#42

LOVE JONES

One of the most realistic depictions of a black couple I’ve seen in any film. Love Jones is raw, but classy. The movie has an era of sophistication about it. Maybe it’s because all of the characters are “Renaissance” black people, as the protagonist calls them. They’re writers, poets, photographers, artists in every sense of the word. The movie is ultimately about the ups and downs of the turbulent relationship between cocky, yet adorable Darius (played by Lorenz Tate) and the beautiful and talented Nina (played by Nia Long). They meet, they fall in love, they break up, and by the end of the film they find their way back to each other. This could’ve easily been another run of the mill romantic drama, but instead it’s given an urban sophisticated twist. The film’s soundtrack is also breathtaking; a mix of soul, r&b, and jazz. Totally captivating from beginning to end. This film takes your typical romantic drama formula and makes it refined and cultured. From the character’s slick wardrobe that captures the 1990s era beautifully, to the soulful soundtrack, to the intelligent and stylish dialogue. This is one of my favorite romantic films of all time, and certainly one of my favorite black films.

#43

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

The real life story of Frank Abagnale Jr, a young man who committed check fruad in the 1960s, stealing millions of dollars worth of checks. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it even more compelling. Frank was just an average boy, going through what so many teenagers face nowadays…their parents divorcing. Scared and frustrated, he runs away from home and begins his journey into check fraud to financially support himself. Eventually he drifts into the realm of identity theft; playing make believe, pretending to be different people, taking on different occupations…lawyer, doctor, pilot, whatever he decides he wants to be at that moment. He gets sucked into this on the run lifestyle where he can take on different characters. The part is played beautifully by Leonardo Dicaprio…who is perfectly suited for this role. He has that cool, calm, charming persona that Frank used to fool so many people. But Leo could also deliver those emotionally driven scenes towards the end of the film where Frank starts to mentally break down.

This movie’s sense of fantasy and make believe is what makes it so compelling. How many of us wish we could be someone else? Take on a different role in life, or live out a life long dream? That’s what our protagonist does here. Even though we know what he’s doing is wrong, we still can’t help but root for him. Also, the fact that he’s consistently on the run in the film, switching from one identity to the next, adds a suspenseful element to the movie as well. It puts the audience on the edge of their seats, eager to see where he’ll end up next. Also, Tom Hanks plays the cop who chases Frank throughout the film and he is great in this role.

The cinematography, the production design, the costumes…all beautiful and make the film visually stunning. That 1960s era and time period are captured beautifully on screen, making the film quite captivating.

A great film by Spielberg, and one of my favorite films of all time.

#44

CLOSER

A movie about the relationships between 4 individuals; Anna, Alice, Dan, and Larry. The movie chronicles the lives of these 4 people, as they all become intimate and romantic partners with each other at different points in their lives. Boy meets girl, boy breaks up with girl, boy meets someone new, new girl breaks up with him and meets a different boy. It’s all very complex and incestuous.

One might wonder why a movie about relationships could be so intriguing, but this isn’t an ordinary romantic drama. The movie is driven by the script and the incredible actors. Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Nathalie Portman all give fantastic performances. Portman breaths life into the character of Alice, by giving her a vulnerable naivety that makes her character endearing. Clive is more than believable as foul-mouthed, abrasive Larry. The dialogue is some of the best, and most shocking I’ve heard. Some might write it off as cheap or sleazy, but the honesty in the script is what makes the story so real. When Larry confronts Anna about her affair with Dan, he asks her “What does his cum taste like?”—Her response— “It taste like yours, only sweeter.” That’s just a glimpse of the kind of dialogue you’re in store for if you watch this film, and you should watch it because it’s freakin fantastic.

#45

PLEASANTVILLE

A movie about 2 teenagers from modern day society who get transported into a 1950’s television sitcom. Jennifer and David are siblings living in the 90s. Jennifer has a reputation of being promiscuous and rebellious. David is more reserved, subdued, and most importantly—obsessed with a 1950s tv sitcom called Pleasantville. Due to David’s obsession with the show, their tv repair man gives David and his sister a magical remote that transports them INTO the tv sitcom.

They are then thrust into a picture-perfect 1950s atmosphere where the people use phrases like “Gee golly” and “That’s swell”. The fashion consists of poodle skirts and sweater vests. There is no rock music, swear words aren’t allowed, and everyone goes through each day with a plastered smile on their face. Suffice to say, David and Jennifer don’t exactly fit in there.

As the film progresses, we see that there really is no depth in this pleasant town. The books are blank; they don’t have any text in them. The firemen in the town have never actually put out a real fire before. Their job consists of rescuing cats from trees. In the high school’s geography class, they are never taught about what cities and countries exist outside of Pleasantville. The townspeople are so sheltered because they’ve never been exposed to anything real. Flaws don’t exist. Everything in Pleasantville is pretty much perfect.

