It has been described as the most controversial film of the year, one that pledges to portray urban youth culture to full no-holds barred effect. Kidulthood, the gritty social-commentary style drama based on one day in the lives of a selection of fictional West London teens, goes on national release tomorrow (3 March 2006). The Sun has already called for it to be banned, and the hype surrounding it has no doubt been helped by the recent tabloid moral panic over modern youth.  But is it really as shocking as we're expecting it to be? The answer is not quite. Although it does contain one scene where we actually had to look away (where 15-year old Trife is forced by his drug-dealing uncle to carve the letter 'C' in the face of a man strapped down to a table) the rest of the film's themes will be familiar to most urban teens growing up in Britain today. From teen pregnancy to peer pressure, drugs, bullying and even prostitution and sexual abuse, there is little that the film doesn't cover. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of my own childhood growing up in London, and coming from a background of Care, the most striking similarity I noted was the lack of support from those that are supposed to be in a position of authority, such as teachers, parents and the government. This is most poignantly apparent in the lack of input from the teachers when school girl Katie is beaten up in the classroom, leading to her subsequent suicide as a result of the bullying. Similarly, there is little focus on the various characters' parents, subtly signifying their apathy, something which I think rings true for a lot for young people today. For example, Trife's parents are not seen or talked about at all, and the only family influence we see is that of his violent drug-dealer uncle, who attempts to entice him onto a similar path. One sympathises with his character as the impression is given that were it not for his circumstances, Trife would excel in life, but sadly it is too late and his fate is sealed from the outset. As the film's writer Noel Clarke asserts, "the film touches a raw nerve…it's on the pulse of what's happening in society right now. Kids these days are growing up too fast".

The overall look of the film is slick and well shot, with good use of lighting and sound, as well as some interesting camera angles. London comes across as vibrant and gritty, with details such as the Choice FM intro playing in one scene adding to its authenticity. Clarke obviously tried hard to capture the vernacular of London youth, with all the usual street slang thrown in to good effect, although in some cases it does come across as a bit overdone, and as a result, strained. In addition, one gets the impression that the film as a whole is long overdue, as if it should have come out a few years back. This is not helped by the soundtrack, which features tracks such as Shystie's debut "One Wish", which dropped years ago, as well as played-to-death anthems such as "Up Your Speed" and "Pow!", giving it a rather dated feel. Having said that, the fact that solely UK tracks are used adds to the unique London vibe that's so carefully constructed here, and those unfamiliar with the scene are provided with an adequate introduction.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see how the film is received in America, where urban youth culture has been more frequently documented to date. From an anthropological point of view, the international response will be equally fascinating, as issues facing youth around the world are inevitably going to be extremely varied. In my native Poland for example, a strong religious climate still pervades, and following the aftermath of communism, many people continue to struggle to make ends meet, without the financial help from the government that's available over here. Thus the social context influences how one experiences the world; teen pregnancy is a taboo subject there, and drug use is comparatively low.

Historically, the notion of youth, and in particular the notion of youth as "delinquent", is interesting. Prior to the 1950's, the concept didn't exist- people were either children or adults. Only when those in power began to realise the lucratively of a market aimed specifically at that age group, was the word "teenager" coined. At the same time, films such as Rebel without a Cause started to popularise the concept, and the word "youth" began to adopt negative connotations, associated with bad behaviour and delinquency. My 15-year old sister recently commented that films such as Kidulthood are continuing to give teenagers a bad name, complaining that her and her friends already get eyed suspiciously on the bus. To top it off, the recent media frenzy surrounding youths has opened up the floodgates, but I think that people will take this film for what it is: an interesting snapshot of one particular group of teenagers, with issues that confront most teens today. Sure, Middle England will probably be on terror alert, but I don't think this film is seriously going to shock too many people, least of all teenagers themselves.

Kidulthood is definitely a worthwhile watch, if only to see how they've tackled a subject with so much scope.

For More On The Film Visit http://www.kidulthood.co.uk/ 

Reviewed by Anna Nathanson

Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives a small life tucked inside big dreams. A shy cookware salesperson for a department store, she handles knives and skillets with the flair of a master chef. But when a misdiagnosis leads Georgia to believe her days are numbered, she decides that if she has to go, she's going to go with a bang – and embarks on a dream holiday vacation to a grand resort in Europe. There, thinking she has nothing to lose, Georgia undergoes a metamorphosis… and her transformation affects everyone around her. Georgia's newly uninhibited personality shakes up staff and guests alike, including a venerated chef (Gerard Depardieu) as well as her retail magnate boss (Timothy Hutton), who becomes convinced she's a rival intent on sabotaging his business plans. From snowy slopes to spectacular spas, delectable dinners to midnight balls, Georgia is going to live a lifetime of fun in just a few weeks...

