The Hate U Give

Based on a line from a Tupac song "The Hate U Give" represents so many things! My interpretation is how you treat people is what can pass down to your family and can sometimes come back to you.

I was skeptical because Amandla Stenberg is very light skinned compared to EVERYONE else except for my boo Common in the movie. But that is the thing about her casting which SELLS the entire premise of the movie.

Starr is a black girl from the ghetto going to the preppy white Williamson School. Being a light skin black girl she is NON-threatening. Characters even tell her that. But her entire world changes when one of her childhood friends is killed by a cop. It's basically a Black Lives Matter movie. What I loved is that it was told from all sides. You STILL feel Black folk are at a disadvantage, but Common's character is her uncle and a cop. You hear his take on things. Although you do not agree, you hear it. Something we don't get in real life...

5 stars out of 5. So worth seeing. I think Amandla and Russell Hornsby (who plays her dad) deserve Oscar nominations. And George Tillman Jr's direction WOW! But that script by Audrey Wells and Tina Mabry GOT ME! And Algee Smith blew me away! DANG! Heck even KJ Apa as Chris, Starr's white preppy boyfriend, was good. I'm still shook a day later...bring tissues. And watch for Regina Hall and Issa Rae!

A Simple Favor

#GoneGirl's baby sister. A Simple Favor is one if the most fcuked up, funny, delicious movies I've ever seen. Blake Lively is Serena van der Woodsen on an X-rating. Anna Kendrick is awkwardly hilarious. And Henry Golding is like a hot stove to a kid...you wanna touch it, but you know you'll get burned...but you still kinda wanna touch it.

SOOOOOO GOOOOOD 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crazy Rich Asians

When I first heard the title I laughed. "How silly." But then I heard Awkwafina from Ocean's 8, Ken Jeong from "The Hangover" franchise, Michelle Yeoh from one of my fave movies of all time "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and some hot asian guy named Henry Golding. I decided to check it out...WOW!

Simple story: a couple meet in NYC. She's a college professor. He's hot (they never explained what he does). They have been dating a year so he decides he wants to bring her home to his family in Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Well in SINGAPORE he's basically a royal. His family owns a development company that DEVELOPED Singapore. And so begins Rachel (Constance Wu) trying to fit with Nick (Henry Golding) and his family. Michelle Yeoh is his disapproving mother. Awkwafina is Rachel's NYC friend who moved back to Singapore but has had little touch with Rachel since the move.

What surprised me is that YES Henry is drop dead gorgeous. But the man can act. For real, for real. Awkwafina stole the show for me as Rachel's best friend tho. ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS! My Michelle didn't disappoint, but Constance Wu is one of my fave actresses now. She can do funny and make you cry within 2 seconds of each other.  

I loved every single frame of this movie. It was funny, sweet, and I LOVED seeing the Asian culture. Thankfully it's a 3 part book series. This one deserves a 5 star up and down, sideways, front ways. LOVED IT!

The cinematography, costumes, EVERYTHING about this film is amazing. My eyes were poppin! Cannot wait for the sequels. And the fact that it's an all asian cast makes this sweeter.

Peppermint

So here's the breakdown: Peppermint="Alias" meets Death Wish. Jennifer Garner plays a married mom who watches not only her husband and daughter get gunned down while at a local carnival, BUT watches as the justice system fails to prosecute the killers. The only reference to Peppermint is the fact that it's her daughter's fave ice cream flavor and the last thing her daughter eats. 

It's a great movie...4 out of 5. Very detailed oriented, you can tell Jen has her fingerprints all over this as far as it not being sloppily written or produced as an action movie. BUT the ending was uninspired. I actually expected something COMPLETELY different. For me that's why it wasn't a 5. It's like watching a gymnast do a floor routine, and they didn't stick the landing. 

But lemme tell you I was LIVING for JGar reliving old Sydney Bristow. Mos def worth seeing in theaters.

Destination Wedding

So I like the fact that Keanu Reeves as the cynical, cheap Frank is COMPLETELY different from any other character he's ever played . And Winona Ryder is COMPLETELY different as the chatty often neurotic Lindsay. 

Two people who meet at the airport end up hating each other immediately and then end up going to the same destination wedding.

But the movie itself is a mess. The script is weird, and the situations are convoluted. AND THEY TALK WAY TOO MUCH!  It's worth watching Keanu and Winona, but don't expect to enjoy it. 3 out of 5 stars only because of them.

Happytime Murders

Melissa McCarthy is an LA detective who use to have a puppet partner. That partner accidentally shot and killed another puppet while trying to save her from a puppet holding her at gunpoint. She assumed he was trying to protect that puppet and a new law forced puppets underground. Now stars of the "Happytime" show featuring all puppets and one human are being murdered. Melissa and her former puppet partner must work together when one of the stars (his brother) is murdered. RAUNCHY, FUNNY, and FUNNY! You will enjoy if you like her movies. Trust me.