Kings of the Evening

I had the pleasure of watching the film, Kings of the Evening at the San Diego Black Film Festival where it swept four awards including "BEST PICTURE. It also premiered at the Pan African Film Festival where it received Oscar Micheaux honors. It deserves all of the recognition and I hope it continues to win more awards at festivals. The story is beautiful and the actors definitely took the audience on a journey. Glynn Turman and Lynn Whitfield had so much chemistry and were definitely at their best! Vets like Bruce McGill and James Russo were also superb. I recommend watching this film if you get a chance. I feel it will be a timeless classic. It is not often that I see an audience so responsive with laughter and applause. Rarely films make me cry and this one certainly did! The film really speaks about love and compassion, which is something lacking in the entertainment industry these days. Where can I get a copy?

Last weekend, I had the great honor to view the wonderful film, "Kings of the Evening" at the 7th Annual Arizona Black Film Showcase 2008. I and many persons within the theater were very impressed with the story, the actors and actresses' performances, and the quality of the over all production of the film. It is my hope that as this country enters a time of economic, political, and social uncertainty, that this film could be an inspiration for us all, today! One can't deny the fact that this film was a labor of love for Lynn Whitfield, Glynn Turman, Tyson Beckford, Linara Washington, Reginald Dorsey, and the other persons involved in this production. I hope that my comment and others positive comments in behalf of "Kings of the Evening" will motive other persons to view such an important work of art.

First of all, I had the opportunity to hear a Q & A session, where the key players explained how the writer derived the story from true events of a real fashion show in South Africa. "Kings of the Evening" is a one of a kind. This movie is truly entertaining, and has a certain mental keenness about how the story is told. Each character is defined from the beginning, starting with Lucy Waters whose character is revealed in one of the first scenes where her co- workers compensate her docked wages. Linara Washington impressively played the role to coin a paradigm for the hard-working woman. Simply put, the intimacy expressed in each scene makes you connect to each character. That is what I believe Film-Making is all about. Lastly, the performance of Glynn Turman is again striking and he is a favorite on screen always! GREAT JOB!

This film stands out because of its universal message and, the surprising talents of Tyson Beckford. Beckford plays a humbled, small man (not an easy task for someone known for his looks and physique)and the evolution of his character is seamless. Veteran actors generously share screen time with the lesser known and yet the entire cast gives standout performances.

And, the film isn't a "black" film per se...it features a black cast, but it's message and meaning apply to humanity at large. Subtle gestures and grand, sweeping shots make this film a must-see for lovers of beautiful cinematography and inspiring content.

Although this movie had quite a few well-known actors, it lacked excitement and depth. At times it was very slow-moving and boring and you kept waiting for something profound to occur, but to my disappointment, there were a lot of clichés and was very predictable. After seeing the Great Debaters with Denzel, where the story was built around justice and equal rights, which is something that really matters to society; this movie was definitely in another league. It lacked creativity, excitement, suspense, and newness. I didn't walk away from it feeling as if its message made an impact on me. Having read rave reviews about it in various articles, I expected so much more, and got way more less than anticipated.