Okay, here it is...The REAL RE-Edit's 'DREAMGIRLS' review...

I went to see Dreamgirls twice during its 10-day limited engagement release here in New York; once on a date and today I took my 2 nieces and 2 nephews. The first time was just a tour de force; there was so much fabulousness and whatnot going on that I couldn't even sit down to write a review of it. My analysis would have been too muddled, as the constant firing of my artistic synapses everytime I thought about the film prevented me from even sitting at my computer and etching out even preliminary thoughts on the film. The second time helped me put things in perspective a little bit. This time I'm a little calmer and able to process the entire offering without being overwhelmed by the powerhouse performances of the REAL star Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce's sheer beauty and noticeably improved acting talent, Eddie Murphy's unbelievable transformation and ethos and Jamie Foxx' disturbingly convincing performance as the underhanded manager. But that is EXACTLY what you're going to be affected by when you see this picture. The entire ensemble is soooo incredibly good and the picture is sooo incredibly well-done that it has instant classic stamped all over it. So much so that I'm sitting at my computer on Christmas Eve writing this review.

For months, THE REAL RE-Edit has been pontificating on the likelihood of success of the film and its authenticity with regard to taking it from a Broadway playbill and adapting it for the big screen, all the while anticipating its release with each passing week. Needless to say, the Bill Condon-helmed project did not disappoint on ANY level. Having seen the play in my youth (and having dated someone who kept the original "Dreamgirls" soundtrack in heavy rotation on their CD player), I HAD to get this movie out of my system; if only to get past all of the anticipation, buzz, and comparisons. I HAD to see if Jennifer Hudson, in her feature movie debut, could pull off stepping into the HUGE shoes of Jennifer Holliday's defining role of Effie White (around whom the majority of the plot revolves). I HAD to see if the casting directors were on the mark when they offered the Diana Ross- I mean, Deena Jones!- role to Beyonce (one of the most beautiful and talented superstars to come along in a long time, but who in my mind's eye is not the most articulately compelling woman in history). I HAD to see if Eddie Murphy could take the camp out of his infamous Saturday Night Live James Brown impersonation and give real breadth to the James "Thunder" Early character. I HAD to see if Jamie Foxx could reinforce his status as an Oscar-winning actor with a convincing portrayal of Curtis Taylor, Jr. Of course, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding YES!!!


The Cast...
First and foremost Jennifer Hudson brings the house down beginning the minute her visage appears in the movie and doesn't let up until the credits are rolling. There is a very good reason she is nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe award (and would be the snub of the year if she is not at least considered in the same category for the upcoming Academy Awards nominations). Her portrayal of Effie White simmers with strength and vulnerability simultaneously. Hard to believe she hasn't been preparing for this role her whole life.


Beyonce Knowles has said that her choreographer has been priming her for the role of Deena Jones her whole life, unbeknownst to her. Well, the work has certainly paid off. I was all prepared to write her off in the movie as "Beyonce in another movie", but Ms. Knowles has indeed ramped up her acting chops. Unconsciously (I suppose) I had such low expectations of her going into the movie and that it is to her credit that she was able to convincingly abandon the modern superdiva persona known as her alter ego "Sasha" and really commit in a huge way to this role. I'm going to say it- she DESERVED this role. Her portrayal of Deena Jones was thoughtful, well-crafted and dead-on(replete with the patented "hunched shoulder waif" move Diana affected early in her career with the Supremes--Ross fans know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!!!)









Jamie Foxx- one of the best comedians to emerge in the last 10 years- is no laughing matter in this movie. Its all business. Foxx's controlled and diabolical portrayal of the Dreams' architect and back-sliding manager is testament to his ability to convincingly transform into any character onscreen. That Academy Award is no fluke.

Eddie Murphy gives a powerful and endearing performance as James "Thunder" Early, the Rock-n-Roll originating 'chittlin-circuit' crooner with talent the size of Alaska and the libido to match. Murphy's command of Early's powerful charisma and his tragic descent into drug addiction is played with such fervor that its hard to believe this is the same man who did stand-up comedy in a tight red leather jacket and pants nearly 25 years ago.


