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The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


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Archives for December 2014

It’s A Wrap! 2014 In Review – And What’s Ahead In 2015

December 31, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

shareasimageHappy New Year2015F

Whelp, it’s a wrap!

2014 will be gone in a matter of hours, and 2015 is banging down the door.

We’re READY – are you??

In this final podcast of the year (and a milestone 50th episode, I might add) Adrienne and I give a review of 2014 and share what’s in store for the podcast, blog and Facebook pages in 2015.

We also give major shout out to some of our guests, and provide a sneak peek into our Men’s Podcast, Singles’ Podcast and  some of the free premium content we’re offering in 2015.

The content is free, but you have to be a subscriber in order to receive it.

Woot!

See y’all next year!

If you can’t see the podcast player, click here.

You can also listen to the podcast on Sound Cloud by clicking here.

Want to be a guest on the podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to  INeedMySay@gmail.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved.  Photo is the property of The Swirl World™.

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Filed Under: Podcast, Reviews, Special, Uncategorized Tagged With: 2014, 2015, content, premium, recap, year in review

Erotic Multicultural and Multiracial Romance

December 29, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

shareasimage_SexyIRCouple3 So, because I love y’all (and because I simply can’t WAIT two more days until 2015 arrives) I decided to give you a sneak peek into one of our podcast guests for January.

I had a conversation with Sepia, author of multicultural and multiracial erotic romance. Sepia a huge supporter of interracial/multicultural romance erotica.

Being the product of a multicultural marriage she understands that love is not always black and white, but that people need and want love and sometimes that takes them across cultural and racial lines.

Sepia also – wait! More on Sepia’s erotic literature collections in January 2015.

Till then, catch this preview . . .

 

If you can’t see the Podcast Player, click here.

 

To listen on Sound Cloud, click here.

 

 

To contact Sepia, send her an email at irromancebysepia@gmail.com.

 

 

 

 

The Swirl World new logoWant to be a guest on the podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to INeedMySay@gmail.com. Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio!  Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved. Photo property of The Swirl World™.

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Filed Under: Podcast, Uncategorized Tagged With: Asian men, Black women, erotic, erotica, interracial romance, multicultural romance, multiracial romance, podcast, Sepia, White men

She Critques-The Imitation Game

December 28, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

The Imitation Game (2014)

The Imitation Game

“Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of that do the things no one can imagine,”

I open with this line directly from the film, because it reminds me so much of why we do the great things we’re capable of doing, although others may be blind to our greatness. I’m not the type of person who gets up after a film has begun, usually because I’m too enthralled, or too afraid of missing some of the magic. This is one of those films. You will sit through the magic, and you will want to experience it over and over. You see, this film is very much about not only living our best lives, but also about being our most authentic selves. It’s about friendship, loyalty, and to an even greater extent, LOVE in all its variations and forms. Now….

What Works:

Can I just say I’m SPEECHLESS (at first anyway) with how perfect and how strong of an ensemble cast this is?!?! There are no weak roles, no false notes, no strange voices or pairings where they should not be. No one feels like a fish out of water. Knowing the history of Alan Turing (hello, he’s the Father of Modern computing for chrissakes look him UP!!) as I did, I wasn’t surprised when Benedict Cumberbatch was chosen to play Turing.

In fact, what I was expecting was for him to be pompous. I wholeheartedly expected him to OVERDO this role because it would be so easy to do just that. I expected him to over emote, I expected him to apply his own personal aura to Alan’s idiosyncrasies.

Unequivocally, I bow before him, because not only did he give Alan his due diligence, but it’s clear that not only him being chosen, but his masterful performance, encouraged the REST of the cast to bring their own sort of brilliance onto the silver screen.

From beginning to end of this marvel of a film, you are completely lost in each character, completely lost in the enigma (ironically enough) that is cinema. Not a single person makes you regret them being cast. The façade of the actor is gone, consumed solely by the integral part they are playing. There are films that do this but are usually focused on the lead and maybe a supporting cast. It’s very rare to find an entire ensemble cast that can do this, as has been done here. Such a rare gem, from such a rare group.