However, throughout the film, David and Jennifer introduce these people to sex, music, art, and other provocative experiences. As the townspeople’s views about life start to change,  the town’s black and white scenery starts to burst into color. But not all at once. With each minor change, a bit of color appears. It starts with a black and white rose turning red. The color eventually spreads, and soon cars, houses, and even the people begin bursting into color too. Of course, with change comes fear. And the townspeople who are still black and white become divided from those who have burst into color (the movie takes some cues from the real life racial segregation that took place in the U.S 40-50 years ago).

This movie has some of the most stunning and effective special effects I’ve ever seen. There are scenes where some of the people and objects in the scene are in color, while others remain in black and white; to show the contrast between who has come to life in Pleasantville, and who has yet to experience any kind of provocative or significant change.

It’s such a powerful film with important themes about segregation, discrimination, and the importance of change. I would highly recommend it.

#46

SCREAM

Let me preface this by saying I am a huge fan of the horror genre. I love horror films in all their cheesy, formulaic, clichéd glory. One of my favorite horror films of all time is Scream. The storyline is pretty complex for a horror movie. Rather than just having a serial killer running loose, slicing and dicing for the heck of it, there’s a lot more to this plot. Sidney Prescott is a high school student who’s mother was brutally murdered just one year ago. Sidney accused the man her mother was having an affair with, (Cotton), of committing the murder, and is determined to have him put in jail for it.

Journalist, Gale Weathers (played wonderfully by Courtney Cox), investigates the murder and is determined to find out who really killed Sydney’s mom, as she thinks Cotton is innocent. Being that Sidney lives in such a small town, her mother’s murder is the biggest and most shocking thing to ever happen there. That is, until a string of Sidney’s classmates start getting murdered one by one. And Sidney becomes the serial killer’s next target. As the movie progresses, we find out why the killer is killing off students, why they’re after Sidney and her friends, and WHO the killer is (which is the best part about this film—playing guess who and trying to rule out all the usual suspects).

I love that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It almost makes fun of itself a little. When we hear Sidney’s sidekick Randy telling his friends “how to successfully survive a horror movie”, we can see that this film almost parodies the horror genre a bit.

Not only is this movie an edge of your seat thriller, but it’s also a murder mystery, a comedy, and a bit of a romantic film too—all rolled into one.

The cast is great. Jamie Kennedy is hilarious as Randy. He brings a lot of comic relief to the film. Neve Campbell blends intensity and vulnerability together beautifully playing Sidney Prescott.

The opening scene to Scream still remains the most intense, horrific, and gruesome opening scene to a film I’ve ever seen. The fact that a big name actress like Drew Barrymore dies within the first 10 minutes of the movie shows the audience that no one in the film is safe. All of the main characters are susceptible to being killed off. The director, Wes Craven, is fearless when it comes to shocking his audience. And this is one movie that never fails to shock and surprise.

#47

CRUEL INTENTIONS

A movie all about love, lust, and betrayal. Before there was Gossip Girl, Cruel Intentions was the first popular mainstream film to focus on the lives of spoiled brats from Manhattan’s upper east side. The story focuses on our main character, Sebastian. Sebastian is essentially, a male whore. He spends his time bedding a string of women; using them for sex and nothing more. He is rich, powerful, and more than anything…bored. So this is how he chooses to occupy his time.

His step sister Kathryn is equally trampy. She uses her alluring presence and dominating sexuality to get what she wants. She also happens to be a coke addict.

As the movie begins, we see what kind of twisted relationship these two siblings have. One that is also riddled with bizarre sexual chemistry. Kathryn reads an article about the headmaster’s daughter, Annette, and her goal to remain a virgin until she falls in love and gets married. Intrigued by this, Kathryn makes a bet with Sebastian that he can’t deflower Annette before the new school year begins. If he can’t, Kathryn wins and she gets Sebastian’s classic, vintage Jaguar car. If he is successful and wins, he gets something that he’s always wanted…Kathryn…in every explicit sexual position imaginable.

Sebastian accepts the challenge. He is tired of bedding the same old bimbos around New York anyhow, and jumps at the opportunity to deflower a virgin. However, to his surprise, the feat is much harder than he thought it’d be. Annette is adamant on sticking to her morals. What’s more, the more time Sebastian spends with Annette, the more he begins to genuinely like her. She makes him laugh and he feels comfortable and at ease around her. To his surprise he ends up falling in love with her…something neither of them were prepared for. What now? Does he continue with the bet or does he call the whole thing off?

In the midst of this bet, Sebastian has agreed to submit to another request by Kathryn. He’s agreed to sleep with Cecile: a girl who stole Kathryn’s boyfriend, Court, away from her. The plan is to turn Cecil into a sleazy tramp to get even with Court for choosing her over Kathryn. This subplot offers some pretty hilarious moments and it also blends in nicely with the main plot.

Overall, this is a great movie all about power and seduction. And it all builds up to a startling climax.

