Uncategorized

Breaking up is never an easy thing to do. Sometimes the signs are clear cut, and other times, it’s a gut feeling that we’ve been trying to ignore for months (and sometimes even years). Even when you’ve decided to end the relationship, it’s a lot easier said than done. So we continue to stay. “In […]

The post Is It Really Over? 9 Telltale Signs It’s Time To Breakup and Move On For Good appeared first on Essence.

seemIt’s not every day that you come across a movie that stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Common, Jacqueline Bisset, Renée Zellweger, and Simon Baker as an ensemble cast. When the film Here and Now came within my sphere of influence, it piqued my interest and I had to check it out.

The city of New York seems to follow Sarah Jessica Parker everywhere, and the backdrop to this story is no different. Set in the city that never sleeps, Vivienne (Sarah Jessica Parker) encounters a morbid diagnosis from her doctor that she has an aggressive brain tumor. Here and Now (formerly titled ‘Blue Night’) scrutinizes the moments shortly thereafter and how Vivienne inevitably rejects and then later accepts the reality of her medical condition.

Vivienne meanders aimlessly around the streets of Manhattan and tries to force her thoughts into some semblance of normalcy. Which is ironic since the storytelling of Here and Now drifts as arbitrarily as its lead protagonist does walking the streets of New York City.  Vivienne is a singer — having to bear this bad news on the eve of a major performance. As she wanders around town, in slight confusion, her cell phone incessantly rings. On the other line is her domineering mother Jeanne (Jacqueline Bisset) who mostly speaks French, and demands to know Vivienne’s whereabouts.

Vivienne ignores every one of her incoming calls and proceeds to resume rehearsal with her band for a weekend gig at Birdland and prep for an upcoming international tour. Her longtime manager (Common) micromanages her time — but doesn’t confront Vivienne when he senses something is amiss. Sad to say that Common was an afterthought, he’s barely in the movie. And quite frankly, this is disappointing since he delivered such a strong performance this year in All About Nina. 

Viv pours her whirlwind of emotions into her drummer Jordan (Taylor Kinney) — who would classify as “boy toy” territory — oh yes, Viv is a cougar. There are barely any words between these two in the film — just hot passionate lovemaking — and frankly, for Viv, that’s all that matters right now.

After a moment of what I can only assume is postcoital bliss, Viv begins to meet a series of irrelevant characters who bring little substance to the story.  The first is the junior reporter (Phillipa Soo) for a music publication interviewing Viv and oddly lacks interest in her own interview subject. Viv, of course, is distracted, bemused, and can barely keep up with the questions. Not sure what’s to be gained from this scene, only to illustrate the fact that Viv is doing everything she can to avoid thinking about the bad news that’s dropped on her today.

Then there is the Lyft driver Sami (Waleed Zuaiter). I can’t begin to tell you how annoyed I was by this relationship in the film.  Without giving too much away, there was a complete 180 with Sami’s character development that happened with absolutely no exposition to support its dramatic shift. Imagine seeing a character go from being a complete jerk to being a good Samaritan from one scene to the next, with no explanation.  That’s what happens with Sami, the Lyft driver. Additionally, the odds that Viv gets the same Lyft driver to pick her up on the same day in New York City of all places makes this movie all the more implausible.

Oh yeah did I mention Renée Zellweger is in this movie? She’s in it for a small cameo and is yet another character that adds no real value to Viv’s story. Renée plays Tessa, an old gal pal she hasn’t seen in five years who only reminds Viv of how much she’s missed over the years spending time on tour rather than time with her own daughter. And that’s it.  That’s all we get from Renée’s character and she’s done. Renée showed up on set for her one scene and had enough time get a mani-pedi afterward.  Viv has a daughter named Lucie (Gus Birney) who lives with her father and Viv’s ex-husband Nick (Simon Baker). Nick is a responsible dad who looks after Lucie and resents Viv for dropping by only when its convenient for her and not convenient for their daughter.

On a high note (literally) one positive thing you can take away from this movie is the fact that you will get to experience Sarah Jessica Parker’s under-appreciated singing chops. There are some beautiful melodies that play throughout the movie’s soundtrack.

Here and Now sadly misses the mark by introducing characters that serve no real purpose to the narrative. And seeing that some of the insignificant members of the ensemble cast are well-known and very talented actors is an even bigger disappointment.  The film is directed by Fabien Constant and written by Laura Eason. Sarah Jessica Parker also produced the movie.

Here and Now made its debut this year at the Tribeca Film Festival and will debut in theaters, on demand and digital on November 9th.

The post BGN Film Review: ‘Here and Now’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Released on Halloween of this year, Ashborn is a deliciously wicked retelling of Cinderella with a young woman who rises from her low place in society to take back what she’s owed and punish those who have wronged her.

I was initially intrigued by the cover art and went on to read the three-page preview on Comixology and then buy it. Set in the late 1800s, this comic, written and illustrated by artist Cait Zellers, is for the older readers. Thus, it carries the ‘Viewer Discretion Is Advised’ warning with a mention to some serious triggering images, including graphic violence.

We open to one Ella who is retreating to the basement of a grand home with a basket while a big social event set with gossip and fancy attire is happening upstairs. She’s spooked by the appearance of a man who appears to be a guest and who keeps asking her questions after the accidental drop of a gift.

The muted color scheme of beige and gray help establish the tale as one of old, yet it doesn’t take away from the details that are aplenty like the creases in a apron, the cobblestones and bricks of a hearth, or the elaborate drapery and accessories on a gown. The color scheme actually works to the advantage of Zellers who creates the atmosphere of the world being a drab and miserable place. It works incredibly well as we learn what has befallen this unfortunate young woman. Visually, I do love the pops of color like the yellow of a light or the multi-colors of coals burning to the striking hue of red that keeps making an appearance more and more as the story progresses.

Seeing the gore and violence come in multitudes after the narrative reveals what poor Ella has endured is just and a sight to see. It escalates as Ella reenters the story as a woman reborn if only for one night. The brief backstory we get about her, her parentage, and her darker skin color speak to a life being discriminated against and being seen as less than and not worthy. The art just seem to flow, and Zellers’s art style seems to deliberately move to the beat of its own drum.

Ashborn is a beautifully illustrated retelling of one of the most beloved fairy tales written as a revenge story. It is akin to the Brothers Grimm with a darker tone used for the narrative with a young woman taking back her power and making those who made her a victim pay for their crimes against her. The comic does have an happy ending with a gorgeously gory final page set in an ornate frame to emulate a dusty old tome reminiscent of fairy tales of old. Zellers illustrates that while violence can come in many different forms to be inflected, having Ella be reborn as a woman who punishes evil deeds and lives happily ever after is a wondrous treat to behold as a reader.

9 Deals With The Devil Out Of 10

Buy the digital version of the comic here. See more of the artist and creator on Twitter, her personal website and her Patreon page.

Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+?

The post ‘Ashborn:’ The Wickedly Dark Comic Retelling Of Cinderella appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Pizza is enjoyed by the millions, yet it isn’t only savored in bars and restaurants. Foodies now have another hotspot to appreciate this cheesy Italian dish: The Museum of Pizza. Located in Brooklyn, […]

The post Museum of Pizza Is Cheesiest Art Exhibit Ever appeared first on Geek.com.