Rating: 
Summary: A Great movie about Family
Review: "Crooklyn" is a nostalgic story of the ups and downs of an African-American family living in 1970's Brooklyn . It is probably the second best movie that director, Spike Lee has ever made. Lee's best was the classic 80's flick "Do the Right Thing".But while "Do the Right Thing" was about ethnic tensions, racism and strife, "Crooklyn" is a film about love.In the movie we meet the Carmichael family. They yell, scream, call each names, even get into physical fights.But it is very evident, that love is very strong among this large brood.Dad (well played by Delroy Lindo) is a musician who is trying to create some honest music thats important to him. Mom (fabulously played by Alfre Woodard) is pulling her hair out, trying to keep this inner city family's finances above water, while trying to stop the kids from killing each other.But the film really centers on 9 year old Troy (Zelda Harris) who shows us the ins and outs of her family life and the close Brooklyn neighborhood that she is growing up in. Juvenile actress, Zelda Harris gives us an amazing starring performance that is totally believable. The movie is pretty much autobiographical (Lee wrote it with his sister Joie)and it richly lays on the 1970s nostalgia with cultural references among other things to "Soul Train", the "Patridge Family", Walt Fraiser, and baseball stategamatic.The film also has a wonderful soundtrack which is packed with '70s R&B and pop music from groups like the Jackson 5, the Spinners, Curtis Mayfield, the Staple Singers and Sly and the Family Stone.In fact, my favorite part of this movie is the opening credit sequence, where you hear Marc Dorsey's "People Make the World Go Round", while the film shows us the neighborhood's children playing various sidewalk, kids games.Between Soccer practice and video games, do kids even do this anymore? I just love this movie and I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: A Great movie about Family
Review: "Crooklyn" is a nostalgic story of the ups and downs of an African-American family living in 1970's Brooklyn . It is probably the second best movie that director, Spike Lee has ever made. Lee's best was the classic 80's flick "Do the Right Thing".But while "Do the Right Thing" was about ethnic tensions, racism and strife, "Crooklyn" is a film about love.In the movie we meet the Carmichael family. They yell, scream, call each names, even get into physical fights.But it is very evident, that love is very strong among this large brood.Dad (well played by Delroy Lindo) is a musician who is trying to create some honest music thats important to him. Mom (fabulously played by Alfre Woodard) is pulling her hair out, trying to keep this inner city family's finances above water, while trying to stop the kids from killing each other.But the film really centers on 9 year old Troy (Zelda Harris) who shows us the ins and outs of her family life and the close Brooklyn neighborhood that she is growing up in. Juvenile actress, Zelda Harris gives us an amazing starring performance that is totally believable. The movie is pretty much autobiographical (Lee wrote it with his sister Joie)and it richly lays on the 1970s nostalgia with cultural references among other things to "Soul Train", the "Patridge Family", Walt Fraiser, and baseball stategamatic.The film also has a wonderful soundtrack which is packed with '70s R&B and pop music from groups like the Jackson 5, the Spinners, Curtis Mayfield, the Staple Singers and Sly and the Family Stone.In fact, my favorite part of this movie is the opening credit sequence, where you hear Marc Dorsey's "People Make the World Go Round", while the film shows us the neighborhood's children playing various sidewalk, kids games.Between Soccer practice and video games, do kids even do this anymore? I just love this movie and I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Straight Boring!
Review: Alfred Woodard was the only good quality about this film. She's a wonderful actress that can make even a horrible role interesting. In short this is just another Spike Lee---message to society like film where he tries to teach some urban lesson through an inadequate movie. That's all good and dandy if the movie measures up to the hype. But I've seen too many black films with the same plot and they were all done ten times better than this. The only thing Crooklyn did was show me how the seventies was. Other than that the story was old, cliched and unnecessary. The little girl was drab and her brothers were fairly interesting but the story didn't spend any time on them. The girl was supposed to be the main character but after a while I forgot she was even in the film. Except for her standing in a few doorways, the movie seemed like it was coming more from the mother's point of view than the girl's. Spike once again strings together a bunch of mindless scenes to complete a disappointing movie that comes up incredibly short of what it needed to be. Don't waste your time on this.
