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American Gangster - Rappers take Actors' Parts - Pt. II

American Gangster - Rappers take Actors' Parts, was unfinished and published by accident. There were one or two more things I wanted to say.

As you know, It is my feeling these roles should have gone to actors. 

Maybe since some rappers pretend to be gangsters it was only fitting that three rappers would show up in this film.

Ranting about it is not going to change this. This is how it is. I’m not going to rant about this, anymore… I hope. Why bother? It’s pointless. There are bigger battles to fight rather than whining over which man (or woman) plays a role. 

What is important is to examine the kind of work the actor is doing and evaluate if the person is talented and worthy of their place on the silver screen. If they are, I will celebrate them. If they are not, I suppose they’ll be dismissed just as any other incompetent would.

Who is Lee Daniels?

I’m highlighting Lee Daniels for the sole purpose of making readers aware of his presence.  I figure readers should be aware of his presence because he is black and he’s making movies.  Whether or not he’s making good movies, has a unique vision, etc., etc. is not at issue on this particular post.
    
Who is Lee Daniels?
    
He is a film producer. And he runs Lee Daniels Entertainment. He started in the business over twenty years ago as a casting director, then as a talent manager.
    
Though he is a producer, he also has acting credits and he has jumped into directing.
    
What has he produced?

Monster’s Ball (2001)
     Lee Daniels Entertainment’s first production
    
The Woodsman (2004)
    
Shadowboxer (2005)
     This film marks his directorial debut
     He appears in this film, as an actor
    
Tennessee (2008)
     Presently in post production
    
Push (2008)
     Presently filming; represents his second directorial effort

He’s someone we should be aware of. For more on Lee Daniels, visit leedanielsentertainment.com. 

The Wood Award – Beyonce – Dreamgirls

The Wood Award is a category that recognizes performers for their wooden performances in a scene.  In this category we will examine probably laughing at or making fun of scenes that are noteworthy because they are terribly poorly acted.

I was having a conversation with a friend and we agreed on a scene that was particularly funny and poorly acted.  I had a Halle Barry scene I was going to feature to start this category, but we’ll go with Bey.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present our girl, Bey… in Dreamgirls (Chapter 13 on the DVD)

This is the scene where she’s watching the movie and smoking a cigarette.

In the scene, Beyonce is viewing a film presentation which includes some wedding footage. Further along on the footage, she sees that it has been dictated that she accept a role (one she doesn’t want) in the film, “Cleopatra.”  It hits her. Her spouse sees her as merely a commodity and controls all her professional movements. At this point, Beyonce’s character is supposed to be emotional and upset about this. 

What was wrong with that two minute scene?

Body Language
Wooden

“Disappointed Reaction” to “Cleopatra”
Wooden

Cigarette Smoking
Wooden

She never actually inhales the cigarette. (When an actor fails to do so, he or she is lying to the audience).

The shot opens with Beyonce’s hand holding a burning cigarette, one which just left her lips. We then see her exhale the cigarette smoke through her mouth. It was obvious she wasn’t smoking the cigarette. It could have been faked better, I suppose. For the rest of the scene, she’s just holding the cigarette, not smoking it anymore.

There is something lacking in the scene; realism. She’s not believable as a smoker.  She is desperately trying to make the scene real. Everything from the cigarette smoking to the facial expressions is forced.

Yet there is something strangely humorous about it. It shouldn’t be funny because Beyonce clearly tries. But she fails. There’s just something comical about it.  I’m not saying I’m glad that Beyonce was unable to nail the scene. I’m just suggesting that the result was comical on some level.

What do I mean by wooden? I mean this: 
I mean what thesaurus.com means:

stiff, awkward
without spirit, animation or awareness

Though Beyonce is a wonderful and talented performer… she is the recipient of the Wood Award for this scene.

Is it me or at the end of that scene – didn’t that look like her sister, Solange?

Ain’t nobody hatin’ on Bey. I like Beyonce.  :) 

In many ways, Beyonce is magnificence personified.    

