So Uninspired: What's a Chick Been Up To?

I haven’t been posting many reviews lately and that’s mostly because I haven’t seen that much that inspires me to write.  To me, 2011 has been a bust for movies.  If you’re not into Harry Potter, superheroes, apes, or big robots, the landscape is sort of bleak.  Last night I went to see Crazy Stupid Love and I had high hopes because I enjoy almost everyone in the main cast--Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling (who is my imaginary boyfriend among others), Emma Stone, Julianne Moore-- but the film was only “likable enough” and didn’t truly excite me.  Part of the problem I think is that it was marketed wrong.  It was marketed as a rom-com, but really it’s more drama than comedy. [More like Dan in Real Life than The 40-Year-Old Virgin] I appreciated the drama and thoughtfulness put into the characters and story-lines, but if you are expecting to laugh a lot, this movie would not be for you.  It was more bittersweet than laugh-out-loud.

A week or so ago, I also saw the documentary Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest.  What I liked most about it is how it conjured up the experiences of my youth.  I distinctly remember when A Tribe Called Quest came to my college campus and kept performing even when they were threatened with a citation for violating the local sound ordinance.  At the time, I wasn’t really into hip-hop, I was more Top 40 and R&B, but that night I was initiated and my favorite song suddenly was "Hot Sex on a Platter" [What?!!!!].  And because the group had such a profound impact on the youth culture of the 1990s, it is no wonder they are worthy to be captured on the big screen. The documentary, directed by actor Michael Rappaport, gives thorough insight into the life of the group from its formation, demise and reformation.   And you can see the Tribe was and is a family that is forever bonded no matter how rocky things get, who’s feelings are hurt, or how much distance is traveled physically or mentally by the individuals in the group.  The Tribe is forever.