I started this blog.
The Secret Life of Bees, which I saw just before Thanksgiving, was the quintessential Sunday-morning matinee experience: decent, entertaining, a solid B. I liked it.
“I killed my mother when I was 4 years old. She was all I ever wanted, and I took her away.” Those damning words, which open The Secret Life of Bees, come from 14-year-old Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) and hold juicy, mysterious promise. Alas, Bees morphs into a better-than-average Lifetime movie, although its exemplary cast disguises the script’s soft center well.
In 1964 Georgia, Lily lives with her abusive father (Paul Bettany) and black nanny (Jennifer Hudson). Lily’s trip to help Rosaleen register to vote turns violent, so they disappear to Tiburon, South Carolina, guided only by a black Mary picture. That leads them to the Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo); lessons of love and racial awareness commence.
When writer/director Gina Prince-Blythewood (Love and Basketball) sticks to the framework of Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, Bees flowers, despite Kidd’s sometimes-florid prose. (Prince-Blythewood can’t fix the underdeveloped Rosaleen arc, though.) The more she deviates - Lily wouldn’t have been able to sit in a “colored” section at the movies - the more the film loses its sting. And musical montages should banned unless your aim is to reside in the chick-flick ghetto.
The performances, especially from Fanning and Latifah, make it easier to overlook Bees’ flaws. Fanning, whose early work bordered on preternaturally adult, has matured into her talent. At one point, Lily has no dialogue for almost 10 minutes as she watches the drama around her. Fanning grabs us just by observing and absorbing. As she often does, Latifah provides a steady hand, this time as beekeeper/head of household August. While she’s played variations of Mother Hen in everything from Chicago to Beauty Shop, Latifah’s presence always welcomes and reassures.
Bees isn’t quite as sweet as honey, but the strength of its women make for a pleasant cinematic experience.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
you started your blog on my birthday? really? i had no idea. i'm touched. :)
Post a Comment