Category Archives: Tyler Perry

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire-2009

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire-2009

Director Lee Daniels

Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique

Scott’s Review #581

Reviewed January 2, 2017

Grade: A

Precious is an amazing film and one of the best to come out of the year 2009. Due to the hype, I had high expectations entering the theater and I was not disappointed.

The film is an in-your-face slug-fest with some of the rawest acting performed in recent years.

The marvelous aspect is that the film takes the viewer into a world that is probably not one’s own experience and makes them empathize with the characters.

The film is very disturbing at times, raw, gritty, and violent, but also has some light, humorous moments and an oh-so-important film to see. There is a heartwarming charm that offsets the violence perfectly.

The story itself, and the direction are basic, but the wonderful acting is what sets this film on a high pedestal. Gabourey Sidibe, a relatively unknown and novice actress, gives an astounding turn as an unloved, overweight, pregnant teen mom.

She is abused by both of her parents in separate ways and seems to have a life of pain ahead of her.

Paula Patton, who has been in several fluff films, impresses as a teacher who takes a shine to Precious. Mariah Carey is simply unrecognizable as a plain-looking social worker, who is also a sympathetic character.

However, actress and comedienne, Mo’Nique plays an unfeeling, brutal, violent mother to the hilt and holds nothing back. Her Best Supporting Actress Oscar win was deserving.

Everyone should see this fantastic slice-of-life film.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Lee Daniels, Best Actress-Gabourey Sidibe, Best Supporting Actress-Mo’Nique (won), Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 5 wins-Best Feature (won), Best Director-Lee Daniels (won), Best Female Lead-Gabourey Sidibe (won), Best Supporting Female-Mo’Nique (won), Best First Screenplay (won)

Gone Girl-2014

Gone Girl-2014

Director David Fincher

Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

Scott’s Review #181

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Reviewed October 6, 2014

Grade: A-

Gone Girl (2014), directed by dark yet mainstream filmmaker David Fincher, offers a simple premise. An affluent woman disappears without warning and a loved one is suspected of the crime.

This type of story has been done many times before in film- think Prisoners from 2013 to cite a very recent example, but what makes Gone Girl unique is its storytelling, pacing, and twists and turns aplenty.

The film is based on the best-selling novel, written by popular novelist Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay.

Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a man in his 30’s, whose wife Amy, magnificently played by Rosamund Pike, mysteriously disappears, causing a media frenzy.

After clues are revealed, Nick is thought to be a sociopath and responsible for Amy’s disappearance. Nick and Amy have the perfect marriage….or so it appears. Until fairly recently Nick and Amy have lived an idyllic, well-to-do lifestyle in New York City.

Amy’s family is wealthy and writes as successful children’s authors.

Following the recession of 2010 causing both Nick and Amy to lose their jobs and all of their money, combined with Nick’s parent’s health problems, they wind up in a state of peril, and their marriage is severely tested.

They are forced to move to a small town in Missouri where Nick grew up and their lifestyle completely changes.

These facts are naturally revealed as the film progresses, via flashbacks, mostly told from Amy’s perspective, as she chronicles events by writing in her diary.

The story is so smart and layered that the audience continually asks questions throughout the film. Is Amy dead? Did she fake her death? Is Nick involved or innocent? Could Amy’s parents be involved in her disappearance? Can we trust Nick’s sister Margo? What involvement does Amy’s wealthy college sweetheart Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) have?

As more of the plot is revealed new questions are asked.

Intelligently written, with twists and turns galore, after a slow start, the film is a thrill ride. The slow start is necessary to lay the groundwork of the film and it wisely keeps the audience guessing throughout.

The film seems to be a puzzle (literally and figuratively) as each layer is unraveled leading to further questions and new theories.

The film’s score is composed by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), which adds a dark, techno-gloomy feel, which increases the mood wonderfully.

The acting in Gone Girl is exceptional. Affleck is capable in the lead male role, though I did not find the part as meaty as one might think. Affleck is handsome and charismatic, though unlikeable too, and I think that is all the part requires.

The standout and breakout performance belongs to Rosamund Pike. After years of struggling in support film roles as someone’s wife or friend, Pike finally has a complex role that allows her to sink her teeth in.

Pike displays almost every emotion- kindness, anger, rage, deception, humor.

The character of Amy is nuanced and resourceful and more than one movie-goers mouth dropped open at her actions in a couple of scenes- think wine bottle and hammer for reference.

Neil Patrick Harris is dynamic in the role of Desi and brings a healthy dose of creepiness mixed with child-like sweetness.

Gone Girl features one of the most shocking scenes involving a bedroom, a box-cutter, and lots of blood.

Fincher’s setting of North Carthage, Missouri is interesting. Hardly the intelligentsia of Manhattan that Nick and Amy are accustomed to, the perfect mix of homespun kindness turned to a lynch mob of the townspeople is effectively portrayed.

The sweet neighbors, happily offering casseroles and hugs to Nick one minute, suddenly turn into sharks when detail is revealed.

The media is, almost ironically, portrayed as menacing and ready to pounce. Female reporters are played by Sela Ward and deliciously and comically played by Missi Pyle.

More than a handful of female characters are written as borderline man-hating and eager to either castrate, figuratively speaking, or bed (or both!), Nick Dunne.

Gone Girl contains a few plot holes. How could there be no recorded tapes of the goings-on at Desi’s lake house? The entire plot is so far-fetched when one decides to ponder it.

Gone Girl (2014) is a mainstream yet dark Hollywood thrill ride with a theme of dishonesty, and a film exceptionally well-written and layered.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Rosamund Pike