"Black and White" is a very interesting movie. Though made by a professional director, it looks very amateurish. Some supposedly continuous scenes are so badly edited that it is distracting. Let me give an example: two seated guys talk, one of them gets up, continuing talking, a second later, he's back in front the other guy, like nothing had happened. However, as odd as it seems, it is not a flaw, but a strong point. It is quite refreshing.
The plot is muddy and murky, but it is also fascinating. The lives of several young men and women, of both colours, come together. What makes it fascinating is that those lives are quite intriguing.
The performances are uneven, yet all of them deserve attention. Brooke Shields is capable in one of her best roles. Frankly I enjoyed seeing her with a serious face, after playing her ditzy role as Susan (from TV's "Suddenly Susan"). I would have also liked to see her crying some more after her husband leaves her. Ben Stiller is unfortunately very bland and boring as former gambler/ now policeman. He never managed to impress me. Claudia Schiffer does a far better job than Ben. Though a professional model, not an actress (her first and other performance was as Macauley Culkin's gym instructor in "Richie Rich"), she is perfect. She would do great things in movies if she would follow an acting career. Jared Leto has quite a fabulous cameo. The supporting cast is also very good.
The real gem of the movie is Robert Downey Jr. He is wonderful as Shields' gay husband. Everyone sees that he is gay, except his wife. And in order to make her realize, he almost becomes a stereotype, but he never goes to far. He wears a colourful synthetic fur coat, he is a little effeminate and he hits on men. The most enjoyable scene of movie is when he tries to hit on Mike Tyson. "I had a dream and you were in it, and you were holding me". Tyson reacts in the most hilarious way, and tries to strangle him. But when I think back at it, I remember that this scene has not been scripted, which leads to the conclusion that Tyson is truly homophobic. Another very delightful scene is when Robert tries to hit on Jared Leto. You can really feel the sparks flying around.
The movie also contains a lot of gratuitous nudity and coarse language. While the language no longer shocks me, some nude shots are useless. There is one which lasts for two seconds, and it has no connection to the movie whatsoever.
But this is a thoroughly riveting experience, and I recommend it to everyone over 18. I had to show my driver's license for the first time ever, though I am way over 18, and it was not my first R-rated movie.
7/10.
The plot is muddy and murky, but it is also fascinating. The lives of several young men and women, of both colours, come together. What makes it fascinating is that those lives are quite intriguing.
The performances are uneven, yet all of them deserve attention. Brooke Shields is capable in one of her best roles. Frankly I enjoyed seeing her with a serious face, after playing her ditzy role as Susan (from TV's "Suddenly Susan"). I would have also liked to see her crying some more after her husband leaves her. Ben Stiller is unfortunately very bland and boring as former gambler/ now policeman. He never managed to impress me. Claudia Schiffer does a far better job than Ben. Though a professional model, not an actress (her first and other performance was as Macauley Culkin's gym instructor in "Richie Rich"), she is perfect. She would do great things in movies if she would follow an acting career. Jared Leto has quite a fabulous cameo. The supporting cast is also very good.
The real gem of the movie is Robert Downey Jr. He is wonderful as Shields' gay husband. Everyone sees that he is gay, except his wife. And in order to make her realize, he almost becomes a stereotype, but he never goes to far. He wears a colourful synthetic fur coat, he is a little effeminate and he hits on men. The most enjoyable scene of movie is when he tries to hit on Mike Tyson. "I had a dream and you were in it, and you were holding me". Tyson reacts in the most hilarious way, and tries to strangle him. But when I think back at it, I remember that this scene has not been scripted, which leads to the conclusion that Tyson is truly homophobic. Another very delightful scene is when Robert tries to hit on Jared Leto. You can really feel the sparks flying around.
The movie also contains a lot of gratuitous nudity and coarse language. While the language no longer shocks me, some nude shots are useless. There is one which lasts for two seconds, and it has no connection to the movie whatsoever.
But this is a thoroughly riveting experience, and I recommend it to everyone over 18. I had to show my driver's license for the first time ever, though I am way over 18, and it was not my first R-rated movie.
7/10.