UIP and Paramount Pictures present an Imagemovers/Laurence Mark production, a Wayne Wang film, "Last Holiday." Directed by Wayne Wang from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman based upon a screenplay by J. B. Priestley, the film is produced by Laurence Mark and Jack Rapke. Executive producers are Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Richard Vane, Peter S. Seaman, and Jeffrey Price. The film stars Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Alicia Witt, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Cert: 12A

Release: 03/03/2006

Running Time: 1hour 52mins

Click to Watch The Queen Latifah Interview On Windows or Real Player

"Big Momma's House 2" leaves its audience wondering "Where's the beef?" in this Martin Lawrence's fat cliché riddled comedy that offers nothing new the second time around.

Admittedly, "Big Momma's House 2" is funnier than Lawrence's recent offerings: "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" "National Security," and "Rebound." But that's not saying much about this predicable one joke movie where every punchline is sexual humor.

All fat suit and no meat on the plot's bones, Lawrence reprises his role of FBI agent, Malcolm Turner, who goes undercover as Big Momma. This time Turner becomes a nanny in a suspect's house who's under investigation for creating a computer worm that's a potential threat to national security.

Heartfelt without being too syrupy, Turner ends up teaching tough-love life lessons to his three charges, a rebellious teenager, a junior-high cheerleader and their younger brother who never speaks but likes to crash land by jumping off the family furniture.

Turner also receives his own lesson in tough love from his pregnant wife and his stepson who he's been neglecting. In the end "Big Momma's House 2" is warmed-over "Mrs. Doubtfire" where the state-of-the-art fat suit is the real star.

courtesy of BlackFlix

For More....

http://www.bigmommashouse2.com/

It's becoming the norm for rappers to make a few hit tracks, then jump on the movie band wagon only to release a movie, which remotely portrays their life. DMX did it in "Belly" and Nelly in "Snipes," but what sets 50 Cents new flick apart is its grim, gritty and candid portrayal of the dark and dangerous underbelly.

"Don't show no love -- love will get you killed" is the motto for this racy flick, which is loosely based on 50 Cent's life. "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" opens with Marcus (played by 50) and his crew robbing a Columbian check cashing joint. Dark, stark and intense, the scene moves quickly when things go wrong all guns blazing and rapid quick fire action. Fast forward to a few minutes later, Marcus is robbed and shot 9 times outside his grandmother's house as he returns home. As he lays there dying, we are shown flashbacks of his life and thus comes the full cycle narration of his childhood to adulthood and how he got shot in the first place. The story then picks up again from the shooting to his meteoric rise to a successful rapper.

This movie is effective and takes many elements from the rap star's real life: losing his mother at age12 to a violent crime, and being raised by his grandparents in a poor and seedy part of New York to selling drugs on street corners, whilst nursing dreams of becoming a rapper. It pays homage to the 80's, showcasing music from Chaka Khan and Rick James. The supporting cast is brilliant across the board and it's refreshing to see Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, best known as Adabisi from HBO's "Oz" back on the big screen as Majestic, the paternal figure who introduces Marcus to selling crack. Watching this delightful actor, one would be inclined to think he was re-visiting the "Oz" set as he brings that similar icy chill to his character. Terence Howard drops in an hour into the flick as the unbalanced psycho, Bama, the guy who saves 50's life in jail, and prefers to shoot first then ask question later as his personal motto. A bond is established between the two and he later becomes Marcus' music manager once on the outside. Bryant plays 50's love interest, a former childhood flame who later returns to the neighborhood as a dance teacher, and Bill Duke is great as the drug kingpin who runs the show until he's set up as a fall guy. However, it's the talented Marc John Jefferies who plays a younger Marcus that steals the scenes with his incredible likeness to 50 cent and a remarkable onscreen charisma. On the downside, 50's acting skills leave little to be desired. He appears extremely wooden onset with bland facial expressions which rarely change, and although he is acting a part which is all too familiar to him, he lacks presence and screen appeal. Still, he can be forgiven for his dismal onscreen debut for he can only get better with time. In addition, he comes across as a likable drug dealer and a saintly sympathetic gangster who refuses to kill anyone, preferring instead to paralyze his opponents -- a far cry and huge contradiction to the lifestyle he publicized.

