Rocky Road

I really loved this movie- especially the two sisters. Nicole Smith and Natasha Pearce were great. Where else can I see their work? Their dynamic was great-I have felt it myself.

This movie reminded me of "Something New" except that it tears down the white innocence in regards to race a la Shelby Steele. Brothers and sisters, you know what I mean.

I love the fact that it deals with some of these issues with warmth and love. I've watched this DVD 3 times and I keep seeing new things in it...

it isn't for everyone though. A few of my white friends got nasty about it...maybe it touched a nerve, Shelby. But we had some really good discussions...

I wish they'd make more movies like this one. I love seeing smart sistas.

I decided to try out a movie I knew nothing about...and paid the price with this one. I've never seen such an obviously amateur film make it into movie theaters, the producers and director get credit for making it as far as they did. This is kind of movie you stumble upon on Cinemax-7 at 4:45 on Monday morning, watch 10-16 minutes, cringe, maybe make fun of it if someone's up with you, and forget. Unfortunately, I got stuck with 90 minutes of this garbage.

Reportedly this movie is based on the director/writer's actual life story, and starring his real-life wife. It's about a white guy who marries a girl of some sort of West Indies origin. I sure hope this guy's life is more interesting then this film makes it appear. The poster said his wife won some sort of acting award. I guess. She has the range of a postage stamp. None of the actors are remotely appealing, and they all fall into the most basic of stereotypes. The bumbling fiance, the overbearing father, the brother who doesn't trust the fiance, the wise girlfriend and her uber-wise mother, and the slutty ex-girlfriend all make appearances, with ability matching the average actor in a soft-core porn. Not acceptable.

The plot is terrible, basically "it's hard to marry a black girl". After such excellent films as Jungle Fever, this is an insult to people of both races. This has the kind of plot where everything magically happens at the right time, and the actors react in the most obvious way. There are no layers to the plot, and everything's on screen.

The worst part is the direction...Cunningham has a fine career waiting for him in retail, no doubt, but directing is not for him. The film is so badly lit, shot, and edited that it honestly looks like a high-school film class project. Sets are visible, boom mikes dip down, and any sense of continuity flies out the window during the opening credits. Music sounds like it was composed on a Casiotone, and even the titles look bad.

I'd warn you not to watch, rent, or otherwise subject yourself to this film, but I get the feeling you probably won't have to. I saw this on opening day at one of the busiest theaters in the world, and I was with 5 other people, 3 who walked out. A DVD release is probably not in the cards. If this one pops up on Cinemax late at night...watch, laugh, and RUN.

didn't cunningham have a family, or friends who loved him enough to tell him not to make this movie a reality? i guess there are a couple of genuinely sweet moments, such as when they're all dancing around and even the doofy white guy gets to groove. the trailer was so promising, but the movie was just so badly edited, directed, acted, scripted, etcetera. forced-sounding lines such as "no booty for a month" just shouldn't be delegated to any aspiring young actress. cute soundtrack, though. the caribbean music was nice enough, and the string cues were somewhat inexpertly played, but surprisingly well written -- enough character to buoy up the godawful plot and script, and even manage to get the audience a little less hostile toward the film. young composer vincent calianno seems versatile and surely deserves better work. oh, and the scene where John gets hit by the car is hilarious.

I loved it. It had characters that I could relate to as well as a plot I found believable and interesting. Geoff Cunningham is the rare writer/director who can write a female character that has a believable arch. Although I saw it in the theatres right after the bombings in NY this film left me with the sense that in the end human beings can work it out even through their differences. Also I found the cast wonderful. I highly recommend.

A friend of mine who works at one of the theatres this film was playing at invited me to tag along just on her recommendation.

Bad move. Next time I'll do some research on what i'm about to see. The previous review on "Rocky Road" pretty much hit it on the nail review wise: ZERO chemistry between the two romantic leads, stiff characters and very predictable dialogue.

one observation during the whole movie the antagonistic sister Tina is so against John and Talia being together she offers nothing more towards the end other than: "I dont know". Wow. informative...Lets see why she's so militant: Malcolm X books, Anglea Davis pictures on her wall, dumped in her own interracial relationship....SOMETHING!!

Even the racist dad is very lackluster from the opening sequence to a potential scene down the line that director Cunningham used the wrong angles for and could have been set up a hell of a lot better. There were MAYBE 4 laughs in the whole film and thats being generous! I think one for each person in the theatre with me and now I know why.

Dont waste your time or money on "Rocky Road" whatever format it comes out on once it mercifully dissapears from the indy circuit.

You cant get back the 90min wasted watching this film.