Let's be realistic.
... View MoreA lot of fun.
... View MoreEntertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast
... View MoreThis is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
... View MoreI am normally partial to any genre an was excited to see what this film entailed after reading the reviews. As it turns out, I should have put my trust in the readers stars! The awkward and constant pauses were painful to watch, the acting was horrible and the plot did not make sense at all! And as for the ending? I wouldn't know, I couldn't get through it! It is regrettable because the general plot, or the idea seed that was planted would have been good with a better script, better direction, & better acting.I was very confused that this was labeled a comedy also. I mean, I would normally watch an entire movie, then pass my personal judgment, like/hate/in-between. I really hoped it would pick up but didn't. Sorry to be harsh, & yes this is my personal opinion. So in my personal opinion, if you are looking for laughs, a good time, an entertaining plot, or an enjoyable watch, I would do one thing:Avoid.
... View MoreA few years ago, I met a young man named Jameel Saleem through Facebook and a mutual friend, Chyna Lane, who worked with my daughter, Amina Robinson on Precious. He reminded me so much of my youngest son with his deep set in eyes and heavy eyebrows, and his first name was actually spelled identically as my oldest son's middle name.He was gracious enough to accept my friend request and then I began to see all of the great things this fine young man was doing; not the least of which was an enormously funny web series of vignettes, delightfully rendered takes on an un-romantic relationship with his girlfriend, called, "Exit Strategy."I couldn't get enough of them and would watch them over and over, laughing hysterically each time. Now this is important: If you can watch something over and over and laugh hysterically as though it is the first time you are seeing it, it's good, it has staying power, it is a classic in the making.Over time, I had the same pleasure to meet Kimelia Weathers through Facebook; a dynamo, adorable and funny. Both of these young people are bright, shining new stars on the horizon, enormously talented. I asked Jameel and Kimelia when and if Exit Strategy would ever become a movie, because I knew it would be good as a full length feature. They said they were working on it....and voilà!Exit Strategy the movie premiered in AMC Theatres in the Philadelphia area on February 10th, 2012, and I was honored enough to meet them when I got to the theater. Not only was the movie very well written, but it was even funnier, and the characters played by Jameel and Kimelia were extremely convincing as "the psycho girlfriend," and the "battered non- boyfriend." The premise was hilarious: who wouldn't want to move in with a girl you only knew for three months, but not want to be in a relationship with, because you're getting evicted from your apartment -- right away.Although he tried unsuccessfully to move in with his friends and coworkers, he wound up with Kim in her pink place. And the fun begins there, and doesn't stop. The closeups on the characters' faces allows you to feel each and every moment of their experiences and that is superb acting in my view.This movie is a must see... and will be a definite "enjoy." I know I did. In a word, loved.
... View MoreThe world is full of low-budget comedies vying for notice. Some of them are worthy; some of them should just disappear. Exit Strategy is far from a perfect film, but it does have enough good aspects to make it worth the look. And it does hint that star and co-writer Jameel Saleem has the potential to make a very good film down the line. He is not quite there yet, but I bet he'll make it. Saleem plays James, a lazy, but basically personable guy who works at a second-hand store in LA with his two best friends from college, Carville (Quincy Harris) and Leona (Noelle Balfour). One day he comes home to find out he has been evicted from his apartment. He tries to hit his friends up, but when they both turn him down he decides to movie in with Kim (Kimelia Weathers), a girl he had been dating a few months. Honestly, it hadn't been going that great, he didn't know her that well and they hadn't even had sex yet. Still, James figures that she'll take him in, give him run of the house, cook for him, clean for him and that sex thing will have to come if they are living in the same house, right? However, it doesn't turn out quite how he expects. She's a neat freak, has a fetish for pink, expects him to follow her rules of the house – and sex is off of the table until he's ready to consider marriage. James' character would be offensive if not for the fact that he is lightly mocked by everyone in the film for his character deficiencies. He wants to sponge off of his girlfriend – live in her apartment, eat her food, watch her TV – and yet is horrified to think that she may have expectations from him as well. Or that she does not necessarily want things in her life done her way. It seems like a reasonable expectation. In fact, though, that is just about the only reasonable thing about the girlfriend, which is by far the film's worst aspect. That's because his girlfriend is a horror show. I realize that she is way over the top on purpose, for effect, but she is so off-putting that the rest of the film suffers. It's supposed to be funny, and in some ways it is, but the character is so unbelievable and so over-the-top that you can't buy it. Also, her whims seem to blow with the wind, changing her from sweet to psycho without a moment's notice. She seems bi-polar and you always wonder why he just doesn't leave. However, he can't move out because his two best friends from college won't let him sponge off them. Hey, here's a thought. Get your own place and then you can live however you want. Instead, James ends up bitching to his friends, planning his escape and calling Kim out on a radio talk show. Radio personality Big Boy, plays himself in the studio – as well as being one of the film's producers – and for some reason, he and his posse are always filmed in ethereal layered soft focus, making every scene he does feel like a dream sequence. The story idea is a bit awkward, but on the plus side Saleem and Weathers (who based her character on a stand-up idea she had been working) actually have a really good ear for dialogue. The writing is often much smarter and snappier than the situation it is illustrating. Therefore, Exit Strategy shows real promise. If Saleem can just get his act together as far as plotting and learn to dump some of the extraneous gutter humor, the guy could be someone to keep an eye on.
... View MoreBuilt wholly from familiar ingredients, assembled with skillfully and charming performances from Jameel Saleem and Kimelia Weathers, Exit Strategy gives formula a good name with ample laughs and sharp performances.This anecdote centers around James (Jameel Saleem) who gets evicted from his apartment and moves in with his girlfriend of three months Kim (Kimelia Weathers) and quickly discovers she's everything he never wanted in a woman Sounds familiar with a twist? There's no denying this film's warm humor and big heart as this generational comedy suffers issues of movement and character development although offering film goers a fine, low-calorie screwball feast containing ugly anachronisms courtesy of high-schooler "Scoop" that prove to enhance it's charm at low moments.Customary cynicism is leavened here by "tender" humor, "dry" romance, and genuine pathos with perfectly light, romantic comedy kept afloat by Michael Whitton's unobtrusive direction and sharp performances from Q Deezy (Carville) and cameo via "it" comedian Kevin Hart.Rarely does an unrealistically funny comedy connect with audiences but the exploration of gender roles and the limits of relationship with a mixture of sensitivity, raw honesty and wit between the two main characters actually work abetted by the sharp interplay between Big Boy and supporting cast.While the editing isn't parallel with timing of the comedy which affects it's pace, Exit Strategy is a hilarious, poignant and refreshing look at the rigors of tolerance bearing, with savvy script writing that is ably acted and directed.I enjoyed and I believe you will also. 2 thumbs UP!
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