Idlewild has some truly breathtaking moments, but borrows too heavily from other similar movies, and the disjointed script is not worthy of talents involved.
Idlewild has some truly breathtaking moments, but borrows too heavily from other similar movies, and the disjointed script is not worthy of talents involved.
audience
62
liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 26,944
OutKast duo André "Andre 3000" Benjamin and Antwan Andre "Big Boi" Patton star as two Prohibition-era performers determined to fend off the vicious gangsters currently attempting to gain a stake in the pair's lucrative club in this musical drama directed by longtime collaborator Bryan Barber and featuring choreography by three-time Tony award winner Hinton Battle. In the 1930s, Idlewild was the hottest speakeasy in the South thanks to the impressive showmanship of flamboyant manager/lead
performer Rooster (Patton) and the notable talents of introverted pianist Percival (Benjamin). Everything changes, however, when a powerful gangster and his ruthless henchmen move in on the scene with every intention of landing a healthy portion of the club's considerable profits. Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen, and Cicely Tyson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Shakespeare has been quoted many, many times over the past 400 or so years, but never to such empty purpose as in the inchoate, self-indulgent musical drama Idlewild
Benjamin and Patton have devised a basic Prohibition era gangster story as a background for their newest musical experiment melding modern hip-hop with the jazz and blues of the '30s, all put together with a great deal of visual cleverness and flair.
In spite of several inspired moments where it exhibits some genuine promise, this desperate attempt to be all things to all people ends up sabotaging any potential to make a memorable contribution to the annals of cinema.
Visually, the picture pleasantly harks back to a bygone era, but it simultaneously undercuts that sense of nostalgia by indulging in incessant profanity, the N-word, rap music and some thoroughly modern dance moves.
For a band whose music is suffused with such delicate irony, you'd expect at the very least for there to be a few laughs along the way? There are none. Nothing. Zero.
See it. Chances are, you'll fall in love with Idlewild in spite of how many times you've seen this plot before. But that might be the Georgia boy in me talking...
This movie is beautiful. It's everything Chicago should have been: the music, the characters, the set design, the costumes, the script, the strange balance between tragedy, comedy and romance. This movie is really something special. Beautifully shot and the story is very well-crafted and tight. I love the surreality of
the animation and the visual effects. Where was this during the Oscars?
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