Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - Page 9
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“Ticket” misses some numbers
LEE from page 8
By erica s. johnson digest staff writer
“Lottery Ticket” premiered over the weekend with a good moral message, but a less than entertaining execution. The young cast, intended to entice the 17-to-23-year-old crowd, included Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton (Notorious), Charlie Murphy, Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Taking of Pelhan 123), Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale), Terry Crews, Mike Epps, T-Pain, and Ice Cube. Despite the main three actors (Bow Wow, Jackson, and Naughton) the remaining characters seem to be thrown in to the mix for face value and add little to the storyline. The premise of the story is simple: Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) a high school graduate in the projects wins a ridiculous amount of money. He must keep the ticket, and his life a secret, through the three days that follow his win until he can claim his fortune. His win is leaked to the lottery-crazed community by his grandmother (Devine), and subsequently Carson encounters both supporters and thieves who want little to do with him and more to do with his upcoming prize. Ex-con Lorenzo (Akinnagbe), who has been terrorizing Carson, leads a ban of men who are willing to kill for the ticket. In hiding, Carson gets lost in the idea of his winnings and begins to act out of his norm. The once hard working, ethical young man takes $100,000 from “The Godfather of the Projects” (Keith David)
photo by David lee, Warner bros./ap photo
In this publicity image released by Warner Bros., from left, Brandon T. Jackson, Bow Wow, and Naturi Naughton are shown in a scene from “Lottery Ticket.”
buying Hummers and shoes along the way. Even the girl of his dreams (Teairra Mari) wants a piece of him now. He becomes suspicious of everyone, including his best friend Benny (Jackson). Carson is plagued by the good he could do for the community and the trouble he now faces being thrown into the spot light. Should he give the ticket up and run away, stay and fight for what he has won, or will he even be alive in three days to choose? I will not spoil the ending for you, and I will not tell you to spend nine dollars to find out for yourself. Besides the extreme predictability the plot had, the disappointing points of the movie hold strong to stereotypes that so many blacks struggle to dismantle everyday: money makes the hood go crazy,
women will purposely get pregnant by a man with money, and ex-cons are always going to be violent, messy, and greedy. Despite the painfully un-clever plot the moral behind the movie was important. Money does not solve all problems. In a financial crisis like the one both the United States and Southern University are facing, it is pleasing to see that message from young black actors. Moviegoers, during a 9:45pm showing in New Orleans, expressed positive feedback about the film. Each of the 34 people asked whether they liked or disliked the movie chose the former; proving that light comedy and a cute cast override predictable and petty plotlines. Score one for Cube Vision Productions.
Fantasia puts focus on album By sam ross digest contributing writer
R&B singer Fantasia Barrino made headlines this week for the release of a new album, rather than tabloid fodder. Barrino’s third album, “Back to Me,” is the singer’s first effort since her 2006 selftitled album, which generated lackluster sales. Earlier this month, a 911 call was made from Barrino’s North Carolina home. The call was placed by Brian Dickens, Barrino’s manager. Police confirmed that the singer had attempted to end her own life, by overdosing on aspirin and sleep medications. Barrino was hospitalized due to dehydration and exhaustion at the time of the incident. After a two-day hospital stint, she was released from the North Carolina hospital. Apparently, the 26-year-old American Idol winner’s suicide attempt came as the result of media outlets’ frenzy over an
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alleged affair the singer had been having with Antwaun Cook, a married man Barrino met last year at a T-Mobile store where he worked. The overdose came just days after Cook’s wife, Paula Cook, accused Barrino through court litigations of having an affair with her husband. Sometime in June of this year, Mrs. Cook filed for a divorce from her husband. Nonetheless, Barrino and Mr. Cook had been seeing each other on and off for almost a year prior to that. Barrino’s manager released a statement statiing that Mr. Cook told Barrino he and Mrs. Cook separated. As a result, Barrino fell in love with Mr. Cook and believed that he loved her. Barrino is heartbroken and very sorry for any pain she may have caused. With a lawsuit, bad romance, rumored sex tape, upcoming album, and VH1 reality show “Fantasia For Real,” all on her plate, Dickens went on to explain being “totally overwhelmed
by the lawsuit and the media attention” is what caused the singer to become suicidal. Having released an autobiographical novel, “Fantasia: Life is Not a Fairytale,” a few years back, Barrino openly attests to having had her share of trials. Barrino was raped at the age of 14, became a teen mom and has had to struggle with illiteracy woes. The singer is no stranger to hardships. It is Barrino’s ability to remain resilient that gives her hope. The singer, who has performed several times on BET’s annual Celebration of Gospel, credits God for her strength. Recently, she released a statement saying, “I can’t thank my fans enough for their prayers and support during such a challenging time…I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this album and I pray that everyone enjoys it as much as I do.” According to nydailynews. com, “Barrino’s new album… far out performs her first two
his claim. The date was Sept. 2, 2005, in Mobile, Ala., and, prior to the live TV appearance, “I had been describing to the president how bad things were. Telling him what I needed. Why things weren’t working. ... And then we walk out and he makes that comment, and I’m like, ‘What the hell!’” Neither Bush nor Chertoff made themselves available to Lee, nor — flashing ahead to the oil spill — does Tony Hayward, then CEO of BP. Still, Hayward is well represented by the infamous clip where he expresses his longing to get “my life back,” as well as in the soothingly scripted commercial where he states his regret for the oil spill, promises to make it right and adds his thanks “for the strong support of the government.” But it goes beyond “strong support,” said Lee, who believes BP has been allowed to call the shots in its own interest, and often counter to the public good. “What has been puzzling people, and I include myself, is how much BP has had control of the situation,” he said, echoing a sentiment heard from many in his film. Heartbreaking but defiant, “If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise” picks up where “Levees” left off, as a catalog of plagues that largely could have been averted. Why they weren’t is not so puzzling, said Lee. “It’s greed.”
JEAN from page 8
barrino works.” Barrino is now back to business with several confirmed television apperances ad performances scheduled to promote “Back to Me” over the next few weeks. Music critics and fans both are expecting Barrino to regain her once promising career and really be “back to Fantasia.”
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27-year-old mechanic. “We’re ready to die for Clef, and without him there’s no election. We are with him 100 percent.” Although he issued a statement late Friday saying that “I respectfully accept the committee’s final decision,” the 40-year-old singer said Sunday that he is appealing the Haitian board’s decision on the basis that it rejected his candidacy before the national electoral dispute office, or BCEN, could issue a final ruling on the residency issue. Jean said that shortly after he filed his papers to run in the Nov. 28 election, two Haitian citizens challenged his candidacy, saying he had not met the residency requirements. The BCEN ruled in his favor, Jean asserted, but the two citizens appealed the decision. The case was still pending when the Haitian elections board decided to disqualify Jean, the singer said. It was not clear whether Jean’s legal argument would hold up. Elections board spokesman Richardson Dumel said that as of Sunday afternoon, he had not seen any paperwork from the candidate indicating an appeal, but he declined to comment further. The board on Friday accepted 19 candidates and rejected 15. A spokesman read out the names of the approved and rejected candidates quickly at a late, hastily called news conference.