Anika Noni Rose rounds out the trio as the third original Dreamgirl Lorell Robinson, Keith Robinson steps in for Usher (who was originally slated to play C.C White- the Dreamgirls' songwriter and Effie's brother), Danny Glover aptly covers Early's original manager Marty Madison and Sharon Leal plays the record company secretary who ends up as "replacement Dreamgirl" Michelle Morris. They all give excellent support to an already astounding cast. With talent like this onscreen, how could one have expected anything less?


The Story...
Another reason 'Dreamgirls' succeeds is of course that it has all of the elements of great theatre; compelling and sympathetic characters who experience schadenfreude and adversity, and emerge relatively unscathed and utterly triumphant. It is the story of the human spirit, really. Who WOULDN'T like this play? How could this movie fail, being based on one of the most compelling and perhaps well-known music industry anecdotes? Anyone who hasn't spent any time in the last 20 years under a rock knows the plot. The comparisons of the arc of the Dreamettes saga in "Dreamgirls" to the rise and fall of the Primettes and how they gave way to Diana Ross and the Supremes is no accident. It is indeed "based on" the story of the seminal girl group. Actually, there would BE no "Dreamgirls" if not for The Supremes' mythology. Interestingly enough, perhaps the only girl group's backstory that compares in intensity and drama to that of The Supremes is the musical lore surrounding the creation of this generation's most successful girl group -Destiny's Child- and the subsequent supernova known as Beyonce. But that's another story, fodder for the pop culture junkies who will spend endless hours drawing tedious comparisons between the two diva trios and their changing lineups, frontwoman superstar quality and the like.

Undergirding the main plotlines a Jackson 5-ish boy group, the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, and the advent of disco are all covered with wit and reverence for the "Motown Sound"-Berry Gordy's remarkable contribution to black music in general and black artists in particular.
The inspired photo montage for the Deena Jones character reconfigures and gives homage to Diana Ross' iconic "Do you Know Where You're going To?" photo shoot in the black movie classic "Mahogany" without riding on its coattails too much and being too derivative. This is definitely intelligent prolific filmmaking here.


The Execution...
Given the pedigree behind the scenes, there is no way this movie could have failed. Hence, a third reason for its success as a film: the Dreamgirls "stew" was properly prepared and flavored. Add one part Oscar-winning screenwriter Bill Condon (known for his screenplay adaptation of the Bob Fosse-choreographed gem "Chicago"). Who else could guarantee that the stunning glitz and glamour the late director Michael Bennett poured into the Broadway play would be present in the onscreen version? Add another part Academy Award-nominated costume designer Sharen Davis, whose handprint is all over blockbuster movies like Ray, Devil in a Blue Dress, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and the new Will Smith project The Pursuit of Happyness. Who ELSE could have constructed the iconic fire engine red "Dreamgirls" dresses, replete with twelve pound titanium sequins to "pop" onscreen, and then come up with another 119 looks for the female leads alone?




Enter Fatima Robinson, choreographer extraordinaire who has been singled out by the MTV video awards by being nominated a phenomenal SEVEN times for best choreography in a music video (she has created moves for everyone from Aaliyah to Prince and almost every music artist in between) and whose film work includes Miami Vice, Save the Last Dance, Ali, and Be Cool. Who else could create the sensuousness, class and (excuse me, Kimora Lee) FABULOSITY the Dreamgirls needed to exude in their movements? Accomplished makeup artists, lighting designers and music supervisors sweeten the pot. Add original play alumni Hinton Battle and Loretta Devine to the mix and you have a stew you could sop up with a biscuit.





The VERDICT...
Dreamgirls...its utterly delicious!!! Its 10's across the board. "Sparkle", you have company, because this movie is definitely givin' me something I can feel...

Queer Black cinema? Who knew??

Outside of the Tribeca Film Festival and other smaller efforts, anyone who lives in New York City and has a hankering to attend a collection of screenings has to either head straight to Cannes or at least to the West Coast. To find gay cinema, the average New Yorker will have to either purchase that ticket to San Francisco or set the remote for the LOGO channel. Moreover, to find a gay BLACK film festival is like the proverbial needle in a haystack; some aren't publicized well, are in Atlanta and DC during the circuit party weekends, or on the West Coast.

Enter the Queer Black Cinema (QBC) Film Festival, a monthly compendium of works by black LGBTQ directors. Although it would seem that the category is relatively dismal, QBC- in its inaugural year- has managed to showcase films from little-known (Ken Jackson, Tina Mabry) to more established (Patrik Ian Polk) gay directors of color for the last 12 months at the Gay and Lesbian Center in the West Village.

