Mo' Better Blues | | Cast : | Spike Lee, Denzel Washington | | Director : | Spike Lee | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | August 03, 1990 | | DVD Released Date : | December 28, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 16, 2005 | | Summary | this movie brings to mind the current situation in hip hop | Content
 | Although this film is about jazz, we can definitely see where this type of story line might apply to the current state of hip hop. You have the classic greats, the urban poets who give us truth and wisdom, versus the ultra wealthy bling bling rappers who's only game is power jocking in corporate america.
So that is the story of Bleek Gilliam. An artist struggling to remain pure while facing increased pressures to change his music style to bring in the crowds and money. The film is beautifully shot and the music is just sublime. I can say this now, and without hestitation, that Spike Lee is definitely the greatest filmmaker of our time. Actors and directors, his are the footsteps in which we should follow. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 23, 2005 | | Summary | I remember seeing this film on opening night....... | Content
| and being blown away. Firstly was the music. At the time I was a real hip hop new jack swing remember that)head. Could never really get into Jazz. This film started my voyage of Discovery, which has led me to Jazz Guitar Artists. Secondly, to me, it shows a man that thought his whole world would fall apart with out his so called 'First Love'(music) only to discover that life had much more to offer him. I don't want to give a running commentary of the film, but I would highly recomend it, and you should also peep this soundtrack, and Book of the making of the film. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 11, 2005 | | Summary | Cause mo better makes it mo better. | Content
| I am normally a Spike Lee fan. It takes some time to really get into his "mojo", but once you see the clear message and the ability to tell the story that is close to his heart, Lee is a genius. Unlike The 25th Hour or Bamboozled (two of my favorite films of his), there was no clear story in this film. I was able to understand the struggle between Washington and the choice to play well or be influenced by others, but for some odd reason Lee was never able to get the true feeling out. Washington did a decent job with what was handed to him, but you could tell that this was not Lee's favorite film. Not only did Lee direct this film, but he also wrote it. You could tell. The camera work was horrid and the writing only contributed to the decay of the film. This film was coming full circle and it wasn't going to be pretty. Lee was not 100% behind this film as he was with Do the Right Thing. Of all the films I have seen Lee direct, this was the brightest and more modest of his films. It was almost as if he created a Hollywood movie instead of one that was all his own. I don't know if he saw the money from Do the Right Thing and ran with it, or what ... but this film did not demonstrate his true talent.
For anyone out there that has seen this film, and perhaps stopped watching anything directed by Spike Lee afterwards due to this film, I suggest you give him a second chance. Don't get me wrong, I see exactly where you are coming from with this film and why you would want to put this behind you, but Lee does grow up. His work becomes more of his own, and you can see the transformation from a desire to make money to just wanting to make good films. It took me awhile to watch The 25th Hour, but when I did, it was sheer brilliance. Perhaps it was the actors, perhaps the story, but Lee crafted an amazing film out of one man's journey into the unknown. I guess that is what I was hoping Mo' Better Blues would turn out to be. This really dark journey into the life of a man that really never grew up, but instead all I got was Denzel being Denzel. He really is one of the most versatile actors of this generation, and I do consider him the Sydney Poitier of cinema, but this was not the film to showcase his talent.
Another issue that I had with this film was the use of Spike's sister playing one of the love interests. I don't know about you, and your family, but I do not think that I could have filmed a sex scene with my sister. I don't care who the actor is or how much money I am getting paid, I would never do it. It is just something that I never wish to see, but apparently that is different for Spike. He went ahead and showed the full nude image of his sister without any remorse. It was sad and it even made me blush. Also, I need somebody to answer me this. What was Flavor Flav doing introducing this film? So, I am sitting there on my couch, ready to start the film, when suddenly there is a voice from the past spelling out the studio that made this film, then he acknowledges himself. That did not build for a strong remaining of the story. Again, I felt that Lee was going for money on this film instead of actual talent. Perhaps that is how he could afford both Denzel and Wesley in the same movie without any explosions.
There were two great scenes in this film that made it worth watching through to the end. Don't get me wrong, this was a very bad movie, but there is always a diamond in every alleyway. The scene when Bleek accidentally forgets which woman he is with was mesmerizing. He continually went back and forth, weaving truth to confusion in a way that proved that Lee was actually behind the camera. It was a visionary scene that was probably lost in the shuffle due to the remaining poor scenes. The other scene that was worth watching was the way that Lee introduced and ended the film. By keeping the same pacing and direction, he was able to bring this tragic character around full circle and give him the chance to change his life. Other than these two moments, the rest of the film was pure rubbish, not worth viewing unless you are about to go blind.
Grade: ** out of ***** |
| Rating | | | Date | September 02, 2003 | | Summary | Not perfect but far from a dud | Content
| The music clearly is the star of this film. Mixing avant garde jazz with more standard fare and doing it successfully. You love music, you love this film. The film itself is worth watching too. The usual expert and hardworking performance from the very photogenic Denzel Washington. Cynda Williams is so sexy I wouldn't care if she couldn't act (but she is a competent actress). Spike Lee (properly speaking, his long-time cinematographer Ernest Dickerson) is an artist and the way he photographs his scenes is always a pleasure. This is a better story than some of his other films. Don't see how a real lover of cinema could hate this movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 02, 2003 | | Summary | Beautiful | Content
| This is one of the most visually beautiful film with African-American actors I've ever seen (another that comes to mind is Devil in a Blue Dress, also starring Denzel Washington). The opening credits are a masterful combination of music and shadows.
Overall, an enjoyable contemporary story of young, single African-Americans filmed in Brooklyn and Manhattan, a rarity for its time. They're making more of this type of film today . . . but the actors are getting younger and younger! |
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