Movie Review: A Jem in the Shyt

Recently, I was able to see a movie that I have not been able to see or even wanted to see because of the reviews and my lack of love for Mariah Carey. But today, I thought I would give it a chance. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!!

Yes! Mariah Carey's first flop movie about a singer, Billie Frank, who's voice is heard by a DJ named Dice, and is given the chance to make it big, but then buckles under the pressure of the music business. I probably missed the first few minutes of the film, but I was able to watch from her time as a backup singer to that chick who hosts TOP CHEF, Padma Lakshmi, to the heartbreaking reunion with her long lost mother.


In My Opinion

The movie could have definitely been better, and it really wasn't that bad as far as some of the content and acting goes. Granted, this type of movie has been done over and over again, but with a different director and a better developed story line, the movie could have worked. Mariah's performance was a rollercoaster of emotionless straightaways of happiness, awkwardness and anger. There were maybe two instances when I really felt her emotion; when she was finally leaving her boyfriend and finally finding her mother. Other moments that had real potential such as the comedic splash by her backup singer best friends, one played by Da Brat; the aspect of her producing music for her and keeping it hidden while singing what the label wanted her to sing; and the love-jealous romance.

As far as the style of the movie, the transitions from scene to scene or within the scene were trite posing as original; showing that the director really didn't know what to do with them or was just experimenting with hit and miss. Slo-Mo was ridiculously repetitive to the point of sea-sickness, when it could have been used properly to highlight significant moments that happened to Billie to show her world changing from Rags to Riches. The POV perspective from the main character was either spot on or weird. One is where she was dancing, and the DJ walks towards her with a microphone, and the crowd behind him become cheap color blobs of electric boogaloo graphic. Another is after that fact, she and the DJ have their final flirt of the night, and as she walks away, glitter bombs burst from her mind at the chance of a music career taking flight. Where dreams take flight....

THE MUSIC! That was written for her mother in this film and her boyfriend was very powerful. I was on the verge of crying when she was singing because from those two songs, that was the Mariah I knew and loved when I was a little girl, and I can say that this movie really expresses how I feel about Mariah Carey. I used to love her back in the day when she first came out, because of her beautiful voice and the power she gave the words she sang. I thought she was such a independent, sensitive, strong woman who had something to say about life and love without shaking her ass; using her mind instead of her body. But the moment she turned to that 'romp shaka, wanna make men come in their pants' pop singer, I hated her! I felt betrayed! She goes from showcasing her true vocal talents to showcasing her ASSets. The last album that I listened to was MUSIC BOX, which was actually one of my favorites. DREAMLOVER was the catalyst of the direction of where her career was going to go either positively or negatively; were they going to continue with her true sexuality or take it to the max. She was sexy and sweet to the degree of how a woman is supposed to be sexy and sweet in her own right, before becoming SEX for males to drool over and females should copy. But once that leaked, there was no stopping it.

Mariah used to make me cry! Make me feel like this is what a real woman should be! This movie is mini-semi-biopic and an actual rehash of the emotions I had during Carey's career, just not as big a mess. It would be a miracle if she went back to they way she was. I mean she can be sexy and whatnot, but sing more substantial pieces. I have not been following recently since she has put out a few albums, but maybe one day, she'll get a seriously makeover.




★★☆☆☆