Now, by queer cinema I'm not talking about "Dreamgirls" (although judging from the core audience at my screening the other night, it could definitely be labeled as such!), but rather movies and short stories that have their origins begat at the hand of black gay men and women. Although the submissions' subject matter doesn't necessarily have to deal with issues surrounding being gay, the QBC is attempting to highlight the talents and life's dreams of its homo creators. Kudos to Angel Brown and Kawana Bullock for bringing OUR stories, in all of their variety, to one place for all of us to appreciate. I had the pleasure of attending the last festival screening of the 2006 season on December 20th. The rather diverse crowd was treated to a screening of "Forgiven" by Kenya Briggs and "The DL Chronicles Episodes 1 (Wes) and 2 (Robert) by Deondray Gossett and Quincy LeNear.

"Forgiven" is a well-written (though not necessarily a well shot or editted ) short film surrounding the issues of race, forgiveness, mortality and religion and how it affects the friendship of two elderly women. Interestingly enough, the main character's sexuality has little to do with the movie; for that Bringgs should be commended. Very often we assume that because a film includes a gay character that the movie has to be about their sexuality, which is a mistake. The focus of "Forgiven" centers around what the lesbian main character learns as a HUMAN being, not just a SEXUAL one. Given a little bit more of a budget, the powerful message of the film could be even better fleshed out and more compelling.

The feature films of the night were two episodes of "The DL Chronicles", namely episodes 1 (Wes) and 2(Robert). Episode 1 (Wes) marks directors/writers Deondray Gossett and Quincy LeNear's foray into territory not covered by "Noah's Arc" or Oprah; namely, the TRUE issues surrounding being a black man questioning and/or hiding his sexuality in a society that doesn't really allow him to do either. If he questions, then he is viewed as less of a man, less of a person, less of a contributor to the diaspora. If he hides it, then he is a pariah, a duplicitous agent in the sexual politics of queer/gay identified organizations who believe he should put it all on the table for all to see. "The DL Chronicles" personalizes those who posess these struggles, and does quite a riveting job of being a realistic portrayal of what it is to be gay and not feel like you fit in ANYWHERE.


In episode 1 Wes, an investment banker, is married but unable to question his sexuality until a chance meeting with a stranger on the street brings those thoughts to the forefront. He is also unable to hide his sexuality when his wife's brother comes for a rather life-changing "visit". Well fleshed-out and wonderfully paced, it definitely gives an authentic feel to the down-low "phenomenon"- examining the pain that it inflicts upon the individual and the strength that those who walk in this existence must summon to continue to "live".


Episode 2 (Robert) offers a little bit more of a light-hearted view. When Robert meets the object of his desire Austin at a health food store, his "straight"-laced existence is turned upside down. He is faced with the truth of his desire, and the ramifications it may have on his job, his daughter, and ultimately on Austin. While possessing perhaps more levity than the first episode (courtesy of Austin's "good good girlfriend" and co-worker), the themes of secrecy and ultimately acceptance are again explored. I am told that The DL Chronicles is in the midst of being developed into a TV Show. I can't wait.

There aren't enough film festivals that show me my image on the big screen. I want my QBC!!!

Countdown to "Dreamgirls"...

It looks like they MIGHT get it right!!! Dreamworks/Paramount have assembled a stellar cast reprising one of the most beloved plays in the history of (dare I say 'black'?) musicals. In everything- from the choice of talent to the marketing strategies and production values- the planets appear to be aligning to bring the type of excitement and black celebrity wattage to the screen not seen in this genre since "The Wiz". Academy Award- winning screenplay writer Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters") helms the directorship of the film, teamed with the very capable hands of Oscar-nominated producer Laurence Mark ("Jerry Maguire", "As Good As It Gets"). Names like Academy-award winning production designer John Myhre ("Chicago") and the ever-talented music video choreographer Fatima Robinson add extra talent pedigree behind the camera.

