Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully designed DVD that complements the film
Review: The layout and extras of the DVD are great features to an already wonderful film. The cinematography,the music, and the astounding cast especially Jurnee Smollett makes this one of my favorite movies. The short film and the user-selected commentary feature of the DVD provides an added bonus by giving the viewer some background on the production and a scene by scene discussion of the film. Kasi Lemmons made a strong freshman directorial debut and I can't wait to see her next effort.
Rating: 
Summary: Debbie Morgan's Oscar-Caliber Performance !!
Review: The reason why I like this independent film so much is Kasi Lemmon's amazing directorial debut and Debbie Morgan's outstanding performance as Aunt Mozelle. Miss Morgan won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female as well as numerous other film critics prizes for her amazing performance that year. But she was sadly overlooked when it came to the Oscar nominations. It's really sad that Hollywood still ignores great talent from actors of different minorities. In today's society I find that actors of different minorities still aren't being given the recognition they solely deserve based on the simple fact of doing great work. Hollywood still has a long way to go before things start to really change. One of the classic scenes from the film is when Aunt Mozelle (Debbie Morgan) tells her niece the story of when her lover killed her husband right in front of her in cold blood. This is when Kasi Lemmons, as a director and writer, is at her best. It also one of the best scenes where you can see Debbie Morgan put her acting chops to work. As Aunt Mozelle begins to describe in great detail how the whole tragic incident unfolded, we as the viewer see the images of her lover and husband in the mirrow behind her. As she continues telling the story she slowly walks over to the mirror making an amazing transition (with the help of great camera work) into the past. We then see her become part of the reenactment as she interacts with the images of her husband and lover while still continuing to narrate the story. It's is very compelling to watch the whole scene unfold and I promise you that you will glued to your seat watching it. The rest of the cast is very remarkable including Lynne Whitfield, Samuel L. Jackson and newcomer Jurnee Smollett. I will not go any further and spoil the whole storyline for you. But please rest assured that you will not be disappointed with this amazing film that Roger Ebert called, "The best film of 1997!"
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Summary: One of the best!
Review: This is a beautiful film! The cinematography is just plain awesome. It is a great story and has a great cast. A must have for serious collectors of great African American Movies.
Rating:
Summary: A lyrical cinematic masterpiece
Review: This is a very cinematic, compelling, lyrical, and heavy movie. The directing was excellent and the story is complicated and absorbing. The acting is amazing from the entire cast. Just an incredible film about one girl's tragic loss of innocence.
Rating:
Summary: Memory is a selection of images...
Review: This is director Kasi Lemmons' first film and she has entered the world of cinema with a very bold start. Eve's Bayou is a very passionate story about life and love with a family surrounded by dark secrets. Lemmons' has boldly introduced us to a world in which magic is obvious and characters are deeply developed. There isn't one actor in this film that you do not fully appreciate. Everyone in this film gives everything that they have to help create this hidden masterpiece. Roger Ebert named this film the best of 1997, and I agree whole-heartedly. What makes this film different from other films of this nature is that Lemmons keeps us grounded. We are constantly reminded of where we are and whom we are dealing with. There is not some outside element trying to sneak in and disrupt the peace; it is a completely internal movie that allows us to devote ourselves to this desperate family. She controls Jackson with the greatest of ease, and gives us one of the most powerful child performances ever. If I had the chance to give the Oscar to Jurnee Smollett for her role of Eve in this film, I would have gladly handed it to her. Her performance commanded the film. She was the strongest and most beautifully developed character in this film. Smollett was outstanding. I have never been so impressed with a child actor as I was with her in this film. Her eyes gave us all the drama that we needed. I never thought that I would witness acting in its purest form come from a child. For anything, this film is worth seeing just for the performance of Smollett. She literally steals the scenes from everyone, even Mr. Jackson.
I mentioned earlier that I loved the fact that this film kept us grounded by continually showing us scenes from the bayou. It kept our minds focused on where we were and the environment that surrounded these troubled people. Amazingly, Lemmons has transformed this setting into more than just a place, she has given it life. Not only through our characters, but it also is the center of most of the magic that occurs. It is a very symbolic reference. A bayou is a creek or a secondary waterway that is a passageway to another larger body of water. In this film, Eve represents the bayou as she travels to her family, the larger body of water. Also, whenever Mozelle calls upon the "spirits" her first sight is of the bayou. Lemmons may be saying that the bayou is more than just water, it is the center of everyone's universe in this town. Perhaps it has more meanings, but I really felt that Lemmons was using the bayou as more than just a place setting, it spoke to me more about the characters.