 

The Essence Article – Sanaa, Gabrielle and Nia

The December 2007 issue of Essence magazine features an article highlighting popular black actresses Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Gabrielle Union. This article was timely as I was just planning posts on these three. I expect to start soon with Sanaa Lathan.
    
In the article, the women talk about various topics. In particular, they chime in on the problems they face in Hollywood as it relates to them getting work and securing good roles and equal pay. I have highlighted some of their comments from the article. 
    
Really, today’s Hollywood black actress -- their current state -- in 2007, almost 2008 -– is AN ABOMINATION... an atrocity of monumental significance.
    
Their story has been told before. Many times.
    
The whole racism thing in Hollywood is well documented in books, papers, blogs, newspapers, magazines, radio interviews and other forms of media. This has been lamented over for decades. 
    
There is no possibility that this injustice will disappear from the public eye as it is repeated reported so often. These three women have legitimate complaints. I’m sure, alone in their private time, in the sanctity of their solitude, they probably feel great pain. They have the right to feel the way they do. And really, their plight can’t be repeated enough. Hollywood is so unfair and cruel to them… and other black actresses. So very cruel.
    
I look forward to perusing the articles that outline the steps we (Black Americans) are taking to remedy the intolerance we face in the industry. Maybe I’m missing those articles. And I mean bigger steps than the presence of Spike Lee and John Singleton or our recent Oscar winners. Of course, these are big steps. But there are many more steps to take if we hope for fairness and justice.
    
When will our dialog focus on viable solutions to this… or have we accepted that this will be the state of affairs forever? 
    
On working in Hollywood
    
Sanaa Lathan
“… it’s the first time that I’ll be able to do some real accent work.”
    
When I read this, I felt sad. I’m glad Sanaa Lathan is finally being given this opportunity… an opportunity she has obviously hoped for.
    
Nia Long states that… even though she had been in the business for ten years, her paycheck didn’t reflect that. Nor did her lifestyle. And she doesn’t feel she was justly rewarded (monetarily) for all the movies she did in that ten years.
    
I know.
    
“[Being] Black women in Hollywood…   It is just the burden that we have to bear,” quips Long.
    
Yes; it is.  I wonder, for how long.
    
Gabrielle Union
“I could make a living doing Black urban romantic comedies for the rest of my life…. But am I growing as an artist?”
    
Chile, you ain’t neva lied. I’m so glad she is questioning this! The answer is no. The answer is noooooooooooooooooooo.
    
Union states, “Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of choosing what is best for us or even what we are best suited for.”
    
So how is this reality going to be created?
    
The following is a bit off topic on the blog but I had to throw it in.
    
On Gossip
    
Gabrielle Union
“… they’ll complain on the blogs that we don’t have enough black stars. Well, you rip us to shreds every two seconds from our nose to the weave to the clothes to the shoes to the ashy ankles.”
    
Y’all, I fell out when I read this.  :)  LMMFAO.
    
Nia Long
"Listen, if I didn’t have to go to work and deal with getting my hair and makeup done by a white crew… I wouldn’t have a weave. If I felt like I could go in there, and they could take care of my natural hair-but they don’t know how to.”
    
Poor Nia.  Really?  Ah, Nia… I weep for you.  *** Sniff. Sniff ***
    
Sanaa Lathan
on when her hair was lookin' a hot mess cornrowed hairstyle was frizzy… and what the papps did.
    
“... but you know how with cornrows they get frizzy. So, … me and Gab went out one night and [the bloggers] tore me to shreds. “
    
ha ha ha ha ha ha.  ROTFLMMFAO.  :)
    
(Girl, you know you can't get away with that! Frizzy cornrows are always unforgivable, movie star or not. We only let this slide on kids).    

Photo Credit:  Matthew Jordan Smith and Essence Magazine

Reader Comments on theblackactor.com (Pt. I)

From time to time I will feature reader comments on theblackactor.com.
    
