A Few Movies

Good Hair
I watched this the other night w/ some people from my African American Lit class. Chris Rock hosts this documentary about African American hair styles. He seems a bit uncomfortable as an interviewer, but it's fascinating. They really go in depth about weaves and relaxer. Apparently, many women were really upset that their "beauty secrets" were explained, but it's definitely worth watching. At times, the conversations in the barber shop get a bit sexist, & he never seems bothered by that, but then Al Sharpton & Maya Angelou deal w/ the political side of the issue nicely.
Best line:
Rock: "So you lived your whole life & then finally got your hair straightened for the first time when you were 70?"
Angelou: "Well, it wasn't my whole life... I'm not dead yet."
There are also some hilariously offensive moments w/ Ice T.

Whatever Works
Stephanie found this on the Bookmobile the other day. Woody Allen meets Larry David! It's a fantastic film, & the pairing of Woody w/ Larry David was a genius move, but @ times it seems a bit forced. It's certainly 1 of his best comedies in years. Over the last 10 years, only Melinda & Melinda & Hollywood Ending are as good. Of course, Match Point & Cassandra's Dream are fantastic too, but they aren't comedies. My only complaints w/ it are that 1) it falls back on some pretty old WA jokes & 2) everyone is a bit rigid... not Hayden Christiensen rigid, but rigid none the less.

The Visitor
Stephanie found this one on the Bookmobile too. I'd been wanting to see it for quite some time, & I'm glad I finally did. It's absolutely beautiful. A older econ prof from Connecticut returns to his apartment in NY to find an African couple living there (renting from someone who claimed to own it). He ends up befriending them & getting tangled in their immigration fight while also coming out of his boring Econ shell. See it.