Finally, I would like to add that coupled with the amazing acting, Lemmons gives some of the most memorable direction behind the camera. The scenes when Mozelle speaks about how she lost her second husband (the one that loved her the most) because her lover wanted her to himself was riveting. Told through the mirror, this was one of the most interesting ways to tell a flashback. Instead of using the classic "black and white" or faded lines trick, Lemmons actually brought the scene to us. We witness it firsthand and this allows us to be impacted deeper. I felt the connection, and it worked.
Overall, this was a gem. I wasn't expecting to see such a caliber of acting and direction as I did in this film. The cinematography was outstanding. Lemmons has an eye and a passion for this film, and it is apparent with every scene that she captures. The Batiste family engulfs all of your emotion. Lemmons takes innocent children and captures you within their world, giving you only brief moments to breathe. She shows us the power behind Jackson's voice and the ability he has to expand his career. This was a surprise for me, but a well enjoyed surprise. I suggest you check this film out when time permits. It is a rare find that you will probably see in the bargain bin at any local store. Pick it up and enjoy it. I do not think you will be disappointed.
Grade: **** out of *****
Rating:
Summary: Eve's Bayou
Review: This is one of the most beautifully written, directed, filmed & acted films of all time! Kasi Lemmons outdid herself with this smoldering family drama set in 1950's Creole Louisianna. With a stellar cast including Sam Jackson, the incomparable Debbie Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carol, Megan Goode & Jurnee Smollet, this drama seethes with intensity broken by moments of levity.
Rating:
Summary: Eve's Bayou
Review: This is one of the most beautifully written, directed, filmed & acted films of all time! Kasi Lemmons outdid herself with this smoldering family drama set in 1950's Creole Louisianna. With a stellar cast including Sam Jackson, the incomparable Debbie Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carol, Megan Goode & Jurnee Smollet, this drama seethes with intensity broken by moments of levity.
Rating:
Summary: Lemmons' favorite work one of artistry, terror
Review: This movie deserves to be watched without distraction over and over. It is complex, layered, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. This film approaches written literature in depth and texture better than nearly any other film I have viewed. The short featurette upon which the movie is based is beyond superb and the twists the ensemble reveal to the viewer are just awesome. I don't give this film a perfect 5 because the perfect film doesn't exist. Its almost voyeuristic in its ability to allow you to peer into the most decadently corrupt nooks of southern Gothic experience: the infidelity of a prominent, but humanly frail man and a sultry, delicious woman. The heat of the Louisiana bayou is the perfect backdrop for this look into the most secret of family secrets. "If only walls could talk" they might tell stories like this. I was so engrossed in the plot, I honestly had to rewatch it to evaluate the DVD transfer. The bayou scenes were beautiful and crystal-clear. The rest of the film was shot beautifully, but the crispness was not the best I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: A lyrical telling of one girl's incredible story
Review: This movie is amazing. It is easily one of the ten best movies I've ever seen. It is very rare for a movie to view like a wonderful novel reads, but this is one of those movies. It has the aura, lyricism, and storytelling power of a great novel, but goes one step further because you can see the characters and their development. It is simply a beautiful film- wonderful cinematography, gorgeous actors who put in amazing performances (including an 11-year old girl), and is just a lush, full, and eminently powerful film. A wonderful picture.
Rating:
Summary: A Poetic Accomplishment
Review: This movie is moving and poetic in every sense of the word. From the acting right down to the musical score. I was astounded to learn this is a directorial debut.
Debbi Morgan is absolutely amazing in her role as the sister with the "gift of sight". She provides us with the most amazing scene in the film. In the scene, she is recalling a confrontation between her secret lover and husband. She recalls the events while looking through a mirror, and the scene is acted out as "reflections" in the mirror. This is one of the most powerful scenes I have witnessed. Now that I own the DVD, I can watch it over and over, it is that powerful.
My 2nd favorite performance is by Dianne Caroll, who plays the town voodoo witch.
The DVD has great commentary and an equally well produced short featurette.
The film is complimented by the musical score, which helps the story flow like velvet. I even bought the soundtrack for its amazing hypnotic quality.
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