The brightest and most recognizable names in front of the camera headlining this imminent blockbuster are of course Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover, Hinton Battle and Eddie Murphy. In a daring and perhaps ingenious set of casting moves, movie screen novice Anika Noni Rose (most notable for her appearance in the Broadway play "Caroline, or Change") and "American Idol" favorite Jennifer Hudson- along with Beyonce- round out the trio around whom the storyline revolves. It would seem that the play's original director, producer and choreographer, Michael Bennett, would be proud with the choices. With all of this talent onscreen and off, it should be interesting around Oscar time next year...

And now,The RE-EDIT:

Jennifer Hudson is going to REALLY have to come with it!!! I was one of those pulling for her to beat out Fantasia for the coveted role of Effie White in what should be THE Christmas season 2006 mega-hit. We've seen countless reprisals and traveling companies offering their productions - none of which managed to capture the undeniable magic of the original cast; even vocal powerhouse Frenchie Davis couldn't match Jennifer Holliday's Torch Song rendition of "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going". Perhaps the only artist who came CLOSE to capturing the power of La Holliday's trademark song was Shirley Murdock, who covered it on her 1988 CD "A Woman's Point of View". Good luck, JHud!

But when you are competing with performances like this, the task can be daunting.


Very few can compare to Holliday's fire, conviction, and command of the play's most popular song with wreckless (and impeccable) abandon.



It looks like the Dreamgirls PR machinery is gearing up...I can't wait to see it!

Is Gay Sex "Dead"?

www.sexinthe70s.com

At the beginning of “Gay Sex In The 70’s”, artist and activist Barton Benes is sifting through pictures of some of the men he’s “come across” during his sexual awakening in the 70s. He has chosen to immortalize these images by affixing them to jagged pieces of hardened clay and keeping them on his coffee table. One of the interesting things is that the pile is quite high- filled with “cowboys”, “leathermen”, “trade” and other staples of the gay community that any fan of the Village People would be completely familiar with. This is his segue into the tawdry tale that is his experience as a gay man in the city that never sleeps during one of the most turbulent and storied periods in gay history- and he is not alone or unique. Cart out the procession of older gay men with their own versions detailing the freedom of being “happy, carefree, and gay” during a period about which they wax poetic with so much zeal that is almost seems made up. However, we are presented with irrefutable evidence that is most certainly is NOT made up. What is so titillating about this- and one of the reasons the film succeeds- is the cross-section of subjects that the documentary puts in front of the camera; from pioneers of the ACT UP movement and The Gay Men’s Health Crisis to Larry Kramer (author of “Faggot”) and Mel Cheren (founder of West End Records, whose recordings were a large soundtrack of the PHENOMENON of Larry Levan and The Paradise Garage).

“Gay Sex in the 70s” is chock-full of stories (and imagery) of the “libertine” period of homosexuality- and examines the rise of the “sex without guilt or consequences” dogma that many a present-day fag longs to return to. It is Gay Camelot- the time immediately following the riots of Stonewall (which mentally “freed” gays as a whole) and right before the discovery of “GRID” (which would be renamed AIDS once the bigoted medical community realized this new disease affected more than just gays). This period is brought to life by Benes and other “survivors” of this era. All of which is book-ended by historical references, stock film of “Vintage Gay NYC” (the mere mention - never mind the footage-of The Paradise Garage made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end), and thoughtfully-edited images of gay sex (dare I say classic porn?) that illustrate the bacchanalian revelry known as “gay sex” back then.

The film eases into the subject of STDs that became commonplace as a result of this “lifestyle” (is that where this expression comes from?), and tales of taking penicillin before a night of “partying” and such (one person’s re-telling of having gonorrhea of the throat was particularly NOT SEXY) lead us to the END of the fantasy. Benes talks about the “pervert” that asked him to wear a condom during sex. People start questioning whether they are destroying themselves literally with all the preoccupation with sex. It is then that AIDS rears its ugly head and, as one of the subjects put it, was “out the door before we could catch it”. Cue moral: gay sex in the 70s was GREAT, but would be greater if there were more of us around that could talk about it. Remember the irrefutable evidence that these tales were definitely NOT made up? Well, here goes. All of the men whose faces don the artistic clay chips on Benes’ coffee table- every last one of them- is now DEAD (it is inferred as a result of AIDS). Moreover, the stilts that held up the abandoned factories down at the pier (where footage showed men having anonymous sex by the hundreds) are now just a collection of thick wood pieces just barely visible above the water- a grim allegory for the hundreds of thousands of gay men that are no longer “above ground”.

