Beloved

Rating:
Summary: Solid Acting
Review: This movie is beautiful and painful to watch. It tries hard to live up to Toni Morrison's novel and succeeds in capturing many of the book's powerful images. The story's central characters are Sethe and Paul D., two ex-slaves from the "Sweet Home" plantation. Denver is Sethe's teenage daughter, the only of three (living) children who has not been driven away by the baby ghost in Sethe's house. Beloved is a strange young woman who comes to stay with the other three characters, stirring up memories of Sethe's horrible past. Acting awards go to Kimbery Elise as Denver and Thandie Newton as Beloved, who carry the movie with grace and strength. Denver is the movie's heart, and dares you not to look at her each time she crosses in front of the camera. Oprah Winfrey and Lisa Gay Hamilton do very well with the character of Sethe, portrayed at two different ages. Danny Glover is neither special nor offensive as Paul D. The story is easier to follow if you have already read the book, and might even then take more than one viewing to sufficiently grasp. The camera work is skillful, and the sets and costumes add very much to the film. Because of its style and three hour length, seeing this movie feels like watching a really good miniseries. It's an inspiring and artfully made film.

Rating:
Summary: BREATH TAKING
Review: THIS MOVIE WAS THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MOVIE THAT JUST LEFT ME TOTALLY SILENT. I CAME HOME FROM THAT MOVIE, SAT AT MY DINING ROOM TABLE AND CRIED. MY GIRL FRIENDS AND I HAD ALOT OF GREAT DISCUSSTIONS, IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED. IAM PLANNING A SLEEPOVER FOR ME AND A FEW GOOD FRIENDS BUT WE DECIDED TO WAIT TILL BELOVED COMES OUT ON VIDEO.

Rating:
Summary: Almost a masterpiece
Review: It took me a long time to watch the movie Beloved due to the fact that it wasn't easily available in South Africa, I truelly enjoyed this movie and was really happy with the way it stayed true to the book which is one of my all time favourites, I've read the book so many times I even know most of the lines, I mostly was anxious to see the movie cos I wanted to see how they would manage to bring such a story to life, thankfully I wasn't dissapointed, the only problem I have with the movie was the casting of Danny Glover in the role of Paul Dee, I strongly feel that he spoiled the movie,they would have done better to cast another actor to the role, If you want to see poetry in motion(which I deeply believe the book is) then you have to watch this movie, Bravo to everyone(except Mr Glover but for whom I would have given this film 5 stars)who was involved in the making of this film. Well done for an outstanding protrayal of what I truely believe must have been the hardest novel ever to bring to life.

Rating:
Summary: Bravo!
Review: First of all, to all of you naysayers that wrote that it's too "confusing", "boring", "violent", then you never gave the movie a chance.

Slavery, in itself, was nothing but a virtual bloodbath that began hundreds of years ago. You'd be a fool to try to close your eyes and ears and say, "Enough of that; it's in the past".

Sethe, who was fortunate to escape slavery, made a sacrifice that most women today would do for their children. Tell me folks, if a stranger came to your home to take your children to a life of degregation, pain and suffering, would you hand them over, or put them in a place where they would be safe? That's what Sethe did. However, she realized what she lost and longed for her Beloved to come back. And she did. Beloved was filled with the anger and the angst that Sethe built within her. When Beloved came, did you notice how Sethe behaved? Her anger left her and channeled into Beloved. But now, this anger had invaded the home and ultimately into everyone else.

Now, Beah Richards (RIP), did an extrordinary job on this movie. Her portrayal of Baby Suggs couldn't have gone to a more worthy person. It was as if Beah was leaving her message of life to everyone before she died. Truly uplifting; better than what I've heard in most churches today.

Yes, there is a lot of symbolism in this movie. Yes, this movie was made to creep you out a bit. And YES, you must pay attention to understand what's going on. I know it didn't go well in the theaters because it was running a close race with mainstream comedies, dramas, and the dreaded "Blair Witch Project", so your best bet is to sit at home with your DVD, and if you don't "get it" the first time... rewind the darn thing!

Maybe Oprah did make a real big deal about it. When she started screaming, "I had my baby!!!!" on the premiere of the movie, that may have cost her some big bucks. I will say to Oprah, "humble yourself darling... some people find babies ugly".

The cast and directors of "Beloved" captured the raw essence of this masterpiece. Toni Morrison should be very honored to have an audience that embraced her work.

Rating:
Summary: I love Oprah, but not this movie
Review: First of all, I need to say that I'm a big fan of Oprah Winfrey. I've loved her ever since she starred as the wacky housekeeper on Gimme A Break.

However, I just didn't care for this movie. The acting and the story are fine, but there was something missing.