This brings me to the connections between players. The chemistry and how it’s essential to a great film to find what works, and make every attempt to minimise what does not.

The relationships in this film are SO very important. Alan and Christopher (both digital and not), Alan and Joan, Alan and Hugh, Alan and Stewart, and Alan and John. As you can see by this listings, it was absolutely essential that Alan (played fantastically by Benedict) have a sort of cosmic chemistry with nearly all in the film, because he is the black hole at the centre.

You find yourself having moments where you envision having a conversation with someone in your life EXACTLY like the one being had on screen and there are moments when that frighten you even though it should not!

You are watching these people and you can literally see the puppetry lines that connect each character in such a way to the others. It really is like watching a puppet show. This move brings about this moment, pull that strings and the others begin to dance. You even see the pangs of regret or shame as each person makes the decisions in every case they are forced to make, and there is no false equivalency here. You know how and you most certainly know WHY.

I must tip my hat to the people responsible for the sets, cinematography, and COSTUMES for this film. It’s genuinely NOT easy to fit a period piece. There are subtle nuances in fabrics where you realise that one costume is made of a material that no longer exists or is no longer used.

It’s amazing what the mind can create, when this level of creativity and levity is allowed. Something as simple as Joan’s earlier dresses which were a lighter material because her family was solely responsible for her wardrobe, later changes to a much more luxurious, fashion forward material and style. Things like Alan’s earlier versions of Christopher.

Yes, these are props but in their own way, they tell a story in a way that only a visual aid can. It’s like, where someone hands you something that you have NO idea what it is, you enquire, and they tell the tale. Every single piece has its own story, shines its own light, and carves its own path.

Up until I believe 1967 there was a sort of Salem Witch Hunt that occurred in the United Kingdom for LGBTQ persons. More so often than not, men whom were gay, were unjustly prosecuted, and sentenced to things like Prison, Chemical Castration, and worse still were blacklisted, unable to work, and thus unable to live.

One of the things The Imitation Game does EXTREMELY well, is to make brilliant social commentary on the hypocrisy that was this witch hunt. Here we have Alan, one of the world’s most brilliant people, at such a young age showing promise and sharing a gift as only he could. And yet he can’t even live his life as the man that he is because of bigotry.

This film shows you the great horrors that men like Alan were forced to endure, and it also showcases that while this was the law in the UK, it was a very unpopular law, and had far too many casualties. In a sense, a war within a war. Lives lost both theoretically and physically. Far too many paid the ultimate price on both battlefields.

 

 

 

What Does NOT Work:

After a performance like that? I’m supposed to find a flaw? To be honest? There are NONE. Is a film being too short, a flaw? Is a film so real, so connecting, so enriching that it leaves it mark for life upon you, a flaw?!?! Is a performance so brilliant and enigmatic that you find yourself finishing the characters sentences before they do (and no NOT because the screenplay is predictable, ironically enough, it is not) a flaw?!?!

I wanted to find fault with this film. I wanted to find a reason to knock off a star, to have a negative opinion, to have an off the cuff point of view to say what doesn’t work. What does not seem like it fits in such a setting, such an important topic as the Father of Modern Computing and all he endured. I did NOT find that. It should scare me a little, but honestly it’s freeing. It’s exhilarating. It’s the power of a 1000 suns. It’s magic from the very 1st opening scene until the closing act. And THAT how it should because as all my readers should know by now…The Magic NEVER Ends!

#MUSTSEE #SheCritiques #WhatWorksWhatDoesNot

 

Joyll CambridgeJoyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “The Imitation Game” obtained from IMDB.