The “RE-EDIT”…
Ok, the first thing that was interesting about this movie was that the vast majority of the audience attending the screening could have been in the movie. For the most part I was surrounded by older white homos out on the town with their lovers or ‘dates’. These were the people who nodded in agreement or who let out knowing laughs at points during the film that showed sex behind or in trucks parked down at the piers, orgy-parties on Fire Island, or taking a line of coke at Studio 54. No judgment- this just wasn’t MY experience (for the record, I wasn’t even OLD enough to be having sex during the 70’s!!!). . I knew that going into the theatre. I did, however, feel excluded from the discussion (as most black gay men can attest to when entrenched in conventionally “white gay” situations). I mean, black gay men DEFINITELY had sex in the 70’s, did we not? Maybe someone will make a documentary about THAT (hmmmm)

Another thing that was interesting was the arc of the film, and how it mimics the “gay” experience of the 70’s through present day. At the beginning “we” are titillated with erotic images of man-sex and Dionysian orgies. We are regaled with “I remember this one time…” stories that are fantastic in every sense of the word. We are shown how sex and sexual freedom changed our own perception of our homosexuality; it went from something to be ashamed of to something to be celebrated. I could almost feel the “pride” and freedom that was present during that time in the audience. However, when the onset of AIDS is broached, I can hear and feel a collective “sigh”- a feeling of the wind being taken from sails- in the voices of the movie as well as in the sorrowful moans of the audience members. This has to be what those that are still among us must be feeling about being gay BEYOND the 70s; a new-found sexual freedom “high” (which was really “the calm before the storm”), followed by so-called “consequences” of gaining said freedom, and a return to the restriction of such.

I wish I had made the earlier screening, because Joseph Lovett and other members of the cast were present afterwards to discuss the film. I would have asked about the idea that “gay sex in the 70’s” is just not that different from gay sex now. I mean, I know PERSONALLY that there is a large contingent of gay men out there at this very minute who are having indiscriminate “raw” sex with reckless abandon. The only difference now is that most don’t appear to be doing it with the freedom and license that those in the 70s seemed to; it’s been reduced to a subculture. Even as people are still having “gay sex” in the manner that is discussed herein, for the most part that behavior (which defined “gay” for a lot of people in the 70’s) is now reviled in the gay community- at least on the surface.

I think every gay person should cop this documentary once its released on DVD- put it on the shelf right next to “And the Band Played On” and “Paris Is Burning”.
But I digress…

"Crash"

I recently saw the Sandra Bullock/Don Cheadle/Terrance Howard/Thandie Newton/Matt Dillon vehicle "Crash". It was, simply, the best movie I've seen this year to date. There was not a single weak link in either the major or supporting actor roles. It would be a mistake to label this just a movie about race; class struggle, ethnic/cultural identity, REAL marriage issues, hypocrisy, rage, white liberalism, living in a "melting pot", and just plain living in any cosmopolitan city are also adeptly handled and juxtaposed in a very SOLID 100 minutes of well-composed celluloid. There are standout performances (the Mexican locksmith- and his backstory- was particularly riveting for me), and its not a "pretty" movie with all clear-cut one-dimensional characters whose whole lives can be summarized by the 3rd minute they appear in the movie. Sandra Bullock turns in a very convincing performance as a "modern" upper-class cosmopolitan wife with very "modern" cosmopolitan principles and demons, while Don Cheadle's police detective with a "family issue" (that I personally have very close ties to) made me quiver. Thandie Newton (who is certified beauty and BRILLIANCE to me) and Terrance Howard (who is really becoming an actor whose movies I would go to see without seeing a single trailer), have a GREAT rapport and rip the script to shreds with powerful performances. Matt Dillon gives the movie more turns and more depth than one character should be able to do in a movie; making it disgusting, gut-punching, sympathetic, and heroic all at once. Ludacris may have a decent acting career in him, and Ryan Phillipe does his thing. Loretta Devine's character was a brilliant commentary on the "black name game" and "black racism". The ending left me reeling and mentally rewinding the entire movie until I figured it out. For me, the movie illustrated how, regardless of how we try to insulate ourselves from each other, we are ALL intertwined one way or another and our paths cross in ways that we aren't even aware of. Peep it!