Angela-Bassett Movie Reviews

Mary McDonnell will never be better-she is brilliant, than in her portrayal of May-Alice Culhane (for which she was Oscar-nominated), the once-on-top Soap Opera star to whom tragedy has taken the use of her legs, and forced a re-evaluation of her life.

Alfre Woodard, as the hired home-care worker/nurse Chantelle provides the perfect complement as both these women find more of themselves through each other, then they might ever have found otherwise. Again, Ms. Woodard has rarely disappointed.

The early montage of health-care applicants is clever and funny. And John Sayles always is able to find brilliance in his supporting cast: notably Vondie Curtis-Hall, Leo Burmester, and David Strathairn, as well as a small role early in the career of Angela Bassett.

Sayles' script was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Powerhouse performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube.This movie tells us what living in this world is today and the battles you must fight not only for yourself but for the ones you love.

A orignal film powerful and very real as well as touching and sad.Admist all the violence ,chaos of a war torn Los Angeles.A heartfelt film and the

unfortunate truth very real.

The story about 3 friends growing up in the hood in South Central LA. Each one with their own individual struggle and goals in life. Doughboy (Ice Cube) ,who is a drug dealer, has been in and out of trouble throughout his young life and seems to be happy with his surroundings. Doughboy's brother Ricky (Morris Chestnut) a teenage father with bright hopes and aspirations of becoming an NFL football player ; and Ricky's best friend Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who hopes and dreams of higher education and an escape from the dwelling of the hood. "The Hood" where saying the wrong thing or looking at someone the wrong way can end in death. Tre's father (Larry Fishburne) is a responsible, educated and strict father who makes sure his son stays on the right track in achieving his goals in life. Teaching him about responsibility and keeping your cool in adverse situations in order to make a thoughtful descision. Tre's resolve will be tested when tragedy strikes close to home and revenge and murder seem like the only solution.

Fantastic direction by John Singleton and equally impressive acting by all characters are the reason Boyz N the Hood was such a huge success. It was nominated for two acedemy awards (Direction and Screenplay.) ... You have to see this one for yourself you won't be sorry.

I wish more people watched this movie. It could do a lot of good. This is such an educational movie yet it rarely feels like it¡¯s preaching to you. The message is simple. There is too much poverty and thus violence in the ghetto. People just don¡¯t seem to care enough.

I will not mention the plot, see above for that, but must say that Cuba Gooding Junior and Lawrence Fishburne are excellent together. Also, Ice Cube does a great job as an actor, playing a key role. What I will say about the plot is that it is slow-building and then explosive for the last twenty minutes. What I also found interesting were the little scenes mixed in with the plot. There are some great side scenes, for example in one scene Furious (Fishburne) takes his son and his friend to Compton to tell them about gentrification and how people devalue property in the ghetto then buy it up cheap and sell it at a profit.

All in all this is a riveting movie that you must have in your collection.

Powerhouse performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube.This movie tells us what living in this world is today and the battles you must fight not only for yourself but for the ones you love.

A orignal film powerful and very real as well as touching and sad.Admist all the violence ,chaos of a war torn Los Angeles.A heartfelt film and the

unfortunate truth very real.

The story about 3 friends growing up in the hood in South Central LA. Each one with their own individual struggle and goals in life. Doughboy (Ice Cube) ,who is a drug dealer, has been in and out of trouble throughout his young life and seems to be happy with his surroundings. Doughboy's brother Ricky (Morris Chestnut) a teenage father with bright hopes and aspirations of becoming an NFL football player ; and Ricky's best friend Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who hopes and dreams of higher education and an escape from the dwelling of the hood. "The Hood" where saying the wrong thing or looking at someone the wrong way can end in death. Tre's father (Larry Fishburne) is a responsible, educated and strict father who makes sure his son stays on the right track in achieving his goals in life. Teaching him about responsibility and keeping your cool in adverse situations in order to make a thoughtful descision. Tre's resolve will be tested when tragedy strikes close to home and revenge and murder seem like the only solution.

