An unexpected masterpiece

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This film has some interesting ideas, and some interesting things to say. But for me fails with it's unfocused script and story.It is the story of a couple of assassins played my Cuba Gooding Jr and Helen Mirren. When One finds out they have cancer they agree to do one last job. The central couple seem to have a controvertial relationship for the sake of it, as Mirren and Gooding Jr play lovers/Step son, step mum. the film also has multiple scenes of sex and violence which seem forced, and lead to a quite predictable and unsatisfying ending.Good things about the film are that Lee Daniels has an interesting style, in the way the film was shot. with attractive soft focus scenes, and exciting uses of colour. The acting as expected was top notch with Helen Mirren being her usual watchable self, and Cuba Gooding remembering that he is a talented actor worth peoples time. Also worth a look for a glimpse at a younger Joseph Gordon-Levitt.A thought-provoking attempt by Lee Daniels, and a good film to kick start his career, and develop his talents which we later see with Precious and hopefully with the Paperboy.

The year is 2012 and I have just completed watching this movie. To be honest I think this is one of the few movies where I saw some intense stuff from Cuba Gooding Jr. however I feel the antagonist could have been a little more satirical and Joseph Gordon was simply wasted in this film. Mirren did OK and the lady love Vanessa Ferlito was expressionless however the plot was interesting.When the question comes to execution this movie is somewhat derailed despite the futile effort of the director, I guess it shows the weakness in the script. What if is the biggest question in this movie's execution. What if the scene was executed in this manner, what if the actor executed the dialogue in this manner and stuff like that. I guess we will know now.One of the biggest disappoint was Mo'nique's role and yet it is one of the better executed role. I guess in Hollywood African American women aren't provided much chance to express their talent again it is a loss to the cinema.On a scale of ten I rate this one 6

I did not find this, as some reviewers here suggest, a really bad movie. It has its redeeming features. But in the end I found myself frustrated and disappointed. It could have been so much better.The plot is an interesting one, and maybe one day a really good film will be based on a similar plot. I try not to include spoilers, so I'll say no more than the trailer does: Gooding and Mirren are professional killers who are faced with a dilemma when they are contracted to kill a crime boss's wife (Ferlito) who they discover is pregnant. The ramifications of their choice changes their lives. But though the film was billed as a thriller, there was little suspense, except in the final act, and the choices made by the three central characters, though necessary for the plot, simply didn't work. I could find no believable basis in the characters themselves for their actions. I'm sure you can explain their actions if you try, but for me it only works if you suspend your belief in the characters and admit "well, I guess that's the plot, so that's why they did it". The cinematography is striking, but the script, unfortunately, is pedestrian, one-paced, and cliché-ridden. Given the one-dimensional nature of the characters, the cast, Gooding and Mirren in particular, deserve significant praise for making much more of their roles than the material offers. If you are tempted to watch this for Helen Mirren, however, you'd do much better to pick one of the 'Prime Suspect' films off the shelf.Much is made in the film's publicity of the unusual relationships between the central characters, but they are barely explored and still less explained, simply taken for granted and illustrated in a few dramatically shot scenes.Given the plot, I didn't find the violence or the occasional nudity gratuitous. By its own standards, the film works: it's a good story (if somewhat unbelievable at times). I just wish the standards had been a little higher.

Audacious may be the best word to describe this. It is filled with much of the same style and honesty that Lee Daniels brought to his next film 'Precious', making it a good primer for that noteworthy film. Though it can be highly sexual, violent, stylized, and filled with some baroque plot twists, it has a go-for-broke ingenuousness that makes it all work. It reminds me of Sweet Sweetback's Badaaass Song in the way it plays to what the director knows is a pulpy, inner city aesthetic, but that it is of his world, one filled with violence and unsavory characters. No one here is entirely sympathetic. It defies the stereotypes of more traditional formula driven films. There's no comforting message. Combine all this with his love for films like Sweet Charity and you have an odd film.Daniels confidence in his own vision certainly applies to his notable casting choices that distinguish his films. He is a great director of actors and makes sure that they understand his own background and reasons for employing certain character types and situations. In Shadowboxer, Macy Grey is not only credible, but terrific (as was Mariah Carey in Precious). He gets an understated performance from Cuba Gooding Jr. which alone is a worthy achievement. Helen Mirren deserves accolades, for not just being the great actress one expects, but for maintaining needed integrity in what must have seemed a risky venture. She anchors the story beautifully in what are, to say the least, some bizarre situations. The casting of Mo'nique as lover to Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also wonderful. And Stephen Dorff's full frontal, Trojan and all, is on for the records. In fact, Lee Daniels general obsession with male beauty and asses is a theme in itself. Hello Gus Van Zant! I suppose in the wrong mood you could find the movie just over the top. Even though it's far a perfect film, it is great fun and shows Lee Daniels as a director of force and confidence.