Idlewild - Review

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Length: 90 min

Rated: R

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Release Date: 2006-08-25

Starring: André Benjamin (Andre 3000), Antwan A. Patton (Big Boi), Paula Patton, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Malinda Williams, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gra, Ben Vereen, Ving Rhames

Directed by Bryan Barber

Produced by Scott Macaulay, Robin O'Hara, William Green

Written by Bryan Barber (Music by Andre 3000 and Big Boi)

Visit the movie's Official Site!

Reviewed by Scott Gwin : 2006-08-24 00:48:19

It takes more than just a handful of songs to turn a movie into a musical. The music and choreography should serve to progress the story in some way, not interrupt it. That’s a very simple observation, but one that seems to have escaped the creative minds behind Idlewild. OutKast members Andre 3000 and Big Boi bring their particular brand of hip hop to the 1930’s gangster drama, but instead of integrating with the film and creating harmony, the heavily stylized music grinds the story to a halt each and every time. The resulting movie is a series of MTV music videos strung together with an almost gratuitously R-rated plot that never gets to realize its full potential.

Not that any of the above should come as a surprise. Writer/director Bryan Barber ambitiously made the jump from hip hop music director to feature length musical in a single bound. While he does a great job of making his actors look sexy during their musical numbers (and seems to revel in the fact that he has free reign to show breasts and Andre 3000’s naked rear), he seems completely lost in knowing what to do with them the rest of the time. That’s the greatest shame, given the amazing cast he somehow managed to assemble for his film.

Rooster (Big Boi/Andrew A. Patton) and Percival (Andre 3000/André Benjamin) have been best friends since childhood. Rooster’s father, Spats (Ving Rhames), is a gangster/bootlegger in the business of killing people. Percivals’s father (Ben Vereen), the owner of a mortuary, is in the business of buying them. When Spats decides it’s time to retire he prepares to sell his business to one of his clients, Ace (Faizon Love). Ace just also happens to own Church, a speakeasy/dance hall where Rooster sings and Percival plays piano. Spats’ right hand man Trumpy (Terrence Howard) is tired of playing second fiddle and decides to kill both Spats and Ace so that he can take control of the booze running operation instead, leaving Rooster to run the dance hall.

Meanwhile Percival struggles with his desire to get out from under his father’s shadow and go someplace where his new and different musical style will truly be appreciated. His prayers are answered when Angel (Paula Patton) arrives at Church. A famous singer, she’s there for a month long engagement at the dance hall where her presence promises to help Rooster keep the place afloat. Naturally, she’s drawn to Mr. Nice Guy Percival, and the two realize they may be each others’ key to moving on to bigger and better things.

If all that actor name dropping wasn’t enough, let me add a few more to the list. Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray and Cicely Tyson make appearances as well. It’s a massive cast with phenomenal potential, but all of it is wasted on Barber’s squelched story. I was stunned that Patti LaBelle and Ben Vereen would land in a musical but never dance or sing a single note. In fact, apart from one song each to Macy and Paula, OutKast are the only ones who do any singing. Tyson meanwhile turns in a very moving performance for the two minutes she’s actually on screen. Watching Barber squander such talent as he crafts his film is like watching a teenager receive a Rolls Royce and then promptly drive it at five miles per hour into a lake. It’s not just tragic, it’s frustrating.

For all its faults and shortcomings as a musical (or a regular movie for that matter), Idlewild is still a very beautifully piece of film. It’s all the flamboyance, glitter and gritty 30’s flair that makes the movie endurable. Little eccentricities like singing cuckoo clocks and a talking whiskey flask add a bit of clever quirkiness, but it’s all just a very thick layer of frosting on a crumbling cake. There’s no heart, no spark, and without it the movie is a very unsatisfying experience that will probably only truly delight the most die hard OutKast fans.