Fantastic direction by John Singleton and equally impressive acting by all characters are the reason Boyz N the Hood was such a huge success. It was nominated for two acedemy awards (Direction and Screenplay.) ... You have to see this one for yourself you won't be sorry.

I wish more people watched this movie. It could do a lot of good. This is such an educational movie yet it rarely feels like it¡¯s preaching to you. The message is simple. There is too much poverty and thus violence in the ghetto. People just don¡¯t seem to care enough.

I will not mention the plot, see above for that, but must say that Cuba Gooding Junior and Lawrence Fishburne are excellent together. Also, Ice Cube does a great job as an actor, playing a key role. What I will say about the plot is that it is slow-building and then explosive for the last twenty minutes. What I also found interesting were the little scenes mixed in with the plot. There are some great side scenes, for example in one scene Furious (Fishburne) takes his son and his friend to Compton to tell them about gentrification and how people devalue property in the ghetto then buy it up cheap and sell it at a profit.

All in all this is a riveting movie that you must have in your collection.

Powerhouse performances by Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube.This movie tells us what living in this world is today and the battles you must fight not only for yourself but for the ones you love.

A orignal film powerful and very real as well as touching and sad.Admist all the violence ,chaos of a war torn Los Angeles.A heartfelt film and the

unfortunate truth very real.

The story about 3 friends growing up in the hood in South Central LA. Each one with their own individual struggle and goals in life. Doughboy (Ice Cube) ,who is a drug dealer, has been in and out of trouble throughout his young life and seems to be happy with his surroundings. Doughboy's brother Ricky (Morris Chestnut) a teenage father with bright hopes and aspirations of becoming an NFL football player ; and Ricky's best friend Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) who hopes and dreams of higher education and an escape from the dwelling of the hood. "The Hood" where saying the wrong thing or looking at someone the wrong way can end in death. Tre's father (Larry Fishburne) is a responsible, educated and strict father who makes sure his son stays on the right track in achieving his goals in life. Teaching him about responsibility and keeping your cool in adverse situations in order to make a thoughtful descision. Tre's resolve will be tested when tragedy strikes close to home and revenge and murder seem like the only solution.

Fantastic direction by John Singleton and equally impressive acting by all characters are the reason Boyz N the Hood was such a huge success. It was nominated for two acedemy awards (Direction and Screenplay.) ... You have to see this one for yourself you won't be sorry.

I wish more people watched this movie. It could do a lot of good. This is such an educational movie yet it rarely feels like it¡¯s preaching to you. The message is simple. There is too much poverty and thus violence in the ghetto. People just don¡¯t seem to care enough.

I will not mention the plot, see above for that, but must say that Cuba Gooding Junior and Lawrence Fishburne are excellent together. Also, Ice Cube does a great job as an actor, playing a key role. What I will say about the plot is that it is slow-building and then explosive for the last twenty minutes. What I also found interesting were the little scenes mixed in with the plot. There are some great side scenes, for example in one scene Furious (Fishburne) takes his son and his friend to Compton to tell them about gentrification and how people devalue property in the ghetto then buy it up cheap and sell it at a profit.

All in all this is a riveting movie that you must have in your collection.

Spike Lee's treatment of Malcolm X never degenerates into hagiography, race baiting, or worse, Hollywood stereotype. Instead he -- and of course, Denzel Washington's tour de force performance -- presents Malcolm the myth, the martyr and the man. What better dichotomy is there for someone forever enshrined in the pantheon of American fame? I hope we never forget his legacy...

This movie left me energized, angry, confused and hopeful all at the same time. Soon after, I mustered up the courage to read Malcolm's autobiography and was equally moved by it. Thank you, Spike for the inspiration.

