Rating of
3/4
Geart holiday family film.
filmfan09 - wrote on 01/11/09
This movie was EXCELLENT! The script was well written, the acting was SUPERB, and nothing was left out of this movie, which everyone, irrespective of race, can identify with in some way.
The film is about the Whitfield family that reunites for Christmas for the first time in seveal years. Ma' Dere (Loretta Devine) is the Matriarch of the family. Michael (Chris Brown), an aspiring singer who hides his talents from his mother because she hasn’t gotten over her long-gone musician husband. Oldest son Quentin (Idris Elba), a jazz saxophonist who shows up after four years' absence, projects his anger at Ma' Dere onto her longtime boyfriend (Delroy Lindo), and the reunion reignites the competition between married eldest daughter Lisa (Regina King) and jet-setting model/actress Kelli (Sharon Leal). Kelli has a relationship with local charmer (Mekhi Phifer). Meanwhile, student Mel (Lauren London) brings home a new boyfriend and brother Claude (Columbus Short), AWOL from the Marine Corps, is hiding his own surprise.
I just can't say enough about the solid acting done in this movie. Delroy Lindo, Loretta Divine, Idris Elba and Regina King did stellar performances (I've never seen any of them NOT perform well) and EVERYONE did a great job. Chris Brown showed us he is more than a wonderful singer and dancer. I look forward to seeing him in more serious roles like this one. I believe he has a lot of potential to be a serious actor.
One thing that sets this movie apart from lots of other recent "black" comedies is that it doesn't rely on cheap lowbrow humor. Instead of painting black folks as various comedic stereotypes, it tries to create characters that everyone can sympathize with. It does have thoses basic family movie clichés (The Shocking Baby Revelation; We Have Money Problems; The Cheating Spouse), and almost slow in pace, but the strong performances and dialogue more than make up for the film's short comings.
