Category: Biography

Being the Ricardos

Being the Ricardos

I am a HUGE Lucille Ball fan, so when I learned that there was a movie coming out about her and Desi Arnaz’s professional and personal life, I had to see it.

To me this adaptation is a bit boring and confusing. Lucille Ball was larger than Life! She was so funny and light-hearted. None of that really came through in the scenes of this movie. 

A lot of what was shown was about the struggles that occurred behind the scenes of producing the “I Love Lucy” show. The squabbles over the script and even some political drama. 

The movie takes you into the writer’s room and the sound stage where you get a glimpse of how a TV show was made back in the 50’s and 60’s and also what happens during a critical production week.

Nichole Kidman’s star shines brightly, as she does an excellent job of being Lucille Ball. 

Aside from Nichole Kidman’s performance, the movie lacked the magic I was expecting. I fully expected to laugh out loud at some of Lucille Ball’s crazy antics, but I never laughed once… and a lot of her funniness was not displayed.

With all of that being said, “Being the Ricardos” is worth a look especially if you are a fan of Lucille Ball.

“Being the Ricardos” is in the theater and streaming on Amazon Prime.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

King Richard

King Richard

In “King Richard” we get a view into the humble start of Venus and Serena Williams tennis careers. Richard Williams had a plan, a 78-page plan that he executed on and was determined to get his daughters, Venus and Serena into the Tennis Record Books. This movie is about that journey. 

The story starts off with the Williams family’s early life in Compton, CA. The Williams sisters trained on the neglected tennis courts in Compton, often times late into the evenings. Their Mother, Oracene provided the balanced perspective and great intuition to help keep the girl’s lives as normal as possible. The story continues to the family’s move to Florida and Venus’s signing with Reebok.

The movie is very moving! The execution is good. Will Smith is very impressive as Richard Williams. 

If you are a fan of Venus and Serena Williams, this movie is definitely worth a look. 

“King Richard” is in Theaters and Streaming on HBO MAX

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Respect in AMC Dolby

Respect in AMC Dolby

“Respect” is a quiet Biopic about Aretha Franklin the Queen of Soul.

The movie follows the rise of the Queen of Soul, from a young Aretha singing in her father’s church choir, to the adult Aretha who garners international fame and stardom. It’s a remarkable story of a woman on the journey to find her voice.

I can honestly say that Jennifer Hudson’s performance in this movie DEMANDS “Respect”. The music and performances were on point. Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin was awesome. Where the movie falls short is the direction and the screenplay.

I can say that regardless of the holes in the direction and screenplay, Jennifer Hudson’s performance did Aretha Franklin proud and is worth seeing if you are an Aretha Franklin fan. I was hopping in my seat to music. There is a “Live” performance of Aretha Franklin herself at the end of the movie footage. It’s definitely worth seeing.

“Respect” is only playing in Theaters! Go see it!!

4 Stars for Jennifer Hudson’s Performance!!

Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah

Appropriately “Judas and the Black Messiah” hit theaters in February for Black History Month. The movie is based on true events that occurred in Chicago during the late 60’s. An FBI Informant infiltrates the Chicago branch of the Black Panther Party. The informant is tasked with keeping tabs on the branch’s Chairman Fred Hampton and reporting back. The Informant has a bit of a dark past as a thief so being an informant allowed him to use some of his skills. 

Chairman, Fred Hampton falls in love with a fellow revolutionary member of the party just as his political prowess grows. The Informant wages a battle with his soul as events start to take shape and he is forced to make some tough decisions. The story unfolds from there…

The story is compelling, deep and at times hard to watch. The performances are on point. It’s the performances that make the movie. Parts of the story are a painful reminder of the struggles that continue to plague our country even today. The surface is only skimmed on several other smaller stories in the movie.

“Judas and the Black Messiah” is playing on the big screen. If you don’t want to wear a mask and you have HBO MAX you can stream it for free at home until Mar 14th.

If you can digest the story line, the movie is definitely worth a look.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!!