GOOD DEEDS (MOVIE REVIEW)

It’s nice to watch a good movie, predict the outcome and still be emotionally touched by the story. I’ll admit, I’m a weeper, I cry when faced with sentimental movie moments. Nicole Sparks’s novel adaptations just leave me in tears. Stories with the pain of abuse, the effects poverty on the life of a child, sibling rivalry that spins out of control, death and love lost, really do get me. But not all movies get to me.

When Tyler Perry’s début movies, came out, I would say I wasn’t a Madea fan.

I really started paying attention to Tyler Perry when I heard he was one of the top movie earners in Hollywood. I wondered “what was it about his black movies that got everyone so psyched?” When I watched ‘Why did I get Married?’ Part one and two, I sympathized with the characters. In ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself’, beyond loving the fact that one of my all time music divas (Mary J Blige) did her thing in the movie, I found myself drawn to the storyline. When I watched ‘A Family that Preys’, I fell in love with the fact that it wasn’t racially restrictive or centered around the black American community. I would say it was more like the female version of ‘Bucket List’ (starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson).

Recently, I got to watch ‘Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds’ and not only did I love the movie, I guess I’ve become a fan of Tyler Perry Studio (TPS). ‘Good deeds’ was not only the portrayal of a man trying to find himself but also the pain faced by people not so privileged as we are. The dialogue felt fresh and original, no curse words of any kind. I also loved how bits of information were properly given off like Wesley Deeds’ (played by Tyler Perry) affinity for bikes and his being lactose intolerant as the reason why he didn’t know the cost of a gallon of milk. It had none of those clichéd romantic moments or climax. There was no running to catch up with the love of your life and no gasp-filled embarrassing moment; although the scene where Walter (played by Brian White) got sidelined from managing the company and scene where the brothers (Wesley and Walter) fight each other in front of company staff was pretty embarrassing (I just love that they had the sense to take it to the elevator out of everyone’s sight).

The twists were pleasant and might I say, effectively pulled off. The actors were great. You can’t have a cast with the likes of Tyler Perry himself, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Phylicia Rashad, Eddie Cibrian and Brian White and not expect a great performance.

Not to mention the use of timeless classics such as Tupac’s How do you want it? and Richard Marx’s Right here Waiting in the movie. Overall, I’d give this movie 41/2 star. It was a great movie and a must watch for anyone in need of fresh new movie.

So I’m not a zealous football fan and my loyalties to the club of my choice can be questionable, but I do love to watch a good match. The final of the 2012 UEFA Champions league was such a match for me. Having the five times UEFA champions Bayern Munich play against Chelsea, a newbie to the European champions winning streak, the match could easily have been a done deal in regards to who could win. Initially when the game started, the 76% ball possession as well as the 13 on target shots by Bayern gave Munich supporters the hope that Bayern would walk away with the cup. As a sucker for the underdogs, I cheered for Chelsea whose 71% ball possession revolved around defense. The fatal flaw on Bayern’s side began when Bayern’s striker, Thomas Muller who scored the first goal of the match in the 84th minute, was substituted with defensive midfielder just about 8minutes before the end of the game. How incredulous was that? Everyone knows the end of a match is the most crucial time where a team has to be at its best.

Last minute goal surprises are not news to the world of football. Just when Bayern got comfortable, Drogba turned the tides by scoring an equaliser in the 88th minute. Chelsea who had strategically played defense the entire time was suddenly energized and the usual suspense that accompanies great matches began to keep the like of me at the edge of our seat. Before we knew it, we were on an emotional roller coaster with Chelsea and the entertainment factor of a good football match kicked in with Chelsea players picking up 2 yellow cards, 1 missed free kick and 1 awesome penalty save by Peter Cech. Bayern’s offside goal by Franck Ribery was quite a disappointment for Bayern supporters who were so sure their team would pick up the pace and strike back especially since they were playing at home.

The 30 minutes extra time led the 1-1 goal stalemate to the dreaded moment, penalty shoot outs. By this time, BB display messages reeked with excitement as non-football fans joined the guessing game for how the playoffs would be in BB chat groups. Chelsea fans wasted no time in broadcasting messages of symbolism such as the founding of Chelsea in 1905 and the date of the present match which was 19-05-2012. Statistics showed that Bayern had a better chance of winning based on penalties as has been done 5 previous matches while the odds were against Chelsea because the two matches they had played that ended in a penalty was a no-win for them. Chelsea started on a bad note with a miss, I found myself praying for a miracle but when Bayern Munich missed twice, I screamed for joy as the journey to the champions’ cup for Chelsea had its happy ending.

With a grueling journey which began with Chelsea making it only as far as the quarter finals in 2000, also to the semi final match in 2004 and ultimately losing at the 2008 finals, it would seem Chelsea were destined to win even though Bayern was the better team for the night. With Chelsea going home with not only the engraved silverware trophy and gold medals but also billions of dollars, all we spectators can say is “All is well that ends well”. In the end, we are left with two moral lessons from this year’s champions (who have joined the list of 10 teams to win the trophy at least once) which are: never quit trying and taking chances/risks because the reward is guaranteed success.

A BRIEF INTRO TO RAP MUSIC'S ORIGIN

The history of Rap had never been a big deal to me because I always saw it as rhythmic poetry recited to tight beats. Rap is a form of music in the Hip Hop Culture which is a means of self expression which tends to reflect the rapper’s personality. Take the rap styles of Twista and Mase as a case study.

Rap began among the African Americans in the late 70’s and early 80’s where disco was popular. Rap started in the west Bronx of New York by a Jamaican Disk Jockey (DJ) known as Kool Herc. Back then rap was called MC-ing (emceeing). He used to DJ and MC at parties but after a while he left the MC-ing to his friends so he could focus on the complexities of Dj-ing. This blend can be seen in the ‘collabo’ of fresh prince (the MC) and jazzy Jeff (DJ).

In the absence of rap records, people used to gather around at street corners just to listen to MCs or anyone who could ‘spit bars’. This could go on all night. The ultimate aim? To be perceived as ‘def’ by those in attendance. Most of the MCs rhymed on a count of four beats as opposed to the complex patterns of 16 bars we enjoy today. The cheer of the crowd meant that they were ‘tight’ while the ‘boo’ of the crowd meant that they were whack. Back then the DJs used an audio mixer and two identical records to elongate the instrumental or percussion sections of popular songs. Break beats became popular as MCs sought to find new ways of rapping longer.

The MCs would use a microphone to holler at the ‘homies in the joint’. It usually would evoke a response from the crowd.

With time more complicated, already written rhymes where being used. And rappers had to practice the art of showmanship by creating routines that made their rhyming more entertaining. Unlike the crotch grabbing and prancing around rappers of these days do. I reserve my comment on whom. Soon the battle for respect became the focus of the rap content.

Take my advice; watch the movie, Eight Mile. If you look closely, you will notice that it’s the rappers who project the most of the Hip Hop culture.