Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I Think Y'All Should Stop Hatin'

So there is no lack of negative reviews for Chris Rock's latest escapade into movie making, "I Think I Love My Wife," Rock's re-make of a French outing entitled "Chloe In The Afternoon." While I am yet to witness the latter, I was and am still, absolutely confounded by the never-ending barrage of bad reviews. It is one thing to dislike a stupid movie in my view, but it is another to hate a movie simply because Chris Rock isn't doing his crazy negro routine for you.

Now as a disclaimer you should know that I actually am not a big fan of Rock's comedy, he is often too heavily scripted and lacks any real comedic instincts of his own. I didn't walk in hoping for a comedy routine. However I think a lot of people walked in expecting something seemingly benign, but totally sinister in reality - The Black Comedy. It's that movie you're sold on because it's set in a barbershop, in your community, and it's supposed to speak to you, for you - that movie that in the end is completely shallow, lacking of any complex definitions of the Black experience, and makes you wish writers needed a 'Black' card before they were allowed to write movies about Black folk.

I guess my first hint at the fate of this poor film was the previews, not one single title based on a barbecue, gospel singing or a black man in drag. And not a single rapper turned actor in the mix. For the most part the trailers were for "chick flicks," (the return of Molly Shannon, thank god!) you know the derogatory term we give to those films which try a little too hard to remind us that European filmmaking is ages ahead of us. This film, although about being Black, was not, for a Black audience, because all we want to see apparently is 'Cookout.' So yes, 'I Think I Love My Wife,' is not a 'Black Movie,' as most Americans would eagerly expect it seems, but a far from perfect, brave attempt at adult conversation as it regards to marriage, and not even essentially Black marriage. It seems though America would rather Rock be at his old high-pitched-voice-punch-line tricks.

Don't get me wrong if I tried hard enough I could show you flaws in this movie, but something about the film's attempt at uniqueness is completely charming to me. (I mean, honestly, someone's got to get back to making funny movies about real things since Woody Allen decided to retire to London and make crap.) I am beyond over the generic Black comedy, and it's a shame that not many people are going to see this movie because of racist, yeah I said it, bad reviews. It is light but adult, flawed but entertaining, and for those who'll say I am lowering the standards for Black entertainment, fine here's this one criticism, just for you; no matter how cute the concept, Chris Rock really shouldn't try to sing, ever!

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