No Good Deed

Bantucinema

No Good Deed 6.5/10

Released: September 12, 2014

By William Rivers

"Didn't quite know what you had."

Let's start this by saying, I liked this movie. I know that score says slightly otherwise, but hear me out. I believe that No Good Deed is a very entertaining film that just missed the mark in a few key areas. For the most part, this film does what it sets out to do. The main problems stem from the direction. It seems that Sam Miller had a vision that was a little bit too small for the talent he was working with.

No Good Deed, starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, is a suspenseful thriller/ home invasion flick with a premise that is rather simple and by the numbers at first. Woman at home alone gets a knock at the door; mayhem ensues. This isn't the film that's going to leave you thinking for days on end about character motivations, despite what the back cover may tell you. This is simply a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, at least during the final act.

Idris Elba is one of my all time favorite actors. Unsurprisingly, he plays his part as the antagonist extremely well. This man can be charming and terrifying all in the same scene, and that is his strongest asset. He really does get inside your head at times. I found myself forgetting just who we were dealing with on than one occasion. Taraji P. Henson also does a very good job as our, not so typical, woman alone at night. What I like about her character, Terri, is that she is clearly very afraid, but doesn't just sit there and cry the whole movie. The fear in Henson's eyes is real, and you are begging for her safety right along with her. The great part is that when she has an opportunity to fight back, she does, with the quickness. This isn't some damsel in distress, sobbing white lady, waiting to get murdered. This is a black woman with a home and kids to protect. I was cheering her on every step of the way.

The problems lie primarily in the soundtrack and cinematography. The frame will shudder and fade when Elba is thinking to remind you of how evil and sinister his thoughts must be. The audio will slur while people are talking to him to remind you that he isn't listening, but is instead thinking of terrible things to do to them. Scenes of his earlier kills flash onto the screen while he is sitting there not listening, and the screen is shuddering, and the audio is fading, to remind you that instead of listening, you should be remembering how dark and sadistic this man really is.

You get it?

Instead of letting us be surprised by Elba's performance, or allowing us to feed into the deception that he is attempting to commit, the film constantly reminds us that he is a villain. Now of course we know this from the start, but if you cast an actor who can really get inside your head, and your main antagonists job is to gain the trust of the people he is attacking, you can't keep killing the suspense. The music never really shuts up until that final act. Before Terri is aware of his true intentions, the film keeps us aware by adding constant swells in the soundtrack during scenes where nothing is really happening. They'll just be talking and instead of allowing the viewer to feel the tension with uneasy silence, the music grows and bellows building up to yet another fake out. If this character is supposed to be deeper than just a lunatic, then let him be that, and stop killing the vibes all the time. I know that the music was done this way to add suspense, but when it is over done like that, it just takes you out of the moment time and time again.

Once the third act begins most of these problems disappear and that is what saves this film in my opinion. When all the cards are on the table, you forget all about how disappointing the earlier scenes were, as you root for Terri and jump around in your chair screaming for her to get out of this alive. I would honestly recommend this movie to anyone simply because this part of it is so good. Sam Miller seems to have forgotten the potential that this movie could have fulfilled from beginning to end, and instead focused on keeping you glued to the screen when things became deliberately intense.

Over all, the movie is a good ride, but it just doesn't do all that it sets out to do. If you can get past the first two thirds of the film, you will honestly leave with no regrets, it's just a shame that the entire film couldn't be as great as it eventually becomes.

Baggage Claim

Bantucinema

Baggage Claim 7/10

By William Rivers

"The magic isn't in getting married, it's in staying married."

Baggage Claim, starring Paula Patton, is a much needed change on an overly cliché formula. This movie is very run of the mill, but it stands on a single thread that in my opinion, boosts it up above other interties in this tired genre.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love romantic comedies, and I love Paula Patton. I don't love airplanes all that much, but that's beside the point. Baggage Claim is a movie that reintroduces a message that I feel is severely lacking in today's media: love. Yeah, as obvious as that seems, you'd be hard pressed to find a film that actually preaches true love anymore. We live in a very jaded society; one that doesn't believe in the sanctity of marriage, greatly because so many of us never stay married anymore. I don't think that this is inherently bad, but I am a romantic at heart, and I would like to think that one day I will marry a beautiful woman and spend the rest of my life making her every day a marvelous dream of love and care. I want that for myself, and I have seen it happen, so I believe it can. Too many movies go into the prospect of love with that doubt hanging overhead the entire time. We have a lot of movies about sex. We have a lot of movies about women ditching one man, to claim her independence, then reluctantly falling for the very next guy, who she shunned at first, but soon came to find endearing for his patriarchal persistence and disregard for her independence. We have a lot of movies about people going on a million dates in a few weeks for some frivolous reason. We really don't have films that are about a woman who is doing what she wants, regardless of social standards, simply because she wants to. We don't have many films about the purpose of marriage, and how it is more than just a night of fun, but is a commitment between two people who truly intend on doing the work it takes to stay together. Rarely do we such this message anymore, and I can greatly admire Baggage Claim (A, by all other accounts, subpar romantic comedy) for doing something different for once.

What's wrong with a woman wanting a man if she is doing it for herself?

As I said, while the message of this film is great and extremely different for this day in age, the rest of Baggage Claim's elements aren't all that new. We have a pretty interesting cast here for a film of this type. Giants like Jill Scott and Taye Diggs star as supporting characters to Paula Patton, who also has a decently prestigious resume. It's not every day that a hit or miss comedy has a cast of such well known actors, and it does pay off. The comedy, while not groundbreaking, will bring you some laughs. Most of those laughs come from the supporting cast, rather than our lead. Patton is a great lead character for the film, but the few times where she is really supposed to hold a comedic scene, she really isn't all that funny. Jill Scott and Adam Brody star as Montana's (Patton) friends, and they have very nice comedic chemistry. I must say that Jill Scott is a goddess, and can play literally any character she pleases, even one so intensely opposite of our lead. Her introduction sequence had me rolling. She plays the "promiscuous best friend" role very well without ever degrading herself, and I respect both her and the writers for never losing sight of the film's message of empowerment through choice.

