Friday, January 16, 2009

Movie Review: The Family that Preys


My husband and I can be very critical when it comes to movies and we have a tendency to critique the films we watch. We rarely actually go to a movie and it has to be something that we both really want to see in order for us to shell out nearly $20.00.
That being said we normally wait until a film is released on DVD and we either rent it, watch it with family On Demand or Mommy buys it for the family collection.

Synopsis: "Socialite Charlotte Cartwright and her friend Alice Pratt, a working class woman, have enjoyed a lasting friendship through the years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children's extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and dark secrets threaten to derail the family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved" (Synopsis - courtesy of DVD backcover).

My Observations: I thought this film was very well done. I enjoyed everything about it from the plot to the actors to the cinematography to the writing. The chemistry between the characters was a joy to watch. I believed that Kathy Bates (Charlotte) and Alfre Woodard (Alice) were actually good friends that truly cared about one another. I have never seen Sanaa Lathan (Andrea) play a character that was so self-centered and arrogant and she was absolutely great. I enjoyed Taraji Henson (Pam) as well, she seems like she is so much fun to work with and burst of good energy. Robin Givens (Abigail) always plays such a strong, no-nonsense, type of character and she didn't disappoint. One of my favorite scenes in the film is between Sanaa's character and Robin's character. It was like a showdown and neither one of them backed down. I also thought the production team did an awesome job with the costumes, hair and makeup. Everyone looked really good in the film and the business suits and dresses were really beautiful.

Rating & Reason: A-
Overall, I thought this film was outstanding. The Family that Prey's is a wonderfully written drama, with seasoned actors and unexpected plot twists. There was diversity, characters were 3-dimensional and everything made sense. The minus in the rating comes from the lack of exterior shots in the film. I would have liked to see where we were or what time of day it was. It was difficult to tell that time had passed and the only way I knew was because of the costumes. I also find myself fast-forwarding through the opening scene as well as some of the scenes between Alice & Charlotte on their road trip. Otherwise, I highly recommend this film and believe it should be part of any DVD collection. By the way...my husband gives it an A and he can be hard to please...so that speaks volumes!!!

Blessings and Favor,
Beautiful

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