 

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightely, Matthew Goode, the imitation game

She Critiques-Night At The Museum, Secret Of The Tomb (2014)

December 28, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Night At The Museum: The Secret Of The Tomb (2014)

Night at the museum

First, very fitting tributes to Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney, two greats of the silver screen and the grey screen. May they rest in eternal power and may others come to appreciate all they put into their art as I do! The Magic NEVER Ends!

This is actually my favourite of the Night At The Museum series because it brings the magic in such way that it’s constant throughout the film but it doesn’t take away from the dialogue and the message behind it all. So here we go.

What Works:

The connection between Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) and Nick Daley (Skylar Gisondo)!!! These two do a fantastic job of taking the typical connection between a Father and his teenage son and making it, well, ATYPICAL. Their banter is solid and genuinely believable and enjoyable!

I love the supporting cast in this film including the monkey!!! Teddy, Akmenrah, Atillia, Sacajawea, Ovtavious, Jeddediah and more?!?! Absolute fun on the run!!! Even a welcome addition in Rebel Wilson who brings her own brand of humour and realism!!!

The effects?!?! You literally feel like you can reach out and touch them! Why they didn’t bring this film out in 3D I will never know. The journey they take through the British Museum, is such a master class in realism and history, it’s well worth the price of admission for that section alone!

 

What Does Not Work:

Honestly? NOTHING. I think if you go into this film with the expectation that it’s just a fun, family oriented film, as well as one of Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney’s last films, you really will enjoy yourself. The MAGIC NEVER ENDS.

#SheCritiques #WhatWorksWhatDoesNot

 

Joyll Cambridge

Joyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “Night At The Museum” obtained from IMDB.

 

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Stiller, Joyll Cambridge, Mickey Rooney, movie reviews, movies, Robin Williams

She Critiques-WILD (2014)

December 28, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

WILD (2014)

WILD (2014)

WILD (2014)

“Denying her wounds came from the same source, as her power!!!!”

WILD is an introspective and retrospective look into the life on a young woman who’s lost her way, no more like, she’s lost HERSELF. The above should really give you an idea of why this film is an absolute personal cinematic achievement for Reese Witherspoon, and also why this film could not be more timely. First let’s talk about:

What Works

I had my doubts when I heard Reese Witherspoon had been cast initially because I wasn’t certain if she could perform strongly enough to be in nearly EVERY SINGLE frame of a film. I can say happily, I was indeed incorrect in my assumption.

Cheryl Strayed’s journey and the people she encounters is so poignant, so moving, so scary and yet, you can’t imagine this wasn’t the place and moment in time that she was destined to be. There are so many times during this film, when Cheryl’s situation and how she’s come to be where she is, is an immediate reflection upon our own lives in some way. It’s so much more about living just for the sake of actually LIVING as opposed to existing for the sake of dying.

You’re moved, the earth moves, you’re pulled in my this enormous black hole of guilt and yet you find yourself being redeemed in ways you never even began to imagine. The physicality of this role and the strength both physical and emotional that Reese Witherspoon had to endure in order to give us Cheryl Strayed? Method yes, but mind-blowing all the more so!!!!

Another example of a near perfect casting? Laura Dern as Cheryl’s Mum Bobbi. I can’t even begin to describe how key it was to GET IT RIGHT. The connection between Cheryl and Bobbi is so strong you can almost see the physical manifestation of the lines between them.

The parallels in how each Mother and Daughter lived their own broken lines is absolutely frightening. “I was never me…” Bobbi tells her children and yet even in that simple and short statement there is such a triumphant story. Why Mums are the way they are, why they make the ultimate sacrifices for their children, why they endure the things they do, all to give their legacy the brightest future possible.

The contacts, the connections, the random people out on the trails with Cheryl, some who add to her life, her experiences, and some who solely exist to take something away. They’re not merely ships, they ports of call, they’re antagonist, protagonists. They’re reminders of humanity and how key it is not only to be true to yourself, but always to present your best self to others especially if they mean something to you.

