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Halle Berry is America's sweetheart. She's won an Oscar. She's made lots of money. She's finally found love and had a child. She's been universally upheld as a standard bearer of beauty, ethnic or otherwise.
And she's done all this, in spite of having made some truly sh*tty movies.
No movie better illustrates the hit-or-miss nature of her career than 1997's B.A.P.S., a movie I actually did pay to see. It's a decision I regret to this day. Those were 30 precious dollars and 91 minutes I'll never, evar get back.
B.A.P.S. (short for Black American Princesses) starred Berry as a hardly believable stereotypical ghetto girl named Starkeyshia Nisi. Nisi and her cousin Mickey have dreams of getting rich and opening their own ghetto hair salon, but to make money, they take jobs as a caretakers for an elderly Beverly Hills playboy.
Much like the Fat Boys' 1987 star vehicle Disorderlies, B.A.P.S. is a fish out of water with a blind ulterior motive story. In Disorderlies, The Fat Boys were a bungling trio of aspiring rappers hired to provide medical care for an aging millionaire, whose nephew secretly wants the orderlies to kill the old man so he can inherit his fortune. Despite the silly premise, Disorderlies was actually a pretty funny movie.
B.A.P.S. on the other hand? Uhh, not so much. Seriously, watch the trailer and wince.
And just in case you wanna subject yourself to more torture, here's a classic scene.
Since the only real "names" in this movie were Halle and Martin Landau, you could argue that this one doesn't really qualify was a WBMHTGC candidate, and you'd prolly be right. But I wasn't gonna waste any valuable bandwidth on Bulworth, so sorry.
This was definitely one of those special "man, even the opening credits suck, can I still get my money back?" types of godawful flicks that only comes around once every 3-4 months. Pooty Tang, Celtic Pride, and anything starring Bokeem Woodbine would also qualify.
It all sorta kinda makes you wonder why many consider Berry a great actress in the first place. Sure, she was good in Boomerang, Queen, and Losing Isaiah. But what about The Flintstones? Catwoman? Gothika? The Rich Man's Wife? Arghhh.
I'm not saying she's overrated, but she's got a little bit of T-Mac goin' on there.
Or maybe it's just me.
Question: Is Halle Berry a bit overrated? What's your favorite Halle flick, assuming such a thing exists? Do you think she deserved that Oscar for Monster's Ball?
B.A.P.S. on Yahoo! Movies
More of When Bad Movies Happen To Good Casts [AB.com]
Thursday, July 17, 2008
When Bad Movies Happen To Good Casts: B.A.P.S.
Tags Popped: Good Casts Bad Movies, What A DoucheBag
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I think Halle is overrated. I don't get her appeal at all. And I think she's stuck on herself. Meh I don't know nothin about her.
Look, I'm not hating on Halle, I think she's a beautiful woman and unfortunately, she's so beautiful that it works against her when it comes to acting. Regardless of how you felt about Denzel winning for Training Day that same year, you thought of him as Alonzo in that movie, not Denzel. Halle has never done that with a performance.
No matter how "grimy" of a character she tries to play (Jungle Fever, Losing Isiah, Monster's Ball), you never forget that you're watching Halle Berry on screen. Her Oscar was a political move by the Academy that year.
I've seen all of her movies and the only performance that suited her best was the role of Angela Lewis in Boomerang. Some actresses are just better fit for romantic comedies. I hate to say it, but Halle's one of those actresses.
That sex scene in Monster's Ball made me gag. Anyway, Halle has an equal amount of wins and losses in her film career. Catwoman, anybody...*gags again*
Halle Berry is incredibly overrated. Period.
@ ciara...touche...that scene was just nasty. so animalistic. YUCK!!! and with billy bob at that....
i just threw up in my mouth a little...
She is a bit overrated, yes. But I ain't hating on a sista. Do your thing Halle. To be honest, I can't think of another black actress right now that isn't a bit overrated. Where is this generation's Cicely Tyson or Ruby Dee? I did like Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. I think the difference with that movie is that it was her baby. Maybe that has something to do with it. You have to have the right vehicle to show off your chops, and let's face it-the pickings are slim to none for black actreses in Hollywierd. Angela Basset has made her share of crappy movies too. Without good roles out there, it's the latest Tyler Perry flick/play or bust.
I've been saying this for years. Step back and look at her whole body of work? There's no Glory, no Philadelphia et al. MOST of her stuff sucks. Frankly, Monster's Ball was the best thing she has done. Boomerang is a verrry close runner up.
I cosign with The Dark Angel. I am unable to see her as anyone other than Halle Berry. Maybe if she tried Broadway we could see if she posses raw talent. And for honesty sake Hollywood is now so far removed from actual acting and turning more toward special effects and CGI. Real talent is played out in the theater, nowadays.
She's a good actress, but not great. She could be great though with better material to work with and stronger directors. She probably didn't deserved the Oscar that year, but then again Oscars are frequently given out for reasons other than talent. That was the year of "Just give all the oscars to black people this year so they can shut up already about never winning oscars."
