James' World 2

The Woman King is a historical epic film inspired by true events, featuring the all-female Agojie warriors who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries.  The film is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Dana Stevens, based on a story she wrote with Maria Bello.  When I saw the trailer, my opinion was tainted by the surrounding criticisms about the accents of the none African actors but after seeing The Woman King, all criticisms have evaporated.  This is the most significant film I’ve ever seen about the plight of African Americans from the onset. The Woman King is a brilliant work of art!

The Woman King is set in the 1820s. The Agojie’s General Nanisca (Viola Davis) trains a new generation of warriors to fight against an enemy who wants to destroy their way of life. Issues that involve slave trading, women’s…

“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” is a  comedy written, directed, and produced by Adamma Ebo, in her feature directorial debut. It is a feature-length adaptation of Ebo’s 2018 short film of the same name. Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown, are producers on the film alongside Daniel Kaluuya, who produced “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” under his 59% Productions banner, with Jordan Peele serving as executive producer under his Monkeypaw Productions banner. I wasn’t sure what to expect — the film didn’t offer much and I didn’t get much from watching it.  Other than a couple of funny lines, this movie was a wash.

“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.” is a satirical comedy starring Regina Hall (Trinitie Childs), who was the proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, along with her husband Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown), who once served a congregation in the…

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a dark fantasy directed by George Miller. He wrote the screenplay with Augusta Gore, adapting the 1994 short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A. S. Byatt. The film was released in the United States on August 26, 2022, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (via United Artists Releasing).  When I saw the trailer, I was immediately intrigued because the plot looked different and interesting. Also, I am a big fan of the two leading actors.  I loved the movie and thought it held many truths. Well done Mr. Miller!

Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a lonely British scholar who is occasionally suffering from bizarre hallucinations of demonic beings. During a trip to Istanbul, Alithea purchases an antique bottle where she accidentally unleashes a Djinn (Edris Elba) who was trapped inside it. After struggling to open the bottle, the Djinn appears as an extremely large man…

Beast is a thriller directed by Baltasar Kormákur from a screenplay by Ryan Engle and is based on a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan.  The plot revolves around a recently widowed doctor and his two teenage daughters who travel to a South African game reserve managed by an old family friend and wildlife biologist. What begins as a journey of healing and a chance to reconnect with his daughters, turns into a fight for survival.  I’m a huge fan of Edris so I was anxious to see Beast. The film was well done considering this is not a new concept.

Recently widowed Dr. Nate Samuels (Edris Elba) and his two teenage daughters, Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Sava Jeffries) arrive at the Mopani Game Reserve in South Africa for a vacation. Nate reunites with his old friend, Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley) a biologist and Mopani manager, who introduced Nate…