Cheryl’s connection to her ex-husband Paul, who sanctions her journey and yet doesn’t initially feel she has what it takes to go the distance. He’s a motivator and a skeptic all in once played nearly perfectly by Thomas Sadoski. The people who are helping her along her journey are just as lost as she is in many ways and yet there she is, not necessarily looking for guidance, so much as beacons to light things up when the darkness overwhelms her.

 

 

What Does Not Work
Honestly? If I could find something, I would tell you but alas I am unable to do so. There are some minor issues with the flashing from past to current day, but they’re not so much flaws as they are wake up calls or sorts, to remind you what’s holding you down and lifting you up all at the same time.

I leave you with another quote from this film that has stuck with me from the very moment I heard it and will become a permanent fixture in my life as I live and breathe:
“I Found My Own Way Out Of The Woods….”

Yes Cheryl, you did indeed, and I know a few more people you helped find they own way out of the woods, TOO.

 

#MUSTSEE
#SheCritiques
#WhatWorksWhatDoesNot

 

Joyll Cambridge

 

Joyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “Wild” obtained from IMDB.

 

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Joyll Cambridge, movie reviews, movies, Reese Witherspoon, WILD

She Critiques- FoxCatcher (2014)

December 27, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Foxcatcher (2014)

Foxcatcher 2014

Foxcatcher 2014

I’ve been sitting here contemplating this film have just left the theatre an hour or so ago, and I must admit initially I was at a loss. Why? Because it took me quite some time to identify what does NOT work in this absolute marvel of a film. There are so many things that work brilliantly well that any perceived flaws took quite some time to appear in my consciousness.

First the particulars: Foxcatcher basically stars three highly transformed men, and one ‘lady’ (errr more on her later). It’s the story of Mark and David Schultz, played masterfully by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. John DuPont, eerily and magically played by Steve Carell. And Madame Jean DuPont, played by the always indefatigable Vanessa Redgrave.

John DuPont wants to be the Captain and Coach of the gold medal winning US Men’s wrestling team and he’s relying heavily on Mark and David to do this. This man has such a desire, such an intense hunger for gold that he would stop at pretty much nothing to obtain it.

Let me just stop right here momentarily to catch my breath and make a statement, if Steve Carell doesn’t scare you in real life after seeing him in this film, there’s something deeply wrong with the both of you! Whew! Ok onward….

 

 

What Works:

The INTENSE and highly skilled transformations of Steve, Channing, and Mark into John, Mark, and David. This film is going to win some awards for makeup and costumes if it already hasn’t. But the scary part is it’s NOT just makeup. There’s almost a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformation in EVERY key player in this film, including demeanor, stance, and speech flow/patterns.

You find yourself tripped up quite frequently, have to remember that that’s Steve Carell, that that’s Mark Ruffalo, and yes that’s Channing Tatum and Vanessa Redgrave but…..there are such frequent moments of disbelief that you almost want to pull up IMDB constantly to ensure you’re in the right theatre, screening the right film because it’s just that sublime, the transformations.

They’re not subdued in any manner, they’re SCARY as such. There is a new level of admiration and respect that you find yourself pleased with bestowing upon the cast. It’s indeed well-deserved and once you can finally reconcile that those are indeed the actors you thought were acting in this film, the film is ended.

The mode of John, as tasked to Steve Carell is deadpan, dead on, and so even keel all at the same time. It’s very difficult to ascertain what John is feeling, because he’s a king of sarcastic banter and yet you find yourself warming up to him before his volcano blows.

You are shown glimpses of his childhood, you’re also shown that the man who has everything appears to have nothing. There’s no sense of achievement, no sense of fulfillment and he initially easily garners your sympathy, you empathy. The way that he handles his staff, the way that he approaches each scenario like he owns everything and then his circumstances, he interactions remind you there are many things he can take no ownership of and it’s clear how that frustrates him deeply.

Mark; he’s stoic. He’s an Olympic gold medalist and one of the things that this film does very well is set you up solidly, as to why a man as skilled as Mark, can be so easily withdrawn, so easily solemn, and so easily manipulated as John is so tongue in cheek at doing.

