Thursday, July 20, 2017

Reel Talk: Girls Trip & Dunkirk




by Da CogNegro:








Review:  Girls Trip  isn’t ground breaking cinema. Nevertheless, it succeeds in portraying different variations of cultural representation while relishing in commonality. It is at its' best when it balances  sentiment and comedy to a familiar but enjoyable degree. Add elements of feminism, specifically #blackgirlmagic, moments of raunch that reach levels of temporal absurdity, and head turning cameos and you have a vehicle that will satiate its' intended audience. Put it like this, Malcolm Lee's latest film is comfort food the viewer can indulge in unabashedly!   It's a buffet composed of  convenient nostalgia,quixotic exploits and sheer escapism. It goes with out saying that you should keep your eye on the scene stealing Tiffany Haddish who manages to rambunctiously, but authentically, steal the show from her more subdued cast-mates. (B)














Review: As it relates to its' cinematic merit, I can already foresee Dunkirk being quite divisive. If you've been following the career of Christopher Nolan, then you are already accustomed to the fact that his films are far from formulaic and Dunkirk does not buck the trend. Atmosphere,mood and sound are the central characters in this recreation of the noteworthy WWII battle. The directional wizardry of Nolan is on full display resulting in some rather spellbinding sequences, which are heightened by the scores of Hans Zimmer. His camera work, from sprawling shots to claustrophobic angles,  also captures the true essence of war time peril. However, some viewers may wave the white flag due to the lack of traditional characterization and dialogue. I too found myself disconnected at times due to the absence of these tools. Nevertheless, Dunkirk is more experience than passive viewing, is a directional achievement for Christopher Nolan, and will surely get recognition around award season- (B) -CgN






1 comment:

  1. Haven't seen either yet, but I'm happy for the success of Girls Trip--mostly because I get to pat myself on the back for predicting the box office outcomes for it vs. Rough Night. Anyone who's still calling black box office success a "surprise" needs more than convincing; they need converting. - OM

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