The screenplay closely follows Alex Haley's collaboration with Malcolm X on his autobiography, from his early days as a hustler and pimp, to his transformation and his rise to prominence in the Black Muslims and beyond. In so doing, it traces much of the history of the twentieth century African American experience

As another reviewer so inelegantly (and ungrammatically) put it, Malcolm Little sold drugs and women, robbed and lived in the underworld. However, this recognizes far less than half of this compelling and incredible story. This beginning was important only to underscore how far he ultimately came, and leads the viewer to wonder what would have happened had he not been murdered.

Wonderful casting including Angela Bassett as his wife Betty, DelRoy Lindo and particularly Al Freeman Jr. as Elijah Muhammad. It was a rather predictable crime that Spike Lee, Denzel Washington and this film did not dominate the Academy Awards.

No wonder the book based on this movie "The Autobiography of Malcom X" by Alex Haley is a best seller and a modern American classic. This film has influenced me so much so that I am compelled to watch any motion picture that includes Malcolm X, Spike Lee or Denzel Washington. So far it's the only film that I never get enough of watching, I still borrow the video again and again.

However, some viewers may find the running time extraordinarily long, nearly three and half hours! The first part of the film which accounts for the early life of Milcolm X, although essential to the background of the story, should have been shortened. Motion picture, unlike the print media is not to narrate every line of the story.

Nonetheless, it is a brilliant and classic work that I've enjoyed very much. It's the closest you can get to understanding the enigmatic and charismatic figure of Malcolm X. Thank you, the makers of this movie. END

Spike Lee's treatment of Malcolm X never degenerates into hagiography, race baiting, or worse, Hollywood stereotype. Instead he -- and of course, Denzel Washington's tour de force performance -- presents Malcolm the myth, the martyr and the man. What better dichotomy is there for someone forever enshrined in the pantheon of American fame? I hope we never forget his legacy...

This movie left me energized, angry, confused and hopeful all at the same time. Soon after, I mustered up the courage to read Malcolm's autobiography and was equally moved by it. Thank you, Spike for the inspiration.

The screenplay closely follows Alex Haley's collaboration with Malcolm X on his autobiography, from his early days as a hustler and pimp, to his transformation and his rise to prominence in the Black Muslims and beyond. In so doing, it traces much of the history of the twentieth century African American experience

As another reviewer so inelegantly (and ungrammatically) put it, Malcolm Little sold drugs and women, robbed and lived in the underworld. However, this recognizes far less than half of this compelling and incredible story. This beginning was important only to underscore how far he ultimately came, and leads the viewer to wonder what would have happened had he not been murdered.

Wonderful casting including Angela Bassett as his wife Betty, DelRoy Lindo and particularly Al Freeman Jr. as Elijah Muhammad. It was a rather predictable crime that Spike Lee, Denzel Washington and this film did not dominate the Academy Awards.

No wonder the book based on this movie "The Autobiography of Malcom X" by Alex Haley is a best seller and a modern American classic. This film has influenced me so much so that I am compelled to watch any motion picture that includes Malcolm X, Spike Lee or Denzel Washington. So far it's the only film that I never get enough of watching, I still borrow the video again and again.

However, some viewers may find the running time extraordinarily long, nearly three and half hours! The first part of the film which accounts for the early life of Milcolm X, although essential to the background of the story, should have been shortened. Motion picture, unlike the print media is not to narrate every line of the story.

Nonetheless, it is a brilliant and classic work that I've enjoyed very much. It's the closest you can get to understanding the enigmatic and charismatic figure of Malcolm X. Thank you, the makers of this movie. END

This film celebrates the dogged determination and courage of one woman who proved that a single individual can make a difference. Her life was not a pretty picture. Her husband left her for one of her friends, turning her into an emotional basket case. Music was her only solace and teaching was her gift. Unfortunately, her lack of experience in the education system made her unqualified to get a position. So on the recommendation of a friend she convinces an East Harlem principal to give her a chance as a substitute violin teacher. She even supplies the violins.

