Review: Da 5 Bloods

by Lynn Lee

Perfectly timed.  The right voice for this precise moment.  Spike Lee’s never been more necessary than he is now. 

If you’ve read one variation of the “timeliness” reaction to Spike Lee’s latest joint by way of Netflix, Da 5 Bloods, you’ve read them all.  It’s a truth so self-evident it practically amounts to a truism.  Except the fact is that Spike Lee never went anywhere – he’s been here the last 30 plus years, educating us on the ugly persistence of systemic racism in the U.S.  His movies have always been timely; it’s our fault if we’ve failed to heed their underlying admonitions or give them the sustained attention they deserve.  It makes little sense, then, to accord his newest release any extra expectations that it will “speak to the moment.”  Still, given that it's Spike Lee, it does speak to the moment, if less directly – or less crisply – than some of his previous films...

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''Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man'

We'd be remiss not to share photos of the men of the 91st Academy Awards. Who wins your best dressed among the men? Despite Rami's perpetually crooked tie, Christian Bale's typical black on black (we didn't include him -- you've seen it dozens of times over the years), and the weird choice of shoes that did strange things to Stephan James (making him look shorter and more childlike), most of the men really stepped it up on Sunday. Men's fashion has been ever-so-slightly more daring this season...

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Globe Fashions Pt 2: Regal Queen, Colman's Bitches, and Daring Men

In part one of our fashion review, we marvelled at Julia Roberts pants, while wondering what mischief Melissa McCarthy was up to. We also loved the Wakanda women and Nicole Kidman (which probably goes without saying at this point). Shockingly Lady Gaga underwhelmed and Amy Adams seemed to have inside knowledge about her impending double loss. Here's part two!

Penélope & Patty

NATHANIEL:  Let's talk Patricia Clarkson

MURTADA:  So much drama! I loved the pink strands that showed as she moved. 

NATHANIEL: It was subtle but like a flash of mystery under the danger of the red. I was gaga for it... sorry Gaga...

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Beauty vs Beast: Wakanda Forever

Jason from MNPP popping in from between Tribeca screenings to quick give us our Monday afternoon "Beauty vs Beast" fix -- I figure it's a Marvel Week what with that lil' Avengers movie opening in a couple of days and so what better time to step one step back and tackle their most recent smashing success, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, which is still sitting pretty in the Top Ten, box-office-wise. 1.3 Billion dollars! I figure some of you have seen it? So let's face down its titular hero (Chadwick Boseman) and The Best Villain Marvel Has Given Us Yet Eric Killmonger (Michael B Jordan), which is totally that character's official name now.

survey solutions

PREVIOUSLY Mark Zuckerberg did even better than I expected with last week's The Social Network poll - he managed a whopping 14% of your vote, getting comfortably trounced, as well he should, by Rooney Mara's Erica. Said IanO:

"This is one Sorkin’s most electrifying scenes. I’m Team Erica because sometimes you see someone become a star (of a sort...) right in front of your areas, and it’s one of the greatest pleasures cinema. Plus she delivers that kiss-off line magnificently, with just a hint of pity and sadness colouring the brutality of the line. So even though I’m Team Erica, you have to give it up for Eisenberg too, who charts the journey from clueless arrogance to awful realisation beautifully. It’s one of favourite performances of the decade."

Red Carpet Lineup: Glorious "Royal Attire" at Black Panther's Premiere

by Nathaniel R

Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman

It's only January and 2018 has already seen the finest movie premiere red carpet of the year. We're getting started early with the superlatives, apparently. The Black Panther guests were asked to come with "royal attire" in mind and even the carpet had royalty in mind with its purple hue...

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