Rating: 
Summary: Good to add to your Denzel collection
Review: Impression I had the first time I saw it: A jazz musician with a more intense passion for his musice than either of his lovers, loses it all and offers his used up self to the lover who will take him. Horrible love story, typical male. Impression in subsequent viewings: a band member who is envious of every thing the star has, including his woman, a devotion to a best friend, the unfair politics of the white man holding the purse strings to the main attraction, Harlem, a woman with unreleased passions of her own. Rebirth and renewal. Forgiveness and redemption.Great color, costumes and music. Don't look for any profound messages in this one. This one is all style and no substance. Denzel is at his handsomest in this one. My girlfriends and I wanted to nurse his wounds after his fight scene. And the song "L-O-V-E" is classic!
Rating: 
Summary: My absolute favorite Spike Lee Movie
Review: Like that means anything to you, but it is. Mo' better blues is about a brilliant musician battling his inner and outer demons. It's also a love story of sorts. Denzel Washington once again gives and effortless performance as Bleek Gilliam the talented and tourchred musician. Fine support work comes from Wesley Snipes, Newcomer Cynda Williams and Joi Lee. Once again veteren Cinematographey Ernest Dickerson shines his brillian photography.The score by Terence Blanchard is also excellent. Like I said this is my favorite Spike Lee movie. This may not be spikes best work (do the right thing) but this is the first film where spike seeems most comfortable behind the camera. MO better has a real 'im a porfessional'look to it. This movie really has the feel of a jazz movie, with it's bright colors and even better soundtrack makes this movie a pleasure to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Mo Better is Spike's Best
Review: Mo Better is Mo Better! Everything is in this story. I love Spike's take on relationship in this movie. Any jazz lover will love this movie. A must for all Spike fans.
Rating:
Summary: Mo Better is Spike's Best
Review: Mo Better is Mo Better! Everything is in this story. I love Spike's take on relationship in this movie. Any jazz lover will love this movie. A must for all Spike fans.
Rating:
Summary: Charisma 101
Review: Mo' Better Blues is Spike Lee's rollicking follow-up to his critically lauded 1989 pi?ce de r?sistance Do the Right Thing. Jazz is the sound, and style is the order of the day. The characters are all dressed to the nines in pricey suits and slinky evening dresses, as a good portion of this mercifully interminable film centers around the politics of a group of musicians at an ostensible chi chi New York night club (the property of two unscrupulous [Jewish] brothers some time during the late '80's/1990. Bleak Gilliam (Denzel Washington), charismatic trumpet player and man about town, heads the group with his name appearing on the marquee, much to the ire of his brilliant but equally arrogant lieutenant, Shadow Henderson (a sensational Wesley Snipes), on saxophone. Bleak is also in his spare time a ladies man, balancing two women, the gorgeous, playful Clark and Indigo, a woman that has an undeniable strength and intensity about her (played with aplomb by Spike's very own sister, Joie). As different as night and day -- as evidenced by, among other things, their shades-apart complexion -- Bleak's consorts turn his neatly arranged GQ life upside down as each demands his undivided love and attention. But Bleak has other things on his mind, like how to put that odious, Clark-stealing Shadow in his place. And when will his pipsqueak, completely inept gambling-addict of a manager and best friend bring the band the kind of money a unit of its caliber and experience ought to be commanding. The manager (a self-deprecating turn by a droll Spike), for whatever he lacks in business acumen, more than makes up for in patent finger-pointing and sweaty-palmed gambles with the lives of everyone in his immediate acquaintance, beginning with himself. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something's gotta give. And does it ever! All told, this is a movie that is not only beautifully shot (a blue motif is evident throughout; camera angles, lenses and movement are all employed creatively) and scored, but wonderfully scripted as well. The dialogue is memorable ("... it's a Dick Thang [pillow to face] ... a Dick Thang"), the characterization is strong and the pacing is apt. Spike is reported to have conceived Mo' Better Blues's protagonist in the (slightly romanticized?) image of his father, a jazz musician. The result is a polished, gorgeous picture of considerable entertainment value (not to mention incredibly well-timed: the film was released at a time when the African American music industry was undergoing a veritable jazz renaissance). See this film for Denzel's unbridled charm, Snipes's swagger, Marsalis's ax and Spike's overall vision. Or watch it for the heavenly strains of "Harlem Blues".
