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Scribbles about Movies: Review of Black or White

So this is going to be a weird review... because I don't totally know how I feel about the movie. It wasn't really good and it wasn't really bad. There was a lot wrong with it, but I didn't hate it and I'm kind of happy I saw it, but sort of wished maybe I had waited for it to come out on TV.

First thing is first: I do not like Kevin Costner as an actor. I thought he was really really bad in this movie and i felt little to no sympathy for his character at all... I mean his daughter had died and his wife died... but at the same time he couldn't do ANYTHING. Like there are simple tasks pretty much everyone can do... he couldn't do them. He hired a tutor because his daughter's 3rd grade math was too hard for him and he had the tutor tutor him in the math as well... thats a bit of a stretch. He was also very mean to people for no reason, and I don't think that he was a bad guy all around... but there was no big redeeming factor for him in the end. I mean you would think he would learn something about race, class, family, friendship or love or something in the course of the movie... but he really doesn't at all. And he's not a complete bad guy... but really his kind of "big win" moment of the movie was a speech he made in court and it was kind of offensive really. I don't remember exactly what it was but he said something about him noticing the color of a person's skin just like the first thing he'll notice about an attractive woman is her breasts... I just don't like that answer... lol. Idk I feel like noticing the color of someone's skin is a lot different than staring at a woman's breasts... That isn't a win. I feel like there is a difference between "noticing the color of a person's skin" and "judging someone based on their skin color." I think Costner's character was slightly more the latter and I think seeing a woman's breasts is also more of a judgement as to weather or not she's attractive... so that isn't a win speech to me.

Also, they make you think that the movie is going to really "go there" and it really doesn't. The main plot of the movie is Kevin Costner raising this little girl that is his granddaughter after his daughter dies during childbirth. He flat out blames the father of the granddaughter for the daughter's death... which isn't really right. And the movie never says "no that isn't why your daughter died." All the father of the little girl did was get Kevin Costner's daughter pregnant, which yes she did die in childbirth but I don't think you can really blame him for that when it brought about this little girl that you love and you're fighting to raise into the world? Thats just a bit weird. And when I say it almost "goes there," Kevin Costner's character implies that his daughter was raped... but he didn't actually rape her. There was an established relationship between the girl and her boyfriend, which they touch on for like a second in the movie in like the weirdest way... idk its just like they make really weird choices and that wasn't really handled well. And the way they conducted the courtroom was totally outrageous and weird and not something that would happen in real life.

There were also a few pet peeves of mine in this movie... I love Bill Burr. I think he's a really funny comedian, and he can actually act. He's good on Kroll Show and Breaking Bad and I thought he was good in this movie... but they didn't A) establish the relationship of his character and Kevin Costner's character and B) Didn't really establish his relationship with Gillian Jacobs enough. And Gillian was being so nice and Kevin Costner was so mean to her! And they kind of had her acting dumber than she was and I didn't like that. Mrs. Gary Marshall isn't dumb! Lol! (she isn't really married to Gary Marshall, but you know what I mean if you like Comedy Bang Bang.) Britta Perry would have found it offensive.

Also they had a lot of weird art all around Kevin Costner's house. Like I feel like they were just putting up stereotypical things only white people would buy all over their house. It was a little weird.

Yeah, I feel like I'm saying all these negative things about the movie... but overall it wasn't a bad movie. It was a little long, cheesy, and unrealistic at times... but the concept was good. Octavia Spencer was really good in it. I like what the message of the movie was attempting but I don't think it fully pulled that off. I didn't really think Kevin Costner's character was that good a guy to be the big "hero" of the movie... so I thought part of it was a little weird. The ending kind of makes you feel good but its also like "ohhh maybe it shouldn't have ended that way. I don't think that one thing should have happened."

So I think I'm happy I saw this movie... but would I recommend paying for it? No. I feel like there are better movies about race out there that have a better message and a better ending. This claimed to be "inspired by true events" which is much much different than saying "based on a true story" so I don't think everything about it necessarily happened in real life... I'm sure things like this do happen though, and it is a sad thing... but I don't think this movie was done well enough to convey the strong meaning behind it all.

So that is it. If you liked the trailer or anything, I don't think you would be disappointed in this movie... but movies are expensive so maybe wait till its on tv. Lol.

Byeee!
-Shannon



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