There’s a theme in this film that Channing Tatum as Mark does such a phenomenal job of conveying and that John seems receive that torch and continue you on with it. It’s about being at your lowest. Mark is at an EXTREMELY low point in his life, as is John, but even their lows while different, are eerily similar and that is where their connection is formed from.

The other brother. The one everyone seems to respect and admire, the stand-up guy who is always looking out for others including Mark of course. The one everyone seems not only to look up to as a mentor, as a desired friend, as an ally, as the shining light. This is David. He and Mark are both gold medal winners and yet he seems to have gotten the luck of the draw so to speak. He’s the IT man, and this leaves Mark feeling highly inadequate and this so susceptible to John’s folly.

Make no mistake, Mark and David are brothers in arms, and yet the differences between them are so poignant and so well displayed you almost find yourself willing their dynamic to be different. You want things to be better between them. You want people to SEEK Mark like the see David. You want that FOR THEM.

There are metaphors in this film that if you’re not careful, you may overlook, or not see how they relate to the calamity that is the life on John DuPont. Things like, the horse, the trophies (and yes there are many), the military weapons all over the compound.

The backdrop that is Valley Forge while a beautiful, peaceful place to live and of course film, provides such an interesting juxtaposition to the chaos that is the hellhole that is John Dupont’s life. And no, this being that hell hole will never provide the excuse as to why John lives the way he lives, why he acts the way he acts, and ultimately why he completely lets what little foothold he has on life slither away. And that brings me to what does NOT work.

What Does Not Work:

As I stated previously, this took a while. There are two things that a great a film as this is, as great a performance that all actors presented us with, that simply do NOT work. The connection between John and Lady DuPont is unfortunately not one of them. Yes they are aloof when it comes to one another. And yes, their interactions do a great job of showcasing just how dysfunctional their relationship is, but even will all that, it isn’t enough.

Their lack communication, their lack of affection, their lack of affinity for each other, rings hollow. It’s all too easy to lay the burden of John’s folly upon Lady DuPont, but it doesn’t hold up. I suspect that’s because many of the people who spent their days around these two, learned the skills necessary to tune their dysfunction out. In other words see no evil….well you get the idea.

And therein lies the second issue. The WHY. There isn’t enough of a trigger, enough reasoning, enough insanity on screen to explain the WHY of it all. You find yourself wanting desperately to say, yeah I understand exactly WHY he did that. And it’s so close you find yourself at a loss that stays with you long after the credits have rolled. You’re like, that can NOT be all of it. There has to be more than the story. There has to be some sort of justification for such heartbreak, such tragedy.

Sure, what you see onscreen is full of fire and full of exuberance. It’s just not, the smoking gun (ironically enough) necessary to explain what brought all this to fruition. Still, even with that, I cannot express how much I enjoyed this film.

It’s a definite #MUSTSEE if only that gain an understanding that Foxcatcher Farms is The Emerald City and John DuPont is indeed the wizard. And we all know what we must do when we see Emerald City right? We’re off to see the wizard!!!!

#WhatWorksWhatDoesNot #SheCritiques

 

Joyll CambridgeJoyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “Foxcatcher” obtained from IMDB.

 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, movie reviews, movies, Steve Carell

She Critiques- Top Five (2014)

December 27, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Top Five (2014)

Top Five (2014)

Top Five (2014)

 

Ordinarily this is the part where I use my opening sentence to give you guys a quick summation of what makes Top Five special, but truthfully, there’s so much that makes this film special that it deserves better than that so here we go.

This is a story of a successful comedic actor Andre Allen (played superbly by Chris Rock), who happens to have a few issues that have derailed his mojo and hence his career and he’s trying to straighten all that out and get back on top. He has a beautiful fiancée (who just happens to have a reality show) and a staff whose sole job it is to keep him OUT of trouble. The thing is, he’s headlining a new film that’s a DRAMA instead of the comedies he’s known for and people aren’t warming up to this new Andre, and not believing that a tiger can ever change his stripes. He meets this beautiful reporter for the NYT Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) who wants to follow him around for a day as press for the movie and as press for his rapidly approaching wedding to the aforementioned fiancée.

