. Usher), their baby, is in the back seat. As usual, where Shaft is, there is trouble, and a shootout will more than likely commence.

Maya has had enough and, with JJ in tow, leaves Shaft and tells him to stay away forever. The film rolls through the years quickly, with funny vignettes showing the birthday presents Shaft sends JJ (box of rubbers on JJ’s 10th).

In current time JJ is now an FBI data analyst, and he stumbles on to a possible crime because his best friend, Karim Hassan (Avan Jogia) dies of what the police say is an overdose.

At work, he doesn’t get assigned to the FBI probe into the local mosque, although he’s an outstanding analyst, and he thinks Karin was involved in the mosque’s activities.

He locates and waltzes into his dad’s office, looking for some help in finding what really went on in Hassan’s death. Meeting for the first time in twenty plus years, the reunion is filled with John Shaft ego and bragging moments and advice that is contrary to JJ’s beliefs. This is the moment when the audience knows we’re going on a Samuel L. Jackson E-Ticket (for those who remember Disneyland long ago) wild ride.

Going to visit Manny (Ian Casselberry) the local Bronx heroin dealer, they run roughshod, over his group of thugs. And here is where JJ starts to re-think that his passiveness and begins to see some value in his dad’s way of resolving problems.

Some of the amusing parts of the film include JJ’s attempts to share his romantic interest for his longtime friend Sasha Arias (Alexandra Shipp). When John Shaft first meets Sasha, when she pulls a gun out of her purse at a restaurant, and how she dreamily looks at JJ when he jumps into action during a dinner they have.

The story goes on, and eventually, we get introduced to John Shaft Sr. (Richard Roundtree), and this completes the cycle. The original Shaft, the current Shaft, and the upcoming Shaft.

Don’t go to this film if you are looking to watch a serious movie. This film is tongue-in-cheek, and it’s fun.

Jackson is this film. He’s the reason you laugh and are engaged in the story because you wonder what he’ll do next. Hall is excellent as Shaft’s estranged wife. Her quips about Shaft’s focus are hilarious. Usher is wonderful as the passive smart FBI agent who finds his roots through meeting his father. Shipp is excellent as JJ’s friend and later girlfriend. Her shift in attitude towards Shaft’s lifestyle was subtle and fun. Roundtree was great to see, and as a reminder of the original song and film, I smiled. Kenya Barris and Alex Barnow wrote an entertaining active script. Tim Story knew that he needed to let Jackson run roughshod over this film because Samuel will make it work, he always does.

Overall: If you’re looking for action entertainment and don’t mind a lot of swearing, this is a film for you.

The Hate U Give

First Hit: A fantastic film about the existence of racism and, as indicated here, in our police departments as well.

I’ve seen three films this year that deal directly with racism, Blindspotting, BlacKkKlansman, and this film The Hate U Give. In both Blindspotting and this film, we have a white policeman shooting and killing an unarmed black man.

The film starts with Maverick “Mav” Carter (Russell Hornsby) giving his children; Starr (Amandla Stenberg), Seven (Lamar Johnson), and Sekani (TJ Wright), “the talk.” Mav’s been to prison, he’s fought the hard life but wants to stop the cycle of violence and pain in the family.

He's giving his children the talk about how to act when they are stopped by police for any reason because he knows how they will be viewed being black.

I was deeply saddened listening to this because it’s 2018 and I don't understand why haven't figured out that racism, in any form, is wrong. It shows that we’ve barely grown as a country.

Their mother, Lisa (Regina Hall), doesn’t want them exposed to the school in their ghetto neighborhood so she sends them to a mostly white college prep school. She wants her children to not be unduly influenced.

Before long, it happens. Starr is being driven home with her lifelong friend Khalil (Algee Smith), when they are stopped for changing lanes without signaling. Khalil, despite Starr’s insistence that he follow the cop’s commands, mouths off to the officer and eventually follows the officer’s commands. Standing outside the car, facing the car, while the policeman checks his ID, Khalil reaches in the car to get a hairbrush, and the officer shoots and kills him. Starr witnesses the whole thing and is in shock.

Starr testifies in front of the Grand Jury, the jury decides to not indict the officer, and the city goes into an uproar. Sound familiar? Yes, this scene has been happening across the U.S., and even with incriminating video footage we’re not holding policeman responsible for their quick trigger behavior.

This film explores this issue when Starr asks her uncle Carlos (Common), who is a black police officer, why police act this way. When he starts his monologue about how a policeman has to act and respond to tense situations, I found myself thinking, wow this is a compelling argument and I can nearly see why a policeman would react this way. However, when Starr asks would the cop shoot a white guy dressed in a suit driving a Mercedes, or would he ask the white guy to put his hands up. Carlos pauses, then says, he’d tell the white guy to put his hands up.

This is the issue. Why would a black police officer shoot the black man but tell the well dressed white man to raise his hands.

Other race issues show up when Starr’s closest friend at her prep school, Hailey (Sabrina Carpenter) shows her true colors as Starr becomes more vocal about her community in her community. A great juxtaposition was her white boyfriend Chris (K.J. Apa) who supports Starr in her quest to be seen and speak her truth. My only criticism of this film is that there are sections that seemed elongated or unnecessary that altered the intense pacing of this film. I would have rather had some smart trimming to keep the pacing at the higher level.