The other supporting characters in need of mention, such as Derek Luke, Trey Songz, Dijimon Hounsou, and Tia Mowry, did decent jobs in their roles, but could be considered a bit over the top at times. This is certainly true for Jenifer Lewis, who plays Montana's mother, but we honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

Baggage Claim is no stranger to classic film clichés and tropes. There is a pretty forced love scene that is shot more like an R&B music video than a screenplay. There are all of the Black comedy tropes that you'd expect, such as the loud eccentric black dude, and the fact that upper/middle class Black folks can't seems to sit and talk without a crystal glass of wine in their hand. There is an especially large foreshadowing element, that I won't spoil here, but couldn't be more obvious if it was written on the character's shirt. (Let's just say, she finds Mr. Wright)

This film is no stranger to cinema cheese, but it still a good time. Like I said, this movie is pretty run of the mill as far as plot goes, but shines when it comes to its theme. I really enjoy this movie, and even though it isn't getting a perfect score, it is one that I look forward to watching any time I happen to catch it. It truly is a film worth checking out, if only to get a little taste of something you haven't seen in a long time.

Central Intelligence

Bantucinema

Central Intelligence 8/10

By William Rivers

 

Palpable chemistry and a surprisingly touching and complex story!

Central Intelligence, starring

Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson, is a classic tale about not judging a book by its cover, a classic buddy cop comedy, a mystery, and a bomb action flick all rolled into one! I enjoyed this movie even more than I assumed I would, going into it. From the trailers, I could tell that this was a perfect pairing of comedians. I'm not normally much of a Kevin Hart fan. I enjoy some of his performances, but believe that he falls into the common cycle of comedic yelling that many decently funny performers tend to end up in. We get it, you're small, you're loud and angry and you're overly confident. When it comes to Dwayne Johnson, I am and always will be a fan. This man is pure charisma, looks and power. I am a straight man, and yet I am not ashamed to say that smile gets me every time! He has such a great balance between social likeability and "taking care of business", that makes him the highlight of any movie he's in. Even Why Did I Get Married Too, was made barely passable simply because he was in the last 2 minutes of the film.

Together, these two have some amazing chemistry! You can really tell that these guys probably hang out in real life, because they just play off of each other so well. What really made this movie great though, wasn't just their ability to work well together, but their individual abilities to turn off their usual performances and trade off when necessary. This film is definitely different for them as actors. For the first time, we are seeing Dwayne Johnson, the master of likeability, being the most abrasive and awkward man-child you can imagine, and will all of that size, he can be downright creepy at times! Kevin Hart on the other hand is really the straight-man to Johnson's comic foil. Sure he has his moments where he nears his usual over-the-topness, but he never really breaks the surface. He is just a moderately eccentric guy who wants to rid himself of the chaos that Dwayne Johnson's character has introduced into his life. This change of pace for them is insanely refreshing because you know that this isn't who they are naturally, especially with Dwayne Johnson. The fact that the man who is normally the smoothest of the smooth is hugging people and wearing a pony muscle shirt, while also kicking ass, really amps up the laughs. The sheer absurdity of it all keeps the comedy flowing for a good majority of the film.

Don't be fooled! This movie is not as it appears in the trailer. It is enormously better! What appeared to be a very simple yet fun buddy cop flick is made surprisingly deep by the overarching message, and by the "Who do I trust" plot. I was pleasantly startled at the fact that a movie like this would have me really questioning certain characters' motivations and intentions. The confusion of Kevin Hart's character is shared with the audience, as you never really know what to think or what to believe. Do you judge based on appearance, or do you trust your friends and hear them out? This is something that we can all identify with, coupled with the struggles that I and many other viewers can personally identify with: being the outcast.

"I don't like bullies." Yet they exist, and a good number of us have had to deal with them at one time or another. This film shows you both sides of the fence when it comes to appearances and popularity. The people who are beloved in high school are not always the most successful, and the fat kids who get picked on, sometimes grow up to be Dwayne Johnson! This relatable setup, makes questioning these characters all the more shocking, as you were sure you had them sized up and you were sure you knew where this movie was going. As I said, this movie seemed to be very simplistic from the trailer, but it really turned out to be touching and gripping.

The only issues I really have with this movie are that near the beginning of the 3rd act, the comedy hits a bit of a lull point. This doesn't last long, and this isn't terrible, it's just relatively noticeable in one scene in particular because up until this point, you have been laughing uncontrollably, and now you're just kinda watching the screen. That and a few major actions from the characters that should have been addressed but really weren't, brings the movie down just a tiny bit. You really can't do THAT to somebody and have nobody really question you.

Other than that, Central Intelligence was (as cliché as this is) a breath of fresh air. It was really nice to see these guys in a way that you've never seen them before. They are very good actors, who just happen to play the same types of characters in every other movie. This is the type of film that can only happen once though, as there could be no other setup that would explain these two men playing similar characters again. I think this is a perfect movie for the two of them because it is a welcome change, that can't be recreated. Even if you aren't a fan of these actors, you should take a look at this one. Actually, especially if you aren't a fan, you should check this one out! Like I said, people who think Kevin Hart is too loud, will really like him in this movie, and if for some odd reason, that signature Dwayne Johnson smile and charisma is just too much for you to handle...you won't have to worry about the charisma.