El precio de la ambicion

...but no cigar.

I go into all films with the highest of hopes...and the lowest of expectations. (For the record, I see about 200 films per year. At my own expense. I'm a screenwriter and this is part of my ongoing education.) Most times, I'm disappointed. (However, I've had three great film experiences in the past two weeks and I'm expecting to see two of the year's best over the next three days.)

'G' was a disappointment. I'm not going to go into particulars of plot and spoil it for anyone, but what I will say is that if there's any 'connection' between this film and the world of hip-hop, it's a reliance on style. That is, 'bombastic' gets the job done. Now, before anyone accuses me of dissin' hip-hop, I'm not. I wouldn't claim to know enough about the music to have a credible opinion. But certainly the music videos, the marketing, the press, the 'lifestyle' implies that -it would be easy to believe- having the bling does the thing. (Yes, I know the music transcends the attitude.) Here, basic storytelling precepts were thrown out the window and a reliance was placed on the arena of hip-hop with the parties and the cars and the jewellery. There was so little going on in this film...and when something did go on, it was either convoluted, lacking proper motivation, or was completely out of perspective.

For the record, the acting was fine. The production values were great. But the script... Yes, there were a couple of funny moments. But there was nothing to either grab onto, or to grab you. The story was not engaging at all. The characters -though all very, very beautiful and handsome- didn't pique your curiosity. You knew where everything was going to end up. And the screenwriter/director should be reminded of the fact that what people say doesn't define their personalities. What they *do* tells us who and what they're like. There was way too much posturing in this film; fine for hip-hop videos, where most everything these days seems to be a parody of itself, but not for a motion picture. The rules are completely different. What this film needed was more exploration of who the characters were, where they'd been and what really was at stake with the decisions that ended up being made, because in the end, it was 'a tempest in a teapot'. A 24 carat gold one, of course.

I'm sad that so much effort went into this production and so little passion ended up on the screen. I'm especially sad that this wasn't a better vehicle for Richard T Jones, someone that I think has a lot more potential than Jamie Foxx or Will Smith.

Oh, well. Onto the next film, eh?

Like this review, G could never capture the eloquence of F. Scott Fitzgerald. What made this movie good was the skeleton provided by Fitzgerald, what made this movie bad was the adaptation. This film had its share of corn. What the first half of the century called "melodrama" we call corny. So that is due to no fault of the producer or the screenwriter. At the same time, the timelessness of the story is what will capture the attention of the audience. On some level we all love a little melodrama. Those who have read the novel will enjoy finding the urban parallels. I was even motivated to read the book again after the screening.

The enigmatic Gatsby found a counterpart in Summer G without as much mystery. Richard T. Jones is very good at playing the strong silent type. Chenoa Maxwell's Sky Hightower captured the desperate innocence of the classic's Daisy. And Blair Underwood's Chip Hightower was a Tom like no other. There was a little unnecessary comic relief and a few extra characters all building to a crescendo and an almost operatic ending.

It's difficult to adapt classic novels. This is not the first attempt for The Great Gatsby. Robert Redford and Mia Farrow attempted in 1974. I found that version very boring. So in comparison G was much better but the corn factor was a little extra. All in all much more good than bad.

No, it didn't have great fx, no it didn't run on BET after 106 and Park, yes it was an indy film. But I got it. It was different , Cool, smart, and hip. Chenoa Maxwell is breath taking. I don't get all the hard reviews. I loved it and want it on DVD for my collection. I think the director is a little different kinda kat. I liked Have Plenty, and this film G was "on it" all you critics need to watch it again...I got it...maybe you critics went to a bad public school where the Great Gastby wasn't required reading to graduate. Richard T Jones was good in this too, and I like Blair Underwood as a villain. This was ome good stuff. Im tired of gangster, rapper, hip hop laced art...we have too much of it and we need to see some different images of black culture.

You can tell a lot about a movie by its release date… or in this case, it's release YEAR. G was made in 2002, and we're finally seeing it in limited release at the end of 2005. There's a reason why studios and theaters weren't rushing to release this one. How can I describe G? It's Boyz 'N The Hood, but this time the Hood is the Hamptons. This is not The Great Gatsby that F. Scott Fitzgerald had in mind when he wrote the classic novel. However, it's certainly an original idea for movie ("There just weren't enough rap moguls in the 1920s version"), but G is by no means a good movie in any way.

The black stereotypes are horrific! Four up-and-coming rappers are driving around the Hamptons complaining that they can't find Newports, 40s, or McDonalds anywhere! Yes, I laughed, but I laughed at how horrible those lines were! Don't see this movie, it's just ridiculous. The acting is as pathetic as the script. No wait, there's one great line in G: "If you ever touch my sister again, I'll stab you in the dick with a plastic spoon!" There, now you know the funniest line. Now there really is no reason to see it.

I have no gripe about this movie. The plot is an adaptation of what The Great Gatsby, which I love.

Anyone who says that the beginning gives away the end, probably has attention deficiency disorder and didn't pay attention to the actual story. There were many instances in which you suspect the movie would end with the opening scene, but it just didn't.

And I don't agree with anyone saying that the characters are "stereotyped." There are many types of blacks portrayed in this movie, from the "straight from the ghetto and 'real' about it" to the reserved, cool "gangsters" to the type that wants to conform to "higher" society. The rowdiness and uncouthness of the people in Summer G's party are necessary in keeping the feeling of the book The Great Gatsby, where the newly-rich in Gatsby's party are unaware of the etiquette of blue-blood society.

And to those who said "there is no hip hop," I believe that I did hear some rap/hiphop played several times throughout the movie. You don't expect to have an entire music video film, do you? Overall, I thought this movie was great. There was some arguably unnecessary material sprinkled throughout the film, but it should definitely get higher than a 4.4.