What Works:

The insane chemistry and back and forth between Andre and Chelsea. He’s not a willing participant in this interview solely because he’s been burned by the NYT before regarding his OTHER films which are absolute trash. And Chelsea (played by the perfect partner in Rosario Dawson) isn’t exactly the type to NOT get what she wants and she wants an exclusive entrance into the Andre who started from the bottom and now he’s here (and yes that’s corny but trust me when you see it, it WILL make sense).

There’s a vibrancy and electricity that you can visibly see flowing back and forth between these two and no I don’t mean romantically, they’re not yin and yang, more like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers whose steps mirror each other so perfectly and so intensely it would creep an unappreciative person out! It works and it works brilliantly. There’s so much more to this pairing, just like there’s so much more to this film.

Another thing that works extremely well is the beautiful use of New York City as a backdrop. Not only are we gifted with the wondrous sights and sounds, but we also share in the magic spells that were cast not only to create these two characters, but also we are privy to racial and socioeconomic commentary that is linked to key parts and characters in the film (and no not just these two) and you realize just how essential those things are, and how ones culture manifest itself in who we’ve become. We meet Andre’s family, people from his past-some who had just as much influence on who he became as whom he did NOT. (This is KEY-remember this)

Silk, (J.B Smoove who handled that I must say) is Andre’s handler and childhood friend who keeps him focused and out of trouble. But don’t minimize him to being Andre’s bodyguard because he’s so much more than that. He brings a sense of warmth and nuance to the relationship between he and Andre and yet his sense of loyalty and devotion that others might give a negative assessment to, really is an about the understanding of Andre’s biggest desires and goals, and even more so his greatest fears. Silk is an anchor, a link not so much to the past, but to the truth which is oftentimes the only ground we have left to stand upon when all else fails.

What Does Not Work:

Houston, we have a problem is all I’m going to say and leave it at that. (You have to SEE it to believe it!)

The relationship between Andre and his fiancée Erica (played enjoyably by Gabrielle Union-Wade). Why? Because we don’t really get an opportunity to see WHY these two are together. It’s implied, but it’s a hard sell because there just isn’t enough screen time, connection, and momentum in the limited scenes between these two. Andre tells you WHY there together, but telling us is not the same as making us SEE why and it comes across as forced and underdeveloped.

Another thing that just seems out of place is the relationship between Chelsea and her boyfriend Brad. From the moment we first meet Chelsea there isn’t ANYTHING about her that screams, I have a boyfriend or significant other. She’s a bit star struck from the time she first encounters Andre and that pretty much continues in one way or another to the very end of the film.

Make no mistake, Top Five isn’t a RomCom. It’s very much a comedy with romantic thematic elements. There’s not much missing from the gem of a film, and there are so many wonderful and unexpected cameos that are just so much fun and add a bit of depth that we weren’t expecting.

I highly recommend it, and it earns a well-deserved #MUSTSEE from me! Have fun and enjoy!

#WhatWorksWhatDoesNot #SheCritiques

 

 

Joyll Cambridge

Joyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “Top Five” obtained from IMDB.

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: chris rock, Joyll Cambridge, movie reviews, movies, rosario Dawson, She Critiques, top five

She Critiques-The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)

December 27, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

The Hobbit

 

The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies

The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies

I’ve literally just walked out of the theatre and simply had to get this out because while there are moments you want to shout to the mountaintops about, there are also a few moments where you cover your eyes with shame.

What Does NOT Work: nearly the entire first act. There’s no transition from scene to scene and some of the acting in the 1st act leaves you feeling like you’re looking at Monty Python instead of the inhabitants of Middle Earth.