Regardless, this film has things to say and in summary, we’ve got a lot to learn and it starts with each of us doing soul searching.

Stenberg was sublime as Starr. She was both verbally and visually expressive at the right moments. Hall was wonderful as the strong mother who wants the best for her children but also gives them enough reign to grow. Hornsby was fantastic as the father. His pent up and controlled rage channeled to help his family was perfectly expressed in this film. Common was strong and his discussion with Starr about “what if…” was key. Apa was extraordinary in his role as the white boyfriend. Johnson and Wright were amazing as Starr’s siblings. Hall was wonderfully charismatic and excellent as the young man killed by the white officer. Anthony Mackie was very strong as King, the neighborhood drug dealer, controlling the actions of many. Audrey Wells wrote a strong script. George Tillman Jr. did a wonderful job directing this story and strong actors keeping the point of racism in focus.

Overall: This was an emotional film to watch as witnessed by the numerous times I had to wipe my eyes.

Girls Trip

First Hit:  Some very funny scenes, a few overly gross scenes, all in a satisfying but too long film.

I don’t mind grossness in a film. However, when more than one person pisses on a crowd from a zip line and the amount of piss and the way it sprays around is totally un-real, it is a turnoff, adds no value and is not funny. This and other stupid scenes when juxtaposed against some very fine and really, out-loud, funny scenes, could keep this film from being a classic hit, years from now.

Strong friendships between four black women is the basis for this strong film as they reconnect and re-find their deep love and respect for each other. Many of us have friendships that have lasted through the years. I’ve got two friends, whom I’ve known for over 50 years. Although we may not speak with each other very often, but when we do we find the place where trust and having each other’s backs rises to the top.

This film explores all this and more because, Ryan (Regina Hall) is in a farce of a marriage, promotes her life as having it all, and subjugates herself for money, her husband’s infidelity and fame. Then there is Sasha (Queen Latifah), who is financially struggling because, her once strong communication skills are being wasted on her TMZ type website that has no viewers. She found herself in this position because Ryan quit their business partnership. Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith) has become a protective stay at home divorced mom. The fun, strong, smart girl has been both emotionally and sexually suppressed. Dina (Tiffany Haddish) is the wild girl, the fun girl and the bold girl. She’s the one in the group that pushes the edge of experience for all of them through her boldness.

They get together in New Orleans because Ryan gets an all-expenses paid trip to promote herself and husband Stewart (Mike Colter) to a possible television production company while at a conference. Although the unraveling of their back stories’ is predictable, the humor used is, at times, sparkling and strong. One example was the demonstration of using a grapefruit in sex, very funny. All of these women were perfect and well chosen for the character they represented and it showed that they became friends during the filming.

Hall was perfectly reserved, suppressed, and wanting to live her truth of having it all. She showed the rediscovery of her true self well. Latifah was wonderful and didn’t dominate the film as she has in other films. She fit effortlessly and was perfect as the woman who had Ryan’s back no matter what. Smith’s character evolved the most during the film. The opening scenes where she acts repressed were on the edge of being pressed, but her clothing made it all work. Then as she evolves you can see how she fit into the group years ago. Haddish was like having a wild animal loose in a positive way. She brought spark, edginess and bold fun to this role. She was the spark plug. Colter was strong as Ryan’s philandering husband. His voice is so soft and smooth which he uses as an asset for convincing Ryan to buy into the hype. Erica Rivinoja and Kenya Barris wrote a wonderful story that embodied some real insights to friendship. Malcolm D. Lee did a good job of directing this film. My criticisms are that he needed to remove 30 minutes of film, it was way too long, and that the overdoing of some scenes took it from being a strong film and moved it toward being silly.

Overall:  It needed some tightening up, but otherwise it was a very funny and strong film.

Think Like a Man

First Hit:  This film served up both truth and laughs.

Film follows 7 men who are close friends and hang out together often.

The film also follows the women whom they meet. So what is thinking like a man entail? It entails reading Steve Harvey’s book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”.

In this book he gives women advice of how to land men; who are mama’s boys, or can’t commit, or are players, and other behaviors. What happens is that we follow men who are being lured into relationships they actually want by women who are using the techniques written in the book to make the man do what they want.

At one point the men get copies of the book and try to blunt the girl’s attempts but in the end the men want these girls. Through all this is humor, some of it smart, some slapstick, some racial, but mostly it is the kind of humor one expects in the truth.

The bits with the professional basketball players is really funny and I would have liked even more of those scenes.

This film is smart in the way it handles the male and female parts.

This is a very good ensemble piece and although the actors are not largely known (A-list) the acting was strong: Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Hart, Terrence Jenkins, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Chris Brown, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Lewis, Gabrielle Union, La La Anthony, Wendy Williams and Sherri Shepherd were all funny and good in their roles. Keith Merryman wrote the smart screenplay from Steve Harvey’s book. Tim Story directed this smartly with great movements between couples and scenes.

Overall: I really enjoyed this film because it rang of truth, was smartly written and well directed.