Musiq_One Reviews

Taxi (I) (2004)

This Is One Funny Azz Movie

[10/10 · 26 May 2005]

I swear I could watch this over and over again. Everything about it is so awesome. the humour, the driving, the acting, the colours, the cinematography, the pacing. And the soundtrack is awesome, the Natalie Cole song is inspired.

The Jimmy and Queen Latifah buddy relationship is hilariously on point and not once was there any racial stereotype/ ethnic clashing type of jokes. So that's all good.

If you loved the Police Academy series you will love this.

Next time I need a good pick me up leave the Prozac alone and pop this in your DVD.

Glitter (2001)

I said Glitter...not litter

[21 April 2004]

glit·ter n.

1.A sparkling or glistening light.

There is a light in this movie it's it goes by the name of Roxie and Louise (Da Brat and Tia Texada). They are the hilarious ghetto girls that are best friends with Billie (Mariah). Each scene with them is sparkling and Mariah actually looks more comfortable with them than with any of the other actors.

What other things sparkle in this movie? Well at times Mariah does. She looks amazing in the 80's and the first scene when she's shakin' her ass to Lime's Babe, I'm Gonna Love Tonight and then Blondie's Heart of Glass is a highlight. Padma Lakshmi was deliciously visceral as the pretty Sylk and Timothy Walker may have been a stereotype role of hot young producer but he does do an up to par job. The setting, the way the camera moved is so different in this movie. It takes me to my next definition of glitter.

2.Brilliant or showy, often superficial attractiveness.

This is what it was when Billie first sets eyes on DJ Julian Dice (Max Beesley) eveything stops and slow motion kicks in. The scenes over New York looked stunning. Everything screamed 1980's New York and club bohemia. If only this movie stayed in the clubs rather than it completely going off the rails into a fantastic fairytale. Our heroine Billie was at her most comfortable in the clubs. Mariah looked relaxed there. It was vibrant, exciting with so many references to the music scene, disco, dance, rock and early hip hop. After that it kind of just went downhill. The only thing that redeemed it after Billie took out of the clubs was the video director and her publicist. One thing I noticed there were a lot of Mariah Carey related jokes ("Show me of her breasts").

3. Small pieces of light-reflecting decorative material. The soundtrack was I guess "Bangin!" if anybody appreciates nostalgic music from the 80s you will love this movie. So many obscure tracks so many new tracks freestyles and dance routines it is just striking. Another piece of light is a scene Mariah had to fight to keep in the movie as the director tells us on the commentary. It portrays a solid peformance by Valerie Pettiford as Lillie with her child Billie using he to get money of her father. Her bi-racial background wasn't continued after that. It was a shame It could have really gone places the next time you see the mother is at the end in a surprising twist.

The movie doesn't deserve the rep it got. it fully defines Glitter and so what did you expect. This is a film really made for specific niches, the actors fans, the musics fans and the cult status. However the movie isn't really about Billie, Dice takes up most of the screen time anyway.

Latter Days (2003)

Good but not great

[20 April 2004]

Steven Sandvoss (Elder Aaron Davies) and Jaqueline Bisset deliver two strong peformances. Sandvoss falter's a little in a crying scene, which I found hilarious. The movie dragged just after half of it. The length of the sex scene was like the Matrix Reloaded important to the script but too self-depricating. Wesley A. Ramsey (the love interest Christian) did a good job his crying was much better. Rebekah Jordan's character made me want to slap her silly.

Considering it being a low budget movie there was no excuse for the sets to look like Kenan and Kel. The rest of the supporting cast were good particularly Khary Payton and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Amber Benson just got sexier.

All in all could have been a great movie but wasn't.

Miami Rhapsody (1995)

Same Sex Different City

[20 April 2004]

This is Sex and the City set in Miami. Sarah Jessica Parker does exactly the same thing she does when she's Carrie. Sit at a laptop, go on dates (even though she's engaged) and ponder about life whilst comparing it to friends and families.

It's like if Sex and The City and The Royal tenenbaums met each other in a more realistic way.

Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow and Jordan Marcus are very entertaing also. However Naomi Campbell isn't. So thank god her screen time is just under 5 minutes.

It's a good entertaining movie though and funny in parts. I recommend it.

Race the Sun (1996)

Not so much Halle's movie

[19 April 2004]

The opening begins with Halle as Sandra Beecher fleeing from a broken marriage and setting up new in a working class section of Hawaii.

The English teacher takes a job as a Science teacher and at this point I'm thinking "Dangerous Minds: Hawaiian Style." The classroom is similar a working class neighbourhood, run down school and disruptive kids. But Ms Beecher, who takes the lead in the first quarter of the movie tries to inspire the kids and butts heads with James Belushi's Frank Machi. The experienced engineering teacher.

The rest of the movie really belongs to the kids. After a clash between a rich school at a science fair Ms Beecher makes the kids go to they are inspired to build a solar power car to race in and earn their school a better rep. Leading this pack is outcasted, because he's white, ambitious Daniel Webster superbly played by Casey Affleck and the heartwarming, Gilbert a standout character played by J. Moki Cho (who unfortunatley does not have much of a filmography at this point). Roped in is the troubled sister of Daniel, Cindy with a solid peformance by Eliza Dushku and a whole host of other characters each one memorable and stand out. Together they build their hopes, learn from each other and not too sound cheesy but they really do race the sun.

This would have been a great family film had it not been for the language. But if that doesn't put you off then I would suggest watching it with them. It really is a a good solid movie. I watched it over a week ago at 3am because i couldn't sleep but it still has stuck with me.

Gothika (2003)

Moody, Broody and Decent

[18 April 2004]

Halle Berry stars as Miranda Grey accused of murdering her husband played by Charles Dutton. Along with other typical inhabitants of small middle American towns in horror movies, which of course are the second love interest, the creepy girl who knows too much and the nervous sheriff we try to discover the truth behind the vicious murder.

The interesting thing about this movie is that it could play as psychological thriller about the mind of a killer or there may be an entirely more sinister plot. But in the end it's somewhat predictable.

There are a few jump in your seats moments and the atmosphere created is very moody. I personally loved the underwater camera scenes and some of effects were cool to watch.

Halle does good and Penelope tries to as well. Downey Jr was promising but he didn't gel well and his character was confusing. But there weren't any bad performances as such.

It's a solid movie though and sits well alongside the superior "the Sixth Sense."

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

May not be intellectually stimulating, Yet it manages to be better than lord of the rings

[23 January 2004]

Cameron, Drew and Lucy are back with another 2 hours of mad cap escapism fun and inspiration as the sexy, fun lovin', hard workin' angels.

The sequel this time round features a thicker plot, more side stories one of them hilariously played by Matt le Blanc and John Cleese as they ponder what does Alex do? Bigger soundtrack, bigger laughs, bigger romances, sexier duds, cameos from John Cleese, Carrie Fisher and Bruce Willis to name a few.

McG has an eye for beauty as every shot manages to capture ecstatic never ending fun. The girls chemistry made me horny as did their outfits and the fighting in my opinion was the best fighting of 2003 til I saw Kill Bill which Lucy also rocked in.

Basically this film is more of everything. My advice to you don't expect to be craptastically wowed by stuff like Lord of the Rings and Titanic those movies were for stupid people.

Grab some popcorn, kick back and just get ready for a dazzling movie.

If only films like these could win Oscars instead of all those intelligent films which took blood sweat and tears to make the world would be a funner place.

Charlie's Angels (2000)

Aww come on, you know this movie kicks ass

[10/10 · 24 April 2003]

Three intelligent, feisty, respectable girls kick ass and save hapless men and still be sexy.

This movie is one of the funnest movies I've ever seen, sure it aint no Thelma & Louise but if Thelma & Louise was an event action comedy this would be it.

The girls are amazing, they have so much to offer, plus they're human, they're not perfect they're ditzy and silly and geeky and misunderstood. But they can speak several languages and kick 7 guys asses whilst sitting in a chair. And don't get me started on Bill Murray.

This movie should be a feminists dream and one for the new man too.

And it's hella funny.