It's quite something... and, yes, in a good way. In a way I can understand why Universal kept on pushing it back as Bryan Barber came up with something more offbeat and visionary. It's not the most original nor complex story--it's actually rather simple--but in form and execution really challenging the boundaries and any stereotypical preconceptions with the visuals, the editing, the music. Actually, in a way, from its kinetic visuals, shamelessly anachronistic music melding of past and present, the mix of the serious and decidedly less so as well as the real and the surreal, and its homage to music and dance styles of the past, it could be seen as somewhat of an African-American Moulin Rouge!. It's a high class production all the way, and while a number of members of the name ensemble (such as Faizon Love, Cicely Tyson, Patti LaBelle, Paula Jai Parker, Malinda Williams, Ving Rhames, Macy Gray, Jackie Long, and Bill Nunn) have fairly limited screen time, everyone from top to bottom does a nice job, not least of which Andre and Big Boi and newcomer Paula Patton. (And, of course, Terrence Howard makes a particularly badass bad guy.) I can already see the reviews from less open-minded/more curmudgeonly critics that it's a glorified longform video for a period-flavored concept album, but that shortchanges the performances, the great technical polish, the choreography, editing, effects, the creative use of music; yes, it's style over traditional narrative substance, but the imagination in the style makes for something substantial. Really curious how this is gonna fare at the box office--I fear that the MTV/BET core young audience won't really get the throwback vibe going on here--but I admire that Barber and OutKast set out to create something that approaches art and isn't a mere product, as is too often the case with music star-driven movie projects.
, Rated R
