Disappearing
Acts, Starring Wesley Snipes and Sanaa Lathan
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Rating:
*****
****
***
**
*
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Username:
Jocelyn LP
Rating:
**
Date:
12/10/00
Time:
11:36:52 AM
Remote User:
Comments
Too bad the film didn't allow the characters the same liveliness and depth as the book.
As a result, the film left me disappointed. While the film is a slick production, its
gloss does a disservice to McMillan's fantastic novel. But hey, McMillan must not have
cared too much about the film's poor representation of her work because she was a
co-executive producer and possibly had some say. I hope that check from HBO and Amen Ra
was enough compensation to disappoint loyal fans.
And is HBO the new BET - casting only fair-skinned women in prominent roles (or may be
that was at Snipes' request because he has long shown a disdain for women that fail the
brown paper bag test). I've seen Aunjanue Ellis (who portrayed Franklin's wife) in a
number of productions (including giving Patrick Stewart as good as she got in the Public
Theater's The Tempest and this past summer in The Winter's Tale alongside Keith David).
She can act circles around any of the 3 main actresses. Moreover, she can sing so there
wouldn't have been Lathan's obvious lip-synching. Don't get me wrong, Lathan has skills,
but it seems to me that she was selected because she is 2000's Nia Long or the IT sister
of the moment.
And Snipes, you're a hottie, but one that looks much better with hair and that sexy
goatee. A word to the wise, fire the Kat who suggested you do the film as a baldy. Be that
as it may, you have a nice rear :-).
Would I recommend this film to anyone? No - read the book instead and mentally cast
your friends as the characters. LOL.
Username:
Juna Lamour
Rating:
*****
Date:
12/12/00
Time:
12:15:02 AM
Remote User:
Comments
Great movie. It's nice to see a movie that portrays real black issues.
Username:
Mo Beasley
Rating:
****
Date:
12/14/00
Time:
9:45:37 PM
Remote User:
Comments
"Big Ups, Bravo, and Hot Damn!" to Sanaa Lathan, Wesley Snipes, Gina
Bythewood, Lisa Jones, HBO, Amen RA, and of course Ms. McMillan for "bringing the
heat" in the world premiere of "Disappearing Acts". I love the flick and
can't stop watching the tape. I've watched it three times in less than a week and I find
more and more things to appreciate about the story. I also find things that are not so
lovely, and still "I ain't mad at 'em".
The story and film is an honest portrayal of a not so young, struggling, black couple
in Brooklyn New York. I believed that these people exist. They reflect me and my friends.
For me that is first and foremost in good storytelling. Wesley and Sanaa interpret Ms.
McMillan's characters honestly. Even though Sanaa ain't as thick and Wesley's not as tall
as the characters in the book, they were nonetheless enchanting. They were pleasant to
look at while strattling the fence between having that average folks look and hollywood
beautiful.
At times I found myself cringing at Wesley's acting in some pivitol spots. He was a
horrible drunk and his rampage through Zora's aparment after she told him to get out
looked more like constipation than anger, agony, fear, or pain. He could have spent more
time establishing Franklin's friendship with the bottle. Franklin is a functional
alcoholic in the book. I didn't feel that from the film. What I did feel from the film
that I loved was that soundtrack. Gina Bythewood did a great job mixing contemporary
hip-hop/R&B and Old Skool Soul Music & Jazz in just the right places. It don't get
much better than Al Green's "Simply Beautiful" when it comes to making love on
the refrigerator door or Common's "The Light" as your theme music on a lovely
sunny day in Fort Greene with your fine new lady,or Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone when
the shit starts getting bad. The songs accentuated the sepia sweet world of Zora &
Franklin. Just as Woody Allen or Jerry Seinfeild fashion a New York with their folks only,
Bythewood has focused, almost exclusively, on the world and beautiful sights and sound of
"Sun Colored" Brooklyn.
At times I thought the director, and screenwriter, whisked us through this seldom seen
side of America. The difficulty of transferring a book to screen was obvious too often.
