Chi-Raq

I enjoyed watching it, but in my opinion it mimicked "A Miami Tail" that has rapper Trina as the main character. Although, this version was better directed, and rightfully so since I would assume there was more funds put into its release than the Miami movie. More importantly than comparisons, this story mimics what cities like Chicago are truly going through. Yes, this is Hollywood's twist on it for capitalistic purposes, but there is a serious issue going on with gang violence right now that just is not touched on enough because of the long-standing history of gangs in the US. For that reason, I applaud Spike Lee for always bringing some consciousness to his theatrical storytelling's. But, I couldn't give it 5-stars because, well, the acting (but not the actors) kind of sucked and did the message of the movie a disservice.

Spike Lee's audacious approach has the ability to capture our attention, but can also defeat the message behind his films. I commend him for addressing many issues surrounding the Black community: #Blacklivesmatter!, black on black crimes, gang violence, incarceration, poverty, poor health, poor education system, police brutality, misogyny, etc., but the delivery may perturb and/or bore people. This film also has the ability to reinforce negative stereotypes, as well as criminalize and oversexualize Black people, which they get enough of. Overall, the redundancy and the cliches minimize the importance of the issues at hand. However, I appreciate the lead actress (afrocentric beauty at its finest), hip hop poetry, creativity, background music, statistical information and of course the powerful message, which should not be overlooked. If you do not enjoy the film, at the very least, start investigating the issues surrounding the Black Community, as well as other communities.

The premise is if women don't sleep with the men, the men will stop gang banging. This was the dumbest movie ever. John Cusack's character was so unbelievable, not a good role for him.