I’ll pick any arbitrary parameters. In this instance (and because I was slowed by the holiday :), I decided to pick five comments from five commenters left during this month (as of 3:00 EST, Nov. 25). In the future, I will use other parameters.
    
Commenters on theblackactor.com bring meaning and insight to theblackactor.com. They also share useful and valuable information with me and the other readers of theblackactor.com. The commenters on this blog contribute -- in many ways – much like the author does, to the extent they raise awareness, inform and offer an opinion. All readers of theblackactor.com are important to me but those who comment on theblackactor.com are uniquely valuable to this blog’s intention. And I thank them for their participation. 
    
November 25, 2007
Five reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee fan - Part V    

Aulelia says…
    
@ Kimi + The Black Actor.com = I loved Eve's Bayou too. Excellent film. I think one reason why there is a dearth of black female directors/producers is because of the stereotypes that exist in most films. The Black female character is never the centre of a mainstream film and if she is the centre or one of the key figures, she will be singing or dancing. I like musicals just as much as the next person but do black people always have to be singing to be seen? Do black women always have to be looking pretty and singing? I don't know if many black female producers would purposefully promote that stereotype but since many people watch films and make assumptions from them, it is safe to assume that the black woman has become a stereotype. deeply saddening because the black woman needs to be carved and portrayed truthfully. and to an extent, i only think black female directors can do this. black male directors of course can try but i think what they will mostly achieve is create an image of what they think is a real black woman. is that fair?
    
November 25. 2007
Show me your tits, black man; I'll make you a star
    
Moonlightwater says…    

Thank you for this post. I've often wondered why so many AA males (dating from my childhood watching Flip Wilson) would regularly agree to perform in drag. Though other comments allude to white counterparts doing the same; it appears as though the percentage of drag performances in our community is quite high... particularly in recent memory. I do think that this is a subtle emasculation/feminization of the black male and a further continuance of the 'sassy black female' image that is so pervasive in film and TV. Unfortunately, each of the Group II performances have been portrayed in this manner..realizing that this 'sassiness' is indeed part of the humor.

November 25, 2007
Spike Lee and those chi chi's

ListentoLeon says…    

Although Spike's movies aren't perfect, I think you can cut him a little slack on some of the examples.
I liked the way that the womanizing angle was used in Mo Betta Blues as one of the things that led to Bleek's personal downfall, then ultimately his "redemption"(or basically, coming to terms with himself and his life). Spike was kind of creative with that one.
*obligatory unnecessary guy moment*
Plus, Cynda Williams was fine as Hell back then!
*end obligatory unnecessary guy moment*
In Clockers, I think the rap video/commercial clip was the only real bad depiction of women in the film. The male characters were the ones with the obvious and in some cases fatal flaws.
Crooklyn was a coming of age story, so I don't really think that was a good example
I DO, however, agree that I can make no argument at all in defense of She Got Game, Girl 6, She Hate Me, or She's Gotta Have It. You definitely have a point about those ones!    

November 13, 2007
Terrence Howard

Kimi says…
    
I can't say a bad word about Terrence Howard's acting abilities & he definitely has range.  He should give some other AA actors lessons on choosing varied material successfully.
    
He seems a little strange on a personal level based on some interviews I've read but haven't seen him in a role yet I didn't think he did a good job in.    

November 5, 2007
The chitlin' circuit
    
Shion says…
    
Morris Chestnut is very underrated.He has what it takes to be a leading man and should get the same support that Taye Diggs gets in his career...seriously to see his growth from Boyz in the hood to Four Brothers..he has it.Denzel is 50 and some change.Jaime Foxx is a great actor but does leading man potential just like Kevin Spacey.Will Smith is too busy feeling the sci-fi/adventure niche.Morris Chesnutt and Malik Yoba should get more exposure quality wise. I saw an interview that Morris did with a white anchorwoman.She made a comment about how great smelling his cologne was since she was sitting next to him. You could see the woman swoon. lol
Boris seems too much like an pretty boy like Shemar moore..nothing personal against him but it just the way he comes across.