#48

CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL

This film features one of my favorite on screen love stories. Nicole is a wild, out of control teenager who spends her days drinking and partying. On the surface she appears to be having fun. But below the surface lies an endless amount of problems. The memory of watching her mother commit suicide when she was just 13 years old puts her in a state of depression. She copes by escaping through sex, drugs and alcohol.

But on the other side of the tracks we meet Carlos. A young Hispanic teenager. Athletic, hard working, a good student, but stuck in a bad neighborhood on the rough side of town. However, eager and determined to get out of that environment, he attends school with Nicole in a predominantly white neighborhood where he can get a better education—where he has to travel for hours everyday on a bus just to get there.

Carlos and Nicole attend the same school for years before meeting. He actually meets her for the first time while she’s doing community service at the beach. A gig she got stuck with after getting a DUI.

What makes this story so intriguing; the juxtaposition of their characters. Nicole is the daughter of a congressman. She lives in a mansion in a rich neighborhood with the opportunity for success right at her finger tips. But the traumatic events in her life prevent her from being truly happy. So she spends her time skipping class, drinking, doing drugs, not taking much of anything seriously, and basically wasting away.

But Carlos lives in what appears to be a poverty stricken neighborhood with a single parent, little money, surrounded by a rough environment. However, unlike Nicole he works hard to get out of that atmosphere and become successful. The two are such polar opposites. But that’s what attracts them to each other. She is crazy. He is beautiful. Sparks fly between these two characters, and the two actors create some of the best on screen chemistry I’ve ever seen. This really is a great love story riddled with comedy and a few tear jerker moments too.

# 49

TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME

I’m usually not an advocate for black films. And I say that as a black woman myself. I feel most of them are poorly made, poorly scripted, poorly acted, bad direction, they tend to perpetuate negative stereotypes as well. But Two Can Play that Game is one of the few out there with an insightful, original script, a great cast, a hilarious concept…and it’s just an overall great movie.

Want to know how to keep your man in check? What to do when he starts misbehaving. In this movie, Shante (played brilliantly by Vivica A. Fox) gives us a lesson on relationship DOs and DON’Ts. The movie is basically a “How to” guide for relationship dummies. The movie follows Shante as she instructs her friends on what to do and what not to do in their romantic relationships. Shante is usually the one out of her small group of friends that’s got it together. She’s got the perfect job, the amazing boyfriend, she’s smart, driven, and generally on top of things. But that all changes when she catches her man (played by Morris Chestnut) in a lie.

Her main mission throughout the film: teach him a lesson. Make sure he never screws up again. She does this by following a series of rules and regulations that she sets forth. Vivica narrates the film, frequently talking directly into the camera to the viewers in between scenes.

This is really a great movie. It’s funny. It’s relatable in so many ways for those of us who have been in a complicated relationship or two. It’s honest. The depiction of the men and women in this film and how they relate is pretty realistic too. It’s entertaining and fun, without being too cheesy. Recommended.

Being the film buff that I am, and having a job (as a receptionist) where I sit at a computer all day and do basically nothing, I decided to compile a list of my top 50 favorite films of all time. Some are pretty obvious, while others might make you scratch your head and think “How the heck can anyone like that film?” Anywho, I feel like this will be a process, so I’ll try to add a few films everyday until the list is complete. I’ll list the title, a picture, and a little description of what the film means to me. These are in no particular order.

So, first on the list is:

#50

AMERICAN BEAUTY

Maybe it’s the calm, soothing tone of Kevin Spacey’s voice narrating the film. Or the taboo issues surrounding a typical American suburban family. Or the fact that I use to sneak downstairs to the basement to watch this film; this film with all of it’s nudity, sex, and murder, when I was only 11 years old. But when someone asks me what my favorite film is, this is the one that instantly comes to mind. The film’s tagline “look closer” suits it perfectly. Things aren’t always as they seem. The grass isn’t always greener. Etc etc, and every other popular cliche applies to it.

Here we have the story of a middle class suburban family. On the exterior they appear quite normal. A hard working mother, a corporate father, and their cheerleader daughter. But soon we see that the mother is an overbearing perfectionist. The father is miserable and unhappy with his life, both at home and at work. And the daughter…typical teenager…insecure, unsure of herself…with a delusional self absorbed whore for a best friend. As the movie progresses we see the journey and the changes these characters go through. Secrets unravel, drama ensues, and it all leads to a shocking climax.

What I love most about this film is it’s realism. Everything about it feels so natural. These characters look like a common family you would see in your everyday life. Their neighborhood, their home, everything about them looks and feels familiar and personal. Like we’re voyeurs peering in on their lives. It doesn’t feel like a film at all. It feels like real life, and that’s what makes it so great.

The positives: No one comes in because it’s Saturday. So I usually spend the day BSing on the computer.

The negatives: No one comes in because it’s Saturday, so I often fall asleep at my desk. Which ensues major paranoia. I keep thinking that my boss will randomly decide to come in one Saturday and catch me sleeping on the job…literally. I’m a secretary for my school’s history department, btw.