On the surface, this is nothing more than another methodical portrayal of hustlers and gangsters mired by violence in an area where crime seems the only way out, but it is effective, fast-paced, graphic and intense, and above all, very well made. It offers the usual social messages that "crime doesn't pay" and delivers the harsh reality of life for many young black males.

For more go to http://www.getrichordietryinmovie.com/home.html 

Courtesy of Samantha Ofole-Prince (Blackflix.com)

Rising star Terrence Howard stars as Memphis born and bred 'DJay' in Hustle and Flow, a pimp trying to get away from the everyday grind and make it as a rapper. Terrence Howard is everywhere these days, from Mary J Blige videos to being Mr Cop in Four Brothers, his versatility is showing and he pulls the part of DJay brilliantly. DJay going about his everyday pimping and hustling bumps into his old high school buddy 'Key' played by Anthony Anderson who also has dreams of one day being big in the music scene. Although technically Key already works within music but not where he wants to be, the two hook up and from there the movement begins with production starting for a self confessed 'Memphis Trick Master'. The one hope that they cling to is that DJay says he is old friends with local boy turned superstar Skinny Black (played by Ludacris), the gang hope that DJay passing his rap tape over will be the start of their success. DJay's game girls Nola and pregnant Shug step up for their boss. Watching this you get a soft spot for Nola with her character played well by Taryn Manning, so young and naive or is she?   H & F can probably be related to by many people stuck in the grind but 'Everybody Gotta Have A Dream...!' The crunk style beat and soundtrack are kinda catchy too. For anyone trying to make it in the game this is a good look! 

Released 20 March 2006

The Business is a new eighties set UK gangster flick mainly about the rise and fall of young 'Frankie'(Danny Dyer) who doesn't have much going for him in London and after making a successful cash drop in Spain for a friend, is taken into the messy world of ex-gangsters and drugs. Frankie is taken under the wing of Charlie (Tamer Hassan) who is a notorious armed robber and gang boss, and from there life begins. 'The Business' moves from Frankie being but a driver for Charlie's big time crew selling marijuana to young Frankie stepping up to fronting a cocaine business with his one time 'idol', Charlie in the film. Deals with Morocco and Colombians give the film an authentic feel, but the way in which it is shown makes it look too easy! There are a few twists in the movie, and some scenes that may put you off your dinner! The Business has similarities to the US smash 'Blow' and will always be compared to the likes of 'Lock Stock…' and 'Snatch'. The open ending which sees the young 'Frankie' leave on his own with a bag of cash leaves it open for sequels. There is a lot in this film and it's very British though set in Spain, there is loads of swearing and aggressive behavior! This film is worth a watch if you are into your British gangster flicks.

Check A Clip -

WINDOWS HI     MED     LO 

REAL         HI     MED     LO

Ak

Released 30 January 2006

The cocaine cowboys of the '80s are gone, but Miami's Casablanca allure, the under cover cops and the attitudes of Michael Mann's culturally influential television series have been enhanced by time in the feature film version of Miami Vice.

Ricardo Tubbs (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx of Ray, Jarhead) is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx- born intel analyst Turdy, played by British actress Naomie Harris (28 Days later, upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean II and III), as they work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders.

Sony Crockett (Colin Farrell of S.W.A.T, The New World) [to the untrained eye, his presentation may seem unorthodox, but procedurally he is sound} is charismatic and flirtatious until—while undercover working with the supplier of the South Florida group—he gets romantically entangled with Isabella, the Chinese- Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. Isabella is played by Chinese actress Gong Li (Raise the Red Lantern, Memoirs of a Geisha).

The best undercover identity is oneself with the volume turned up and restraint unplugged. The intensity of this case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one—especially for Crockett in his romance with Isabella and for Tubbs in the provocation of an assault on those he loves.

Miami Vice, as a large-scale feature film, liberates what is adult, dangerous and alluring about working deeply undercover… especially when Crockett and Tubbs go to where their badges don't count…

Watch A Clip On Windows

Watch A Clip On Real Player

Or Quicktime

More Info Go To - www.miamivice.com