Don’t trip.  Y'all know as well as I do, that when people leave comments (myself, included), they are shooting off their views uaually without significant regard to spelling, grammar or usage.  I posted the comments as the authors wrote them.  I saw no reason to do otherwise; particularly since I believe their intent is obvious.
    
Aulelia blogs over at Charcoal Ink.
ListentoLeon blogs over at… well, ListentoLeon.

American Gangster - Rappers take Actors' Parts

I don't really have anything to say about this film, except that I thought it was entertaining. And one other thing...

Of course, it is my feeling that the roles should not have been awarded to T.I., RZA and Common. All three of these people are rappers.

Three rappers were placed in this film. That meant three actors remained unemployed. It is my feeling that these roles should have gone to actors.

Why am I calling them rappers? Cuz they are. Should I refer to them as actors? No. Not today.

Since I'm on the subject...

RZA - very good, I thought.
T.I. - decent.
Common - seemed kinda wooden to me.

Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan - Part V

This is Part V of a five-part series, Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan.

Read:

Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part I
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part II
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part III
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part IV

  

No Likey

    

    

Finally, and without consideration of how I may feel about him personally, for me, the reality is that I don’t really find any of his films entertaining. I’m just not feelin’ his moviemaking. Viewing his films is not a pleasurable cinematic experience for me. There were a few that I liked, i.e. 25^th Hour and Summer of Sam. I thought School Daze was mildly entertaining. Maybe one or two others. 

    

For one thing, the movies are too damned long!

    

And that God-awful camera. I despise those utterly stupid, pointless and unnecessary camera tricks that do nothing more than detract from the film.

    

    

Closing Remarks

    

    

I see why we have embraced him. He was one of the first and best known modern day mainstream black film directors. We were proud to have one of our own making movies; didn’t matter what kind of movies, and I think his messages, his musings were perceived as good and uplifting and pro-black. I believe black people were just happy he was making movies. And we were glad. And we gave him praise… then… and now.

    

Didn’t Spike Lee risk it all and make She’s Gotta Have It on credit cards? I think the story went something like that. I think people were inspired by that.

    

I wonder how many people honestly examine his films’ true artistic merit.

    

With those things said, I kind of get what he’s trying to do. But I think he’s terribly self-absorbed. And it shows.

    

I’ve heard it said that Spike Lee is a genius. I don’t know if he’s a genius or not.

    

I will, however, give credit where it’s due. Despite the fact that he often uses the same actors repeatedly, Spike Lee is credited with giving lots of these performers their “first chance,” and highly necessary “exposure.” I agree. And I applaud Spike Lee for that.

    

Moving forward, I will continue to watch his work. People change, mature, learn, respond to criticism and make different creative choices as they age and as their viewpoints and perspectives change.

    

To Mr. Lee: If nothing else, I implore you to be kinder to black women. You’re vicious. 

    

    

What do you think?

    

For more on Spike Lee, visit the SPIKE LEE category on this blog.

Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan - Part IV

This is Part IV of a five-part series, Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan.

Read:

Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part I
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part II
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part III

 

Same Things

    

 

Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing the same things too often.

 

   

Morehouse

For Godssakes. We knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww you went to Morehouse. We know. We know. How many times do I have to see a Spellman or Morehouse t-shirt wearer in your films? 

    

The Window

I’m just sayin’. There’s always a window and someone hanging out of it – talking down from it – talking up to it. (Yeah, yeah, yeah; SPIKE LEE’s Brooklyn childhood; blah, blah, blah). 

    

The News

There’s often a newscaster broadcasting an event. Why?

    

Women

If any of you have read my blog, you know how I feel about his portrayal of women. Too often, women in his films are shown as sex objects. See the following posts:

  

     

Spike Lee and those chi chi's
Spike Lee - What's with the va jay jay's?

Spike Lee's She Hate Me

*** HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL ***

Hope erbody enjoys the holiday with family and friends.  Be safe.  :)

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