Nah, I really don't think she's overrated, but I think the problem is that she's done a VERY BAD job of picking roles that show her ability to act.
Well, I was 12 when B.A.P.S. came out and I thought it was pretty fun, and still kinda do.
But, I'm not quite sure WHAT role is perfectly suited for her, because Storm, just doesn't do anything over the top for me in "X-Men," and "Perfect Stranger" were just alright, not bad, just not great.
I thought Gothika was one of her better ones actually. I also thought "Their Eyes Were Watching God" was pretty good as well.
But, I am interested to know what did you all think about "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" LMAO.
Oh Lorrrrrd....look at this!
I'm on www.imdb.com looking her up and looking at her filmography, she has an announced movie called "Nappily Ever After."
What's this about?!?!?!
@ uppity
I actually reviewed Why Do Fools in a prior episode of Bad Movies...
Or were you just kidding?
@ dark angel/nia
Agreed. The Academy practiced some strange affirmative action that year. Neither Training Day nor Monster's Ball were high water marks for either Berry or Denzel.
But it DID get us off their backs. I'll say that much. It worked.
@ ebw
To be honest, I can't think of another black actress right now that isn't a bit overrated.
Dang, I REALLY hate to agree with you on that point, but it's unfortunately very true. Our actresses might have the talent, but they never get the chance to show it because they don't get the right vehicles. Go ahead and throw things at me, but I think Angela Bassett might be a tad bit overrated herself. Watch Madea's Family Reunion and tell me I ain't right.
@levois
Halle is great looking woman. If you don't agree with that there's not much to talk about.
@ciara @talentedtenth
Are you kidding me?....that was the best part of the Movie! C'mon let's get real. That's what won her the Oscar. She can't ACT. Halle naked = I'm going to see it. One the real, the voting academy probably felt she deserved something for rolling around with Billy Bob Thorton. Billy Bob's favorite word at the time was probably "rehearsal".
@AB
Training Day was good to me. I thought Denzel did his thing. Now with that said I thought the Malcolm X was a snub.
Girlfriend is walking around lucky cause she can't act AT ALL.
Eh...I don't know. I personally stopped looking out for her in movies. I never saw Monster's Ball. Still don't wanna after thinking about a sex scene with Billy Bob...BLECH! I don't even wanna think about Angelina F***ing BB, let alone Halle. EWW!
@AB
Oh I was totally joking around. I remember you going off on Lela Rochon, lol.
Hey there...
Now all "y'all" know that her role in Flintstones was Oscar-worthy!!
Don't hate! Congratulate!
{chuckles}
Lisa
I think that she does not respect her talent enough to reject bad scripts.
Hmmm. I think she's good, but not the greatest. I like what someone above mentioned about how most of our actresses could be considered 'overrated' because they aren't allowed the chance to really show their range and to act in varied roles, etc. I think Halle has talent, most definitely and I think she deserved something for her rose as "Leticia" and don't feel an Oscar-win was too extreme. She acted that part, prior to the sex scene which most think she won the Oscar for. And the 'animalistic'-ness of the scene was appropriate. I'd rather her 'getting with Billy' be as raw and real as it was as it showed how the character was really to that point of letting go, breaking down, growling....LOL I'm sure she did a lot of that; it's been a minute since I watched the movie. It's not one of those flicks I'll watch again because the entire piece was just heartbreaking and depressing. And check it, Heath Ledger...awesome.
She and other black actresses like Angela Bassett I believe definitely need much more decent material to work with. I think it's another reason why black women in entertainment should concentrate more on writing, producing and directing their own films. White men, black men and white women all do a lousy job at portraying us on screen.
Halle Berry ...pretty lady, very classic beauty, I'll give her that.
But she can't act her way through a paper bag. I'm sorry.
That role as Sam Jackson's crackhead girlfriend in "Jungle Fever" ...unintentional comedic classic! LOL. All that cussing and carrying on, it was just wasn't belieavable at all.
Ditto with her role as "Queen" in the Alex Haley-adapted TV movie of the same name. "Eyes' negro!" ...LOL. It was comedy ...and it wasn't supposed to be.
Yeah, Halle Berry was a fixture for the mainstream entertainment media a decade AFTER her screen debut but that doesn't equal great actress.
Plus, outside of the Bond movie and the X-Man series, what movies of hers were solid, box office hits?
About Angela Bassett ...beautiful, beautiful woman. Very underrated in my opinion. But like Halle and every other black actress, the shortage and lack of quality of roles really marred her success.
Halle Berry is overrated. She is also gorgeous. Therefore I will ignore that she is overrated. Seriously though she is a decent actress, but nothing to write home about, if she wasnt gorgeous of course.
@AB
Angela Bassett WAS NOT in Madeas Family Reunion. That was Lynn Whitfield you are thinking of. I dont what it is about those two but people get them confused very often.
Anyway Angela is in no way over-rated, we havent even seen a fraction of what she can do. She is on the other hand, under-employed. I hope we get to see Angela work her magic more on the big screen, I miss her like hell.
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