Rating:
Summary: Charisma 101
Review: Mo' Better Blues is Spike Lee's rollicking follow-up to his critically lauded 1989 pièce de résistance Do the Right Thing. Jazz is the sound, and style is the order of the day. The characters are all dressed to the nines in pricey suits and slinky evening dresses, as a good portion of this mercifully interminable film centers around the politics of a group of musicians at an ostensible chi chi New York night club (the property of two unscrupulous [Jewish] brothers some time during the late '80's/1990. Bleak Gilliam (Denzel Washington), charismatic trumpet player and man about town, heads the group with his name appearing on the marquee, much to the ire of his brilliant but equally arrogant lieutenant, Shadow Henderson (a sensational Wesley Snipes), on saxophone. Bleak is also in his spare time a ladies man, balancing two women, the gorgeous, playful Clark and Indigo, a woman that has an undeniable strength and intensity about her (played with aplomb by Spike's very own sister, Joie). As different as night and day -- as evidenced by, among other things, their shades-apart complexion -- Bleak's consorts turn his neatly arranged GQ life upside down as each demands his undivided love and attention. But Bleak has other things on his mind, like how to put that odious, Clark-stealing Shadow in his place. And when will his pipsqueak, completely inept gambling-addict of a manager and best friend bring the band the kind of money a unit of its caliber and experience ought to be commanding. The manager (a self-deprecating turn by a droll Spike), for whatever he lacks in business acumen, more than makes up for in patent finger-pointing and sweaty-palmed gambles with the lives of everyone in his immediate acquaintance, beginning with himself. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that something's gotta give. And does it ever! All told, this is a movie that is not only beautifully shot (a blue motif is evident throughout; camera angles, lenses and movement are all employed creatively) and scored, but wonderfully scripted as well. The dialogue is memorable ("... it's a Dick Thang [pillow to face] ... a Dick Thang"), the characterization is strong and the pacing is apt. Spike is reported to have conceived Mo' Better Blues's protagonist in the (slightly romanticized?) image of his father, a jazz musician. The result is a polished, gorgeous picture of considerable entertainment value (not to mention incredibly well-timed: the film was released at a time when the African American music industry was undergoing a veritable jazz renaissance). See this film for Denzel's unbridled charm, Snipes's swagger, Marsalis's ax and Spike's overall vision. Or watch it for the heavenly strains of "Harlem Blues".
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful
Review: Ok Denzel is in it playing a bit of a cad. But the real news here is that this is one of Spike's better movies, unlike the forgetable Girl 6 or Bamboozled, both nice efforts but far off the mark. Wesley Snipes, who to me is always better when he plays an evil character, is wonderful in this. Denzel is a little on the flat side in this one, this isn't a Malcolm X or Training Day performance for him. Wesley is wonderful. No action hero [stuff], just a great acting job. Spike is in it as expected and does his usual in his role. Joi Lee is credable and the soundtrack is good if not spectacular. If you are a Spike or a Wesley fan, add it to your collection. If not rent it and give it a look, its worth the price of a rental for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Under rated gem.
Review: Ok Denzel is in it playing a bit of a cad. But the real news here is that this is one of Spike's better movies, unlike the forgetable Girl 6 or Bamboozled, both nice efforts but far off the mark. Wesley Snipes, who to me is always better when he plays an evil character, is wonderful in this. Denzel is a little on the flat side in this one, this isn't a Malcolm X or Training Day performance for him. Wesley is wonderful. No action hero [stuff], just a great acting job. Spike is in it as expected and does his usual in his role. Joi Lee is credable and the soundtrack is good if not spectacular. If you are a Spike or a Wesley fan, add it to your collection. If not rent it and give it a look, its worth the price of a rental for sure.
Rating:
Summary: Here's an idea...
Review: Spike once said that this is a film about a genius battling his inner demons. Like every great musician, the one thing he loves most can not love him back, and he can only hope to hold on to it forever. When he loses it, he must come to grips with his isolation. Viewed in that light, I think Spike did an OK job. Not great, just OK. I think Spike tried to hide Bleek's bad side until after he lost his music. He made Bleek look like a virtuoso that had it all - talent, success and women. I think that as far as the story, Spike overlooked many of the details in character development that could have made the movie more dramatic and would have given the viewer more insight into the pain Bleek experienced. We had to rely on Denzel's acting (which was excellent) to understand the heartache. And Spike perhaps spent too much time on Giant's development. Giant was a supporting character, but oft times seemed to be the star. (Was it Spike's own ego that caused him to do this?) And I think because of the lack of character development, Bleek's return to Indigo, albiet emotional and heartfeeling, was just not truly believable. This is a film with excellent acting, cinematography, dialogue, music and sound, but the story, unfortunately, does not hold up to tight scrutiny. Then again, when did Spike ever worry about that? Never. Still worth 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect but far from a dud
Review: The music clearly is the star of this film. Mixing avant garde jazz with more standard fare and doing it successfully. You love music, you love this film. The film itself is worth watching too. The usual expert and hardworking performance from the very photogenic Denzel Washington. Cynda Williams is so sexy I wouldn't care if she couldn't act (but she is a competent actress). Spike Lee (properly speaking, his long-time cinematographer Ernest Dickerson) is an artist and the way he photographs his scenes is always a pleasure. This is a better story than some of his other films. Don't see how a real lover of cinema could hate this movie.
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