I'd have given this just one star, but I just can't do that to Oprah. Hers and everyone else's intentions were good, but this just isn't a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: Don't let box office failure trick you.
Review: I was so disappointed that my copy of "Beloved" did not mention winning any film awards. I think this movie is one of the most underappreciated works of cinema. It should be deemed a major contribution to women's films and black films. I cried watching the film just because so much of it stirred my emotions.

Critics have said that viewers could not relate to the Beloved character. I usually do not care for Thandie Newton. She's usually just a pretty face in damsel-in-distress roles. However, she really pushed the envelope with this role. It took a lot of strength to play a ghostly woman-baby. It takes tremendous ability to perform the googly-eyed, infantil manners that she makes. In the theater, I screamed twice, once at her entrance and once toward her exit. Additionally, I think Beloved the character may have been a metaphor for us African Americans. She wanted to know about her past. She wanted to know why she was separated from her family. She was one of a kind and shrouded in controversy.

Others have said that the movie did not focus enough upon slavery as the book did. I am quite sure that if more of the horrors of slavery were shown, then people of all races, but especially non-African-Americans, would be scared off and make illogical claims about "playing the race card." This movie does a fantastic job in showing the catch-22 placed upon 19th-century Black American women. It shows how even working-class communities can punish their own members for not enacting middle-class values. Further, if the viewer looks carefully the racism of the time is continuously hinted at throughout the film.

Oprah plays well against her persona. She's the only African-American female billionaire, yet she's playing a poor ex-slave. She is usually seen in glamourous outfits, yet here she and the other characters wear no makeup. On her show, she's portrayed as in control of the world. In this film, her mental state is shattered and even her body can't control itself. Oprah is not a mother, yet she does a wonderful job in showing a mother's unending love for her daughters. I love all of Kimberly Elise's films, Set It Off, Bojangles, you name it. This actress has the Midas touch and this film is one more example of that.

This film, despite the computer graphics, showed the beauty of Midwestern flora and fauna. The actresses wore rich indigo dress and ornate hairstyles. This was a strong period piece. The script is filled with rich dialogue. "Your love is too thick, Sethe." "Love is or it isn't. Thin love ain't no love at all." "She my best thing." "No, you're your best thing." "Sometimes I think she was my sister and sometimes I know she was."

"Beloved" is becoming one of the most read texts in American English classes. I think this film will help students understand a rigorous author like Morrison. However, because this movie only shows a slice of the book, students will still have to do their reading and not just rely on the film.

Rating:
Summary: It's too much of the wrong things
Review: Slavery happened! Millions of people died for the material gains of a few. Europeans from England, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Belguim and a few other countries went all over the world stealing, raping and killing. The enslavement of Africans needs discussion. The virtual genocide of Native Americans needs discussion. The depletion of Africa needs discussion. But I do not need to feel like it is happening to me in order to do so. The choices of the director of this movie put us in that time and in that place. I will not spoil it for those who have not seen the movie, but there is one image in particular that years later still traumatizes me. I do not need to relive personal traumas to be aware of the traumas of others. Its just too much. And, when the pain is too great honest dialogue rarely happens.


Rating:
Summary: Mesmerized, Totally Captivated and Heartbroken!
Review: I've watched this movie for the sixth time on TV, I once was tramatized in a walkin Movie and haven't been back to one since. That was over thirty years ago. I was on pins and needles until this movie arrived on Satelite TV. I have, so far, gotten more and more from this movie each time. I knew when I first saw it, that it was something about it that made me feel quite eerie.

I couldn't put my finger on it then but after watching it six times and really getting more and more captivated, while watching it, finally it dawned on me exactly what it was. This movie is parallel to my own life. This is indeed one of the best movies I have ever seen. Oprah should have won an Academy Award for this movie.

All of the actors in this movie was just Mesmerizing. I wasn't able to leave the TV for the entire 3 hours the movie was on! I never did get my snacks. Today I had to buy it, because I won't be able to wait as long to see it again, therefore I'm adding it to my collection. I don't buy very many movies anymore because they don't seem to have that, ummh to them, Beloved does.

The last movie that I watched, without a break, was Imitation of Life, and I thought that I would never see another movie as compelling and moving and emotional as it was for me. But now I have another one that's worthy of occupying the same space, with it. This movie touches every emotion in your body. Nothing, and I mean nothing could have made this movie any better, anymore and it would have rendered me unconscious, hats off to Ms. Winfrey, a job well done!

Rating:
Summary: americans still not ready to contemplate race
Review: For those of you who want to watch Oprah give someone a make over so you can feel pretty, go see "Remember the Titans." For those of us who are eager to understand and confront racial and sexual oppression, this is your movie. It's not Oprah's fault that The Beloved flopped in the theaters. Even as I write (2004), men are still busy masturbating to porn featuring "exploited black hos," "border bangers" or "raped asians." I wonder who is making and consuming the porn? White men perhaps? This film is a good starting point for anyone who hope to confront our human weaknesses with courage and honesty.