G

G (Director: Christopher Scott Cherot)



















Cherot's most recognizable title is Hav Plenty. Story comes from Andrew Lauren and Charles E. Drew, Jr., who wrote the screenplay with Cherot. This is a sort of modern-day "urban" updating of The Great Gatsby. Made back in 2002.

I know what you're thinking...why didn't I review this movie much sooner? Out of all the films released this weekend, how did this get lost in the shuffle? Well, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. Now everyone who is curious about this film can finally put to rest that question...what did Chris think of this film?

Tre (Andre Royo, "Bubbs" from "The Wire") is a magazine writer who wants a big story with music mogul Summer G (Richard T. Jones). His cousin Sky (Chenoa Maxwell) is married to the rich Chip Hightower (Blair Underwood), and through their connection he is able to get an invite to a party held by Summer G. Tre takes Sky with him, and as it turns out, Sky and Summer used to bump uglies and were in love back in the old college days. The record producer wants her back, and with her husband screwing around on her, she seems eager to go back, too, and it sets up that classic love triangle conflict.

Almost completely separate from that main story is a subplot involving one-hit wonder Craig Lewis (Laz Alonso) and his girlfriend Nicole (Lalanya Masters). It figures into the outcome, but ridiculously. Another set of scenes tacked on seemingly to pad the length is rapper B. Mo Smoov's (Nicoye Banks) attempts to romance single mom Shelly (Sonja Sohn, lesbian detective Greggs on "The Wire"). It doesn't figure into the outcome at all.

Yeah, it's about as sloppy a movie you can see. It's a clinic in trying to do too much, and making the main story suffer for it. Since it has the production values of a soap opera and has the gangsta theme, I thought of this movie as "Gangstopera." I like the sound of that so much, I may delude myself into thinking I've coined a new mixed-media slang term.

I know hardly anyone reading this even cares about, or has heard of, this movie. But there's my two cents.