It’s hard to not draw parallels with Moulin Rouge when this movie shamelessly borrows some of its finer plot devices from the superior film. Barber would have done well to pay attention to how it handled the music as well. While it was probably the easiest choice, giving Big Boi and Andre 3000 free reign as music supervisors may not have been the best move. They obviously know their way around the hip hop world, but they flounder when it comes to crafting a full blown musical. It’s not that the potential isn’t there, it just isn’t there yet. As if showing he can do more than hip hop, Andre puts on a song and dance show during the credits worthy of Sammy Davis Jr. or Fred Astaire. Alas, it’s too little too late.

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Khadijah Ali-Coleman Says:
September 4th, 2006 at 13:03
Many critics who are bashing the movie are comparing it to a drawn-out music video, but they are obviously those ignorant of what are the major components of a truly brilliant musical. The movie seamlessley meshes drama, romance, suspense and comedy into a fast-paced visual that is highlighted magically with inserts of music that are fusions of hip hop, jazz, funk and blues.

Idlewild is a masterpiece. With many contemporary films--particularly those targeting a mainly black audience--containing more fluff than filling, it was surprising to find that Idelwild imaginitively evoked a connection between the viewer and the film by portraying a diverse range of characters who could really act! The major stand out was definitely the charismatic Big Boi who is often overshadowed by his eclectic partner Andre 3000. Though his character can be crudely chalked up to being a womanizing thug by those less imaginative, the reality is that Big Boi's character Rooster was a man forced to grow given a multitude of life-changing moments thrown at him in succession. Able to be comic and almost tender at once in his various given scences, Big Boi was a pleasure to watch and his character was one you wanted to cheer on.

The casting choices of the movie were excellent and cameos of Patti LaBelle and Cicely Tyson thrilling. For those expecting to find many of the songs on the soundtrack, may be disappointed however, for many can be found on the prior release of the double CD Speakerboxx/Love Below.

All in all, the movie is well worth the inflated cost to see a movie in the theatre. Stellar costuming, hip music, brilliantly executed dancing, good acting and great casting make it a treat! Due to the adult themes, I strongly advise against taking small children though it may be tempting to have them see a movie that has a predominate black cast and it is well-written and directed.

michelle Says:
September 23rd, 2006 at 20:10
do you know the name of the song that Paula Patton (Angel Davenport) sings?

Saleem Says:
January 8th, 2007 at 16:34
The name of the song is "Movin' Cool".... originally sung by Joi....

Cheryl B. Says:
January 15th, 2007 at 21:06
This movie was great. Both Andre 3000 amd Big Boi were great actors in this movie and the plot of the movie was eye-catching.

Issac Phillips Says:
March 21st, 2007 at 15:50
This movie had my nomination and all five of my stars it was just that tite! I give it 5 thumbs up! Holla at yo boi Outkast!

Meci Says:
July 31st, 2007 at 08:48
I have to agree with the critic from beginning to end on this movie!! I am a big Outkast fan but I was dissappointed when I saw it. It was a beautiful film with great actors and a great storyline but they dropped the ball. It could have been soooo much better than what it was. The music and choreographer were not great at all! I am a trained dancer and I was really disappointed that they didn't use choreography of that era or didn't use it wisely. I thought the Angel Davenport character should have had more songs even a little dancing. She just had one little scene singing and the way they had her acting when she first came on screen. I thought she was going to cut up when it was her time to perform. Like the critic said, I see what they were trying to do and it was a great ideal and it looked great. They just didn't bring it home with this one. Nice try though!

Rob Says:
January 3rd, 2008 at 14:42
If I watch a movie about the 18th Century I like to hear some Mozart or Haydn. Jazz would spoil it.

Likewise, if I was watching a movie about the 19th Century, seeing a person driving a 1957 Chevrolet would kind of spoil the effect.

So here we are in the 1930s. People are driving 1930s cars. Wearing 1930s clothes, or at least something that brings that era to mind. Then all of a sudden I hear rap?!?!? That alone spoiled the movie. Then Andre's jazz tune (movin' cool, I think), was written using chord progressions that would not have been used until decades later. As a musician, that alone basically ruined the movie.

The dialogue was OK. The acting was great. Some of the quirks (like the animations), I actually liked. But if you're going to use props, costumes, etc., of a particular era, don't throw in music that doesn't fit!!!!

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