She's Gotta Have It Reviews
Great Debut
Posted : 6 years, 1 month ago on 24 February 2018 02:27A great feature length debut. Lee's black and white comedy drama is brimming with all the enthusiasm and creativity of its director. From the black and white style that mirrors the aesthetics of film noir and the Golden Age of Japanese cinema, She's Gotta Have It meshes this visual mode with vibrant jazz and a representation of Brooklyn that is refreshing. The story surrounds a young woman and her three lovers humorously delving into the lives of black folk in a way reminisce of Zora Neale Hurston's There Eyes Were Watching God which the film pays tribute to in the opening credits. Working on a small budget Lee skillfully utilizes what he has, making the city scene breathe life into his film and plugging in his father and gorgeous sister into roles that they carry off well. This is one of Lee's more experimental joints and he has no problem breaking the fourth wall and using unconventional editing. If it wasn't for the mishandled rape scene that the director himself admits to reject doing, this film would have been even greater. Still, Lee's directorial debut is groundbreaking, adding an integral work in the American canon and Lee's own filmography.
0 comments, Reply to this entry
A good movie
Posted : 6 years, 7 months ago on 17 September 2017 05:40Since I always had a weak spot for Spike Lee's work, of course, I was really eager to check his directing debut. Eventually, what I liked the most was the fact it was so much lighter than his usual work which was just so refreshing. Then, even though it was sometimes slightly pretentious, which was rather expected from a directing debut, I really liked the directing with some neat black-and-white photography. Still, even though Tracy Camilla Johns was quite gorgeous and seriously charismatic, it was still difficult to root for this character who had some massive commitment issues. Indeed, it is interesting to point that, so far in his career, Spike Lee has made only 2 movies with a female main character, this one dealing with a woman who sleeps pretty much with everybody and 'Girl 6' who was dealing with a woman becoming a phone-sex operator. Furthermore, from her 3 lovers, even though they were all completely different, there were 2 of them (Greer Childs and Mars Blackmon) that she could have dropped without any hesitation and there was no real valid reason for her to keep seeing them. Still, even if the material didn't completely work, it was pretty neat how Spike Lee managed to deliver some complex and flawed characters. Anyway, to conclude, even though it was definitely not a masterpiece, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth, especially if you are interested in Spike Lee's work.
0 comments, Reply to this entry