IDLEWILD

I WAS TELLING MY DAUGHTER HOW I FELT ABOUT THIS MOVIE AND SHE SAID I WAS BEATING AROUND THE BUSH -- DID I LIKE IT OR NOT ?
I CAN'T RECALL A MOVIE THAT I FELT HAD MORE TALENT ON THE SCREEN.
I NORMALLY TALK ABOUT THE OVER-ALL FILM AND MENTION THE ACTORS LATER, THIS FILM WAS THE ACTORS.
I CAN'T GO INTO WHAT THEY DID, BUT THEY ALL BROUGHT SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THE TABLE. I WILL LIST THEM AS A SORT OF HONOR ROLL -- THAT MAY NOT HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY DID, BUT THIS IS A REACTION AND NOT A REVIEW, SO I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN EVERY DETAIL OF THE FILM.
MY REACTION IS TO HONOR THESE PERFORMANCES, BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE PERFORMERS.
ANDRE 3000 BENJAMIN - BIG BOI PAULA PATTON - TERRENCE HOWARD MALINDA WILLIAMS - FAIZON LOVE - MACY GRAY - PAULA JAI PARKER - VING RHAMES - PATTY LABELLE - BEN VEREEN - BILL NUNN - JACKIE LONG - CICELY TYSON - CHI McBRIDE ( UNCREDITED FOR SOME REASON) ET AL.
THE STORY IS TOLD WITH CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION - IT HAS ELEMENTS OF FANTASY, ROMANCE, DRAMA, HUMOR, VIOLENCE, LOYALTY, BETRAYAL, HOPE AND DESPAIR.
THE CHILD ACTORS AT THE START OF THE MOVIE, ALMOST STEAL THE SHOW -- THE OPENING MOMENTS ARE A JOY -- DON'T COME LATE -- IF YOU ARE LATE, SKIP THE SHOW UNTIL ANOTHER DAY.
I SAW A YOUNG SAMMY DAVIS, JR. IN THE EARLY 1950s -- WITH THAT IMAGE IN MIND, WATCH OUT FOR BOBB'E J. THOMPSON --- AS YOUNG ROOSTER IN THIS MOVIE.
THE DANCING IS OFF THE HOOK. WHY DID I BEAT AROUND THE BUSH -- STRANGELY, SOME OF THE MUSIC - IN THIS MUSICAL - SEEMED OUT OF PLACE IN A STORY CENTERED AROUND THE YEARS 1920 - 1935 -- BUT THAT MINOR CONCERN WAS SHORT-LIVED, AS THE MUSIC KICKED IN, FULL FORCE AND IT ALL CAME TOGETHER IN GRAND FASHION.
THIS IS A MOVIE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT MISS - IT HAS THE TOTAL PACKAGE -- AND IT IS DRIVEN BY THE GREAT TALENT OF THE CAST AND THE WRITER / DIRECTOR WHO SHOWCASED THAT TALENT --- BRYANT BARBER HIS BACKGROUND WAS VIDEO - NO FEATURE FILMS IN HIS RESUME. THAT WILL CHANGE AFTER THIS TOUR DE FORCE.
AFTER I WROTE THIS ITEM, I SAW A REVIEW KNOCKING THIS FILM -- MY REACTION WAS -- GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED THE REVIEWER THAT HAS A LIFE SO WONDERFUL, THAT THIS MOVIE IS NOT WORTHY OF HIS OR HER APPROVAL.