Rating: 
Summary: Taking you back to the good old days
Review: Anyone who spent most of their childhood in the 1970's will truly apprciate Crooklyn. I related to everything in this film. From buying candy at the corner store, watching the Partridge Family and going to visit relative down South. Spike Lee truly makes you think an appreciate your youth.
Rating:
Summary: A truly unique & superior effort from Spike Lee
Review: Being a huge Spike Lee fan, it means much when I say that "Crooklyn" ranks very high, just beneath "Do The Right Thing" and "Malcolm X". Naturally, this coming-of-age family comedy set in Brooklyn during the 70's obviously has a strong autobiographical slant to it (the screenplay was written by Spike and two of his siblings, the story itself was credited solely to his sister, Joie), but if you've read Spike's out-of-print diary of the making of his first film "She's Gotta Have It", then you get an even stronger idea of how personal this film is to Spike; the Clinton character is obviously molded after him. The acting, cinematography, cultural references, music and acting are all superior. Most creative was the debut of Spike's "slimmed-in" cinematography during the Virginia sequence, which would soon become a Spike Lee trademark. Fans of Delroy Lindo who haven't seen this film will be surprised with his gentle & sensitive performance.I'll tell you why this film has such a profound impact on me. I, like many others, have seen hundreds of films set in different times, places, etc. But very few films have been able to transport me back to another time & place as effectively as "Crooklyn". For the duration of the film, I really feel as if I'm enjoying an intimate portrait of a working-class black family in Brooklyn during the 1970's, it's like I'm right there. The irony is, I'm a middle-class white boy from Chicago who was born in 1974. This film is a grand artistic & personal triumph for Spike Lee.
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming, Funny and full of memories
Review: Crooklyn is one of the best movies I have seen! It touches all emotion throughout the entire movie. The characters are great and the story line is wonderful. The humer that is used is done is such good taste that all different backgrounds can relate to it. I highly recommend this movie to all.
Rating:
Summary: Crooklyn Steals the Show
Review: Crooklyn is Spike Lee masterpiece that has been overlooked when compared to other works by the revolutionary filmaker. Along with Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing Crooklyn delivers. The captivating storyline takes you right back to the days of your youth. Spike Lee draws you in with a storyline that we can all relate too whether it is the constant bickering between siblings, the father that is is down and out of a job and the mother who struggles to provide for her family. Crooklyn will surely touch your hear with the story of ladybug and journey into becoming a young woman. Set during the seventies this is definately a trip down memory lane that is worth the trip.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good but not among his Strongest
Review: Delroy Lindo&Zelda Harris Steal The Movie.Alfre Woodard is Good in this Film About Middle-Class African-American Family Life in the 70's.The Music feels So Good to the Soul&the Vibe is their.but after a while much was the un-doing of Girl 6 is the same with this film the Music goes from going with the film to being One Long Video to Great 70's music.
Rating:
Summary: Story Of My Life
Review: I am sorry I waited so long to watch this movie. Spike Lee brought me back to my child hood when I lived in Crown Heights and East New York Brooklyn. There wasn't a single scene in the movie that I could say was far fetchec or not authentic. I highly recomend this movie to anyone who feels nostalgic about growing up in the 70's. Its funny how things come full circle. I remember as a child being told about the good old days and now I see myself saying the same thing to the younger generations.
Rating:
Summary: Nostalgic look back at being a child in the 70's
Review: I bet me and the guy who watched this on African-American Movie Theater must have seen it at the same time for the first time and must have been equally moved. You will be too. I was extremely moved. I was really able to relate to the experience of the little girl (I being an African American woman who was about her age in the seventies). So I could relate to just about everything including being sent to visit relatives for the summer and losing a parent at a young age. It's a great movie and I found it inspiring.
|