The screenplay in this act is HIGHLY irregular and you find yourself shaking your head so much you might endure w bit of a migraine before it’s all over. Remember we’re still dealing with not only Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) wreaking havoc upon the people of Laketown and there’s that small matter of Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) being entrapped in the darkness by Sauron. I just don’t feel like these two important pieces of the puzzle were handled like they should have been. It felt campy UGGGH. I will say that Luke Evans does a masterful job in this act and leave it at that as I remind myself no spoilers for such a new film.

 

NOW…WHAT DOES WORK: Bard (Luke Evans) and his children have a connection that you feel throughout the entire film and their bond only seems to grow stronger as the film progresses. Bain (John Bell) is no longer a little boy but truly a man and you see these bits of the torch from his Father being passed to him and yet you still see the fear and thus the youth in him as it should be.

The connection between Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Thorin (Richard Armitage) is tested repeatedly and seems to hold firm until that moment you realise much of an illusion outward appearances can create. No man among the dwarves has the will to counter Thorin and we again find ourselves owing a Baggins our lives and thus our loyalty in his fortitude.

Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangiline Lily), at moments appear to tiptoe around each other until they nearly simultaneously come to the realisation that that is NOT the appropriate behaviour for the situation they find themselves in and an interesting segue, another branch if you will, sprouts and provides us with a testament of their faith, love, and loyalty that they have for each other although Tauriel’s heart clearly belongs to Kili. (The Dwarven Prince)

I have to stop here for a second because I must acknowledge something, Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel are in a place so few find themselves willingly, but once there few people want to be anywhere else. Aiden Turner and Evangeline Lilly do such a superb job of bringing the viewer into that place with them and then almost immediately making you regret that you followed their tracks. And no, this is NOT to be taken as a negative critique. In fact it is the very opposite and once you see the film yourself, it will become quite clearly exactly what I mean.

Legolas and Thraundil (Lee Pace), in a word or two, beautifully awkward. These two dance, they battle, the have an simultaneous epiphany and then they acquiesce. Is it beautiful? YES. Is it awkward? YES. But is it fulfilling in someway leaving you as the viewer satisfied? For me personally, initially, NO. But upon having time to genuinely consider how it plays out on screen and what comes next, I’m satisfied that all is resolved.

 

 

Joyll Cambridge

 

Joyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our Resident Movie Reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review of a specific movie, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies” obtained from IMDB.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugo Weaving, Joyll Cambridge, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Martin Freeman, movie, movie reviews, Orlando Bloom, Peter Jackson, Sir Ian Mckellan, The Hobbit

Beyond The Lights-Extended Movie Review

December 27, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Beyond The Lights (2014)

Let’s file this under: Why on EARTH haven’t more people seen this film!!

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Fantastic music, a solid screenplay, sexy smoldering performances by the leads, and a supporting cast that does EXACTLY what they’re supposed to and best of all MESSAGED received!

This is indeed the description belonging to the new Gina Prince-Bythewood film Beyond The Lights. Having screened this film several times because I always recruit someone else who wants to go see it based off my words alone, I can say without ANY hesitation that the latest time is just as enjoyable at the first! It puzzles me greatly why more people haven’t seen this film but I think after my latest screening I finally figured out WHY which I will get to in a moment.

 

Beyond The Lights MP

 

First the cast: The enigmatic up and coming superstar Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Charismatic Nate Parker, the treasure Minnie Driver, and the brilliantly seasoned Danny Glover. This cast is an absolute joy to watch and the chemistry between them that we’re seeing on screen is a GIFT that one should SAVOR. I for one am extremely proud of the performance of Nate Parker as a leading man. Having watched him mature from film to film (I think most of us remember him from The Great Debaters and The Secret Life Of Bees to the mastery that is Red Tails and in the suspense thriller Non-Stop) his growth very much on display as Kaz the hero police officer soon to be politician (a path that’s been very well seeded by his Father, endearingly played by Danny Glover) who is thrust into the wild world that is the music business. I’ve gushed about Gugu’s brilliant performance as Nino Jean over and over to as many people as I can but the truth is she makes it easy to do that, she’s such a constellation on screen that those around her can’t help but be drawn in and are forced to up their game and shine in their own way.