Zora and Franklin went from hired hand/employer to lovers, to man & woman, to
mother and father in what almost felt like a week's time. The writer and director didn't
inform us of the passage of time in captions or dialogue so I was left feeling like the
relationship failed because they went too fast. At least at first viewing that's how I
felt. In subsequent sittings I could see the subtle attempts to show what two hours can't
say.
Especially the wonderful photo montage with mommy, baby, and estranged daddy. Which
brings me to my last gripe before I shut up and go back to watching my favorite new flick.
Terry McMillan did a groundbreaking job of telling a well-balanced love story. In the
book the readers got a candid and unedited insight on the thoughts, fears, and hopes of
Zora, and Franklin. The movie felt more like Zora's story. Most of the action happened in
Zora's apartment. We only saw Franklin's spot after they broke up. Briefly. There were
several scenes with Zora and her girls chilling, having fun,griping and consoling the new
mommy to be. We catch Franklin at the bar with his boy for short sessions about gambling,
and Zora. I'm aware that the movie had a sista direct and write the screenplay but I hoped
they would have followed the author's lead in telling the story of a woman, and a man in
love trying to live in these days in time without losing themselves in the process.
Well, that just means that some aspiring brotha wordsmith has to pen the other half of
the story.
At the end of every viewing I am still satisfied and pleased with a real tale of black
love produced, written, directed, and performed by black folks for all the world to enjoy.
Disappearing Acts the movie is a healthy bundle of joy birthed from a solid home life
of Terry McMillan's bestseller. Take a bow ladies and gent your movie is the sh...!
And oh yeah, I loved the not so subtle way y'all celebrated the "THICKNESS"
of all the beautiful ladies in the film. That shit was revolutionary! The real standard of
beauty! Keep That!
Hold it down y'all,
MO Beasley
Username:
Rating:
***
Date:
2/15/01
Time:
8:31:51 AM
Remote User:
Comments
Username:
gabrielle
Rating:
*****
Date:
8/28/01
Time:
6:11:34 PM
Remote User:
Comments
i thought this film was very good.it made me laugh, it made me think,and it brought a
tear to my eye.personally,i think it touched reality well.definately my kind of film.
Username:
nat
Rating:
*****
Date:
6/7/02
Time:
9:25:19 PM
Remote User:
Comments
cool! :)
Username:
jonathan mills
Rating:
*
Date:
4/9/03
Time:
10:13:27 AM
Remote User:
Comments
really sucked
Username:
tetggd
Rating:
Date:
10/29/03
Time:
6:49:08 PM
Remote User:
Comments
Username:
Rating:
*****
Date:
8/1/04
Time:
5:33:57 PM
Remote User:
Comments
Username:
Sharon D. Green-Gray
Rating:
*****
Date:
11/17/04
Time:
11:52:41 PM
Remote User:
Comments
Wesley Snipes and Sanaa Lathan, performed an astonishing realistic movie. I could'nt take my eyes of the movie for a minute, for a sence of missing in moment of this 15 *************** star film on a scale of 1-10.
Username:
Lady D
Rating:
*****
Date:
12/7/04
Time:
11:40:47 PM
Remote User:
Comments
I loved this movie...especially when Westley bought his girl the piano. I have got to know the song in the movie that was sang acapella....Please post if you know thanks
Lady D
Username:
Taylor Cook Jr
Rating:
****
Date:
1/18/05
Time:
2:26:04 AM
Remote User:
Comments
Great film, a little different from snipes other films but nice work
Username:
Danielle
Rating:
*****
Date:
2/11/05
Time:
5:51:21 PM
Remote User:
Comments
I thought\think the film is a very good experience to lots of people that are going through the things that they went throught.I love the movie so much that when I saw it on HBO I had to go out and buy it,but the hard thing was that I couldn't find it when I went searching for it.Also when I asked people did they see it they said no.So I was guessing that it wasn't well known.But it is one of my best movies out of 3.
