Mudbound

Black Nativity

Rock of Ages

Directed by Adam Shankman.

2012. Rated PG-13, 123 minutes.

Cast:

Tom Cruise

Julianne Hough

Diego Boneta

Alec Baldwin

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Russell Brand

Paul Giamatti

Bryan Cranston

Malin Akerman

Mary J. Blige

Will Forte 

Kevin Nash

It is 1987 and The Bourbon Room is a legendary rock-n-roll club on Hollywood’s famed Sunset Strip. It’s where aspiring singers like Sherrie (Hough) come for a job when they’re fresh off the bus from their small hometowns. After all, rock god Stacee Jax (Cruise) got his start there and is coming back for his last show with his band, Arsenal, before embarking on a solo career. It’s where Drew (Boneta) already works. He fancies two things: Sherrie and being the next Stacee Jax. The Bourbon is also in the cross hairs of Mayor Whitmore (Cranston) and his high-profile and overzealous wife Patricia (Zeta-Jones). They are looking to clean up the strip, starting with its most famous den of sin. The Bourbon is run by Dennis (Baldwin) and his right hand man Lonny (Brand) and it is going broke. These story lines swirl about as now classic, pop infused rock songs blare through the speakers.

Rock of Ages is a musical in the most traditional sense of the word. Anytime and any place, people break into song while whoever is around dutifully provides background vocals and perform choreographed dance routines. Some are better than others, but all of them are cheesy. Regardless, they’re often saved by the sheer power of the songs they’re singing. You pretty much can’t help singing along if you've ever heard any of them before which is to say you've probably heard them a thousand times. However, after each song is done, we realize that what we just ate is not particularly filling. On the other hand, this changes a bit when there are actual stage performances. Most of them have more genuine emotion and edge to them thanks, in large part, to Tom Cruise. He seems to be channeling Axl Rose, both on and off the stage. It’s a mesmerizing turn by Cruise that, in a better movie, might have earned him some love during awards season.

The rest of the cast delivers mixed results and are not aided by the hackneyed writing. Paul Giamatti is great because that’s what he always is. Thankfully, he only sings a couple of bars in the whole movie. Bryan Cranston is mostly just there cheering on his wife, or sneaking out of the room to cheat on her. Russell Brand does his best Russell Brand impersonation, take it or leave it. Alec Baldwin is not as good as he is in those Capitol One commercials, except for when he gets to sing. He’s obviously thrilled someone was willing to pay him to croon. Now, he’s not the X factor or anything, but he appears to be having so much fun belting out tunes it’s infectious. That writing let him and Brand down in a major way, though. Musicals are, by nature, contrived. However, the turn their relationship takes feels so forced it’s beyond absurd. It only becomes what it is in order to wedge in the song they sing together. In contrast to Baldwin, we have Catherine Zeta-Jones. She is very good for most of the movie but terribly botches her big number. Her singing is okay, I guess, but watching her stiffly mimic old Michael Jackson moves is painful.

Speaking of painful, that’s precisely the way to describe the work turned in by our two young lovebirds. Julianne Hough is pretty, but hardly compelling and seems to be replaceable by any number of twenty-something Hollywood blondes. Ditto for Malin Akerman as Rolling Stone reporter Constance Sack. Believe it, or not, Diego Boneta fares even worse as Drew. His character struggles with being true to himself, and be a rocker, or do what his manager wants and front a boy band. Sadly, he’s not believable in either case. And more bad writing hurts him further. Early on, his character suffers from stage-fright. I get that even more suspension of belief is required to watch musicals than most other genres. Still, I’m hard pressed to accept that a guy whom I just saw give a rendition of “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” in a crowded record store, while dancing in the aisles no less, is afraid to sing once someone puts a microphone in front of him.

The better movie takes place when the two youngsters are not on the screen. It has considerable charm, again, much of which is due to Tom Cruise’s eccentric rock star. The rest is because of the familiar and still catchy songs. These tunes are fun no matter what, but a little less so when performed by Hough and Boneta who come off like a pair of posers. Perhaps, it’s because there is noticeably less grunge to either of them than anyone else in the movie. So, in addition to their blank acting, they’re both just way too glossy. Finally, that writing is just flat lazy as things are resolved suddenly without the end result feeling earned. In summation: see Rock of Ages for the music and Tom Cruise, skip it if you don’t think that will be enough.

Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

Directed by Michael Rapaport.

