LindsayFlim

I saw Kevin's face on the screen cover and immediately rebuffed it for weeks as some bull. This was a sad mistake. It is it the best thing he has done without a shadow of a doubt. The casting for this is wild, I couldn't get enough of the plot and performances so binged it in a single sitting.

It isn't the routine predictable foolishness you might be expecting, there is plenty going on with plot threads and real effort has gone into the writing, characters, pacing and presentation. Everyone gets to shine. This is very evident when it gradually begins to tie itself together nicely into a sophisticated and satisfying conclusion which didn't at all unfold in the way I expected it would.

Please don't let any second-hand opinions sway you away from this rollercoaster of entertainment. Give it a chance and you'll be glad you had. I'd written Kevin Hart off completely with his same old tired, idiot comedy roles over and over, but this is has pushed him into the beginning of a whole new lane.

Also, a mention to all involved in the production. The makeup, wardrobe, set design, sound mixing, grading, title graphics and soundtrack were not taken for granted here. All top notch. Will watch this again.

After decades of searching online, boot fairs, charity shops and asking random strangers, I managed to finally find this childhood favourite of ours. The feeling of finding it filled me with an intense feeling of euphoria over the anticipated nostalgia to finally watch it on Tuesday 20th August 2024 again after about 30 years. (BFI archives in Stephen Street, London).

Sadly, it was a letdown. I'm guessing it was good for it's time? I am clueless as to why or how I revered it so much as a kid. There are no themes a child could relate to or glean from it really, yet even as an adult now, the movie was a very lacklustre experience in almost all respects bar maybe the soundtrack. The scenes in Jamaica are real and a rare glorious snapshot in time with the likes of Volier Johnson (Maffy) and Ann-Marie Fuller (Puncie).

Most won't be able to get their hands on this film so I'll sum it up. Joanna Bell, a young Jamaican mother (played by Josette Simon) travels to Toronto taking a job as a nanny for a rich couple in the hope of permanently immigrating to Canada. She later calls for her (pretty intelligent) son David and tries to smuggle him in illegally with the help of his new headteacher. They fail and are deported back. The headteacher then joins them shortly after.

There's an awkward semi-fling that develops between her and the teacher; one of her friends lashes her son; her employers rip her off with some pay and she engages in some tiresome colloquialisms with her girlfriends as filler. That's pretty much it.

Erm, there isn't much else to say about it really. Glad I got it out of my system; it was a life achievement but no need for me to watch it again. I'll just re-read this review.

The effectiveness of this picture lies in the unsaid. It is testament to the actors who use body language to the fullest extent to convey their feelings, and down to the editor to put that across coherently.

It shows you how complex, emotional and downright daft we can be for these things we call relationships. The inward and outward dishonesty we have within this devout faith inside this human concept. A societal doctrine we all adhere to on the whole.

Time and distance are put up against love. People can believe or convince themselves that life is going perfectly fine but when you have space away from a situation, clarity of thought and feeling can prevail. When you are distanced from a situation, you can never truly feel connected to it, really.

The last 5 or so minutes are powerfully stated. Without as much as a single word, you understand exactly what both actors reluctantly agree upon. I put this work in the same vein as Blue Eyelids. Less is more type storytelling.