The premise is simple, Noni Jean (Mbatha-Raw) and her Momager (owned by Minnie Driver) have spent their entire lives trying to live out their dreams (err or maybe one living her dreams through the other) of being at the very top of the music business and have done pretty much whatever it takes to get there. Including quite a few things Noni doesn’t feel align with who she truly is. It comes to a head almost immediately in the film and this is when Noni and Kaz’s paths cross. Once they meet, you cannot imagine one without the other but there’s a reason FOR that. They’re not star-crossed lovers, they aren’t ying and yang. They’re literally like two halves of a very fractured globe.

 

 

Gina Prince-Bythewood does a marvelous job of showcasing what makes these two beautiful (internally and externally) people superstars in their own right. Kaz is indeed a stand up sort of guy and Noni Jean is indeed having taken a long walk on the wild side and yet they couldn’t be clearer mirrors of each other if they tried. And that is showcased so well on screen that you find yourself smiling, harking back to a time you remember when. Now make no mistake Noni Jean is no damsel in distress, she’s very much the epitome of strength and will but she needed that little, subtle push that we all need from time to time. A dose of reality if you will. It’s not difficult to see how she might have strayed, after all the music business is so very much about FANTASY and the one who has the IT factor at the moment. And that brings me to the point I mentioned earlier about why more people haven’t rushed to theatres and seen this gem of a film.

You see, this film does a brilliant job of showing you the hypocrisy and insanity that is the music business. The out of control songs, videos, the basically sex on a stick costumes, and the fire fanned by social media and the connection that ‘fans’ now have to their idols. See I think that far too many people are afraid of seeing the hellish cyclone the music business has become. People are afraid of seeing the naked truth about the people they idolize, the lives they lead, the constant sacrifices they make, and the humanity they give up in order to be the IT person of the moment. There’s a line in the film that I will paraphrase because I think it nails it right on the head. Noni Jean to Momager Macy Jean-“You know there would be times in photo shoots when they would ask me to take off more and more clothing and I would look to you to see if it was OK and it was ALWAYS OK!!!”

And THAT’S EXACTLY what this gem of a film does. It peels the layers of the music entertainment industry back and shows you just how insane it all really is, and just how so very DEEP the rabbit hole goes.

I absolutely recommend this film. It’s another #MUSTSEE that your commands attention from start to finish almost effortlessly!!!

 

Joyll CambridgeJoyll Cambridge hails from Manchester, United Kingdom and currently lives in New York, New York. She loves all things movies, fitness and swirling. To read Joyll’s personal blog at The Humanist Exec, click here.

Joyll joined our team as our resident movie reviewer. To contact Joyll or request a review, email her at SheCritiques@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, All rights reserved. Photo of Joyll Cambridge used with permission. Movie poster from the movie “Beyond The Lights” obtained from IMDB.

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Gugu Mbtha-Raw, Joyll Cambridge, movie, movie reivew, Nate Parker

Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2014 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

shareasimageChristmas2014

We trust you’re enjoying the holiday with your family and friends.

Here’s a quick podcast sending Holiday Greetings to you from us, the members of The Swirl World Podcast Team:

Co-Host Adrienne London Leach

Feature’s Editor Gynger Fyer, The Romance Arsonist

Men’s Editor Mark Custard

and

Co-Host Michelle Matthews Calloway

Merry Christmas!

Woot Woot!

If you can’t see the podcast player, click here or here.

You can also listen to the podcast on Sound Cloud by clicking here.

 

Want to be a guest on the regular or men’s podcast, or know someone who should? Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio! 

Copyright © 2014  Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™,  All rights reserved. 

 

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Filed Under: Podcast, Special, Uncategorized Tagged With: Christmas, greetings, Holidays

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