2011. Rated R, 97 minutes.
Cast:
Q-Tip
Phife Dawg
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Jarobi White
Afrika Baby Bam
Mike G
Common
Angie Martinez
Chris Lighty
Monie Love
Black Thought
Questlove
Bobbito Garcia
Pharrell
Mary J. Blige
Adam Yauch

Back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager (remember those?) you could find young Dell listening to hip hop, my mom used to say it reminded her of be-bop. True fans know this to be a paraphrase of the first verse of “Excursions,” the opening song on A Tribe Called Quest’s classic hip hop album “The Low End Theory.” Yes, I’m a true ATCQ fan. At a moment’s notice I can recite whole songs of theirs completely from memory. Obviously, Beats Rhymes & Life is a movie that I could not miss.

For those not in the know, ATCQ is composed of four members. Q-Tip is the face of the group. Initially, he handled most of the rapping. He also handled most, if not all of the production. Later, his lyrical role was reduced to pretty much half. More than any other, his fingerprints are all over the Tribe’s identity. Tip is a bit eccentric, very much so by hip hop standards. Phife does the rest of the rhyming. His much more muscular yet witty approach to the mic provides the gravity that keeps Tip from spiraling off into outer space. Ali Shaheed Muhammad is the group DJ. He keeps the live shows moving and eventually helped produce. Before this documentary, Ali never seemed to say much, except with his hands of course. Fourth member Jarobi is a mysterious figure to many tribe fans. He was visibly and audibly part of the crew at the beginning yet disappeared by the time their second album came out. He was spoken of, but hardly seen. However, he does travel with them on occasion.

We meet up with our heroes in 2008 on the “Rock the Bells” tour. The Tribe is headlining despite not having recorded together since their very public break-up a decade prior. Time has not healed all wounds. Q-Tip and Phife constantly teeter on the edge of a fist-fight. By this point in their relationship, everything Tip does irritates Phife on some level. Ali and Jarobi are pretty much caught in the crossfire, unable to help the situation. Director Michael Rapaport spends plenty of time getting the points of view of the two bickering parties. He also gives us some commentary from the other two members.

To reinforce the iconic status the group enjoys in hip hop culture various artists producers, industry folks speak about how ATCQ influenced them or their experiences with them. ATCQ devotees, such as myself, will delight in seeing the likes of Common, Pharrell, The Beastie Boys and Monie Love testify to the Tribe’s greatness. Fellow Native Tongues alums, The Jungle Brothers, are particular helpful since they were greatly involved in getting a record deal for ATCQ. The Native Tongues were a group of artist that often worked together and were an eclectic bunch with an afro-centric outlook, a great deal of social awareness but decidedly less militant than much of the rap music of the time. The most successful NT member, Queen Latifah, provides us with the most glaring absence. She has transcended the music to become one of the most recognizable women in the country, an Oscar nominated actress and best-selling author. She would provide us with something the movie is a bit lacking in: another person young people or those not necessarily Tribe fans would easily connect with. She’s mentioned and seen in old clips but does not appear and share any of her recollections.

People gushing over our heroes is nice, but not what keeps us intrigued. What does it is the same thing that drives all those episodes of VH1’s Behind the Music. We want to see what happens to people who grew up as friends and achieve success together to destroy their relationships. Here, like in most cases, it’s everyone’s fault to some degree. Phife seems tired of Tip’s controlling ways and sometimes envious of the attention his bandmate gets. Q-Tip often appears oblivious to what’s going on as it’s happening. Then, he feels blindsided when he finally realizes the problem. The two have an interesting dynamic that’s explored thoroughly. However, what we’re offered as a resolution isn’t one, at all. In light of where they are when things end, we need to be given more.

We also should have more of their personal lives. Phife has serious health issues which we spend lots of time on. However, we learn little or nothing about the other guys’ lives away from the stage. Is anyone besides Phife married? Anyone have kids? If their parents are still alive what do they have to say? There is a scene of Tip going back to his old high school and catching up with some of his former teachers. However, none of them get a moment to speak on their ex-pupil. They are merely props for him to interact with, more or less.

Beats Rhymes & Life overcomes its flaws to still be a very good documentary. For Tribe fans, and those of 90s hip hop, the nostalgia factor is off the charts. For younger viewers it gives insight into a legendary group they may not know much about even though many of the artists they currently listen to know plenty. For non-rap fans, it’s hard to say how much value this holds. Thankfully, Michael Rapaport does a nice job of making this a very human story of strained relationships. I’d again refer to Behind the Music. If you’re the type that watches that show regardless of who the artist is, you’ll enjoy this.

MY SCORE: 8/10