The story from there is an example of life often being more remarkable than fiction. The results she achieved with these children were astounding. My only criticism of the story was that it contained a little too much treatment of her personal life. Almost her entire relationship with Brian (Aiden Quinn) could have been eliminated without hurting the story. I know that director Wes Craven was trying to give us some character development on how tough her life was and how difficult a person she was, but it was superfluous and the digression only bogged the story down. The real story here was about her and the kids. He should have stuck to that. Otherwise, Craven did a fabulous job of directing, delivering an emotional story with great power and effect. I was quite impressed, especially given the fact that prior to this film, he was almost exclusively a one genre director (Horror. Think 'Scream').

The acting by Meryl Streep was nothing short of brilliant. I have read criticism of Streep's performance as too harsh, it seeming as if she didn't really LIKE the children. In actuality her performance was dead solid perfect. I was lucky enough to rent the Collector's Series DVD of this film which included a separate disk of the original documentary about the real Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras and her students, including the actual concert at Carnegie Hall. If you watch that documentary you will be in awe of how well Streep utterly nails her character. We get to see the real Roberta teaching her students and she is like a drill sergeant barking orders, throwing kids out of practice for not having their violins, reproaching them angrily about plucking their strings while she is speaking, and generally tolerating no nonsense. She is impatient with them and completely intolerant of anything but their best.

The children who made comments about the real Roberta said things like, 'I wouldn't have the discipline I have if it weren't for Roberta. That discipline not only helps me with the violin, but with everything else.' Another child said, 'I have to pay attention to what I'm doing or Roberta will get mean. But if I do good, she is pleased and that make me feel good.' Yet another, 'I want to work really hard so Roberta will be proud of me.' Clearly, these are not the comments of children who were being negatively affected by Roberta's no nonsense style.

Streep said in the featurette included in the DVD that it is very difficult playing a real person because there is no leeway for artistic interpretation. Translation: If she was to play Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras, she had to become Roberta. This she accomplished with stunning accuracy. Streep captures not only Roberta's irascible demeanor, but the essence of her drive and passion for drawing the students very best. Roberta is a complex and difficult character to play and Streep throws herself into the role, delivering a tour de force performance that very few actors have the range and depth to accomplish.

This film is a must see for anyone who loves the arts and anyone who can appreciate a great actress giving a career performance. I rated it a 9/10, subtracting a point for Craven's unnecessary digression into Roberta's private life. That is, however, hardly a reason to miss this bravura performance and an inspiring story.

Very highly recommended.

Undoubtedly the best points about this movie are the performances. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne as Tina and Ike are just outstanding. Whilst Fishburne manages to really get across just how terribly resilient and ongoing Ike was, Bassett brings a likeable sense of vulnerability and, in the end, strength in her role. In particular, when we see her perform all those famous Tina numbers, she gets the movement down to a tee, so much to the extent that when the real Tina comes on stage, there's little difference.

Although the formula itself may be a little familiar to anyone who watches TV movies, this is a cut above the usual domestic abuse dramas.

Ms. Bassett plays Tina with all the earthy charm and sexual magnetism of the real life Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne gives an amazingly effective performance as Ike, at once both repellent and charismatic. The movie focuses on their relationship, one which sowed the seeds for the Tina Turner we know today.

What started out as a match made in heaven, quickly soured as Tina naturally took the lead musically in their Ike and Tina Turner Revue. When it became clear that Tina was the one for which the fans were clamoring, Ike did not take lightly to being second banana, and their relationship became one of domestic discord and abuse, with Ike easing into the role of abusive husband with relative ease.

When Tina finally had had enough, she divorced Ike, taking nothing from the marriage except her children and her show business name, the name she earned. From there, she went on to rebuild her life and career, becoming the world reknowned rock and roll diva she is today. Ike, a substance abuser, ended up in prison for narcotics possession and fell into relative obscurity, little more than a footnote in rock and roll history.

This is a film well worth watching, with great performances and great music. Look for the live stage performance by the real life Tina Turner at the end of the film. That alone is worth the price of this video.