I have recommended it to everyone I know. On the other hand, Jennifer Hudson's presence is powerful. As for the movie itself, I have a few problems with the cast. Jackson refers to ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes' play Lysistrata. There's similarities between another two households alike in dignity, Down to the the colors worn during their mutiny.
And Lee uses names and dialogue from a Greek play so while the film is set in modern day Chicago the characters call themselves Trojans and Spartans for no apparent reason whatsoever. Chi-Raq is a melding of modern culture and ancient Greek comedy. What starts off in Chi-Raq seems to be Lee's take on the gargantuan epidemic of gang violence in Chicago, where it's really more like a war zone with people and innocents especially from stray bullets being killed in the thousands. Otherwise, this is a waste of money. Violence, gangs and turf wars are the direct result of the drug trade. There are many reasons to hate: revenge, opportunity, resource, religion, Politics, poverty, power, cash, race and competition.
In other words, Lee is all over the place here, and it would be one thing if there were some things anchoring it all like, say, actual characters with any depth. Despite a laudably all-black cast, this movie conveniently ignores the reality that male violence is not women's responsibility to deal with, and black male violence is likewise, not black women's responsibility. Nick Cannon delivers a very believable performance here, despite someone not growing up in Chicago nor, to my knowledge, being affiliated with the musical culture of the region. The General King Kong character is even worst. It is precisely the sort of bawdy burlesque one would have seen in ancient Greece.
You end up with selective rhyming, female stereotypes and over-simplified gang violence. The conceit that women use their vaginas and sexuality to fix toxic masculinity and the poverty that causes violence and desperation in poor communities of color is absurd and wrong. But it's actually a bad movie. On the other hand, Jennifer Hudson's presence is powerful. So much unrealized potential here. So too does Lysistrata makes her nihilism known, Until an innocent is slain by a bullet in stray.
Servicemembers killed in Iraq 4267 vs. Activities vary set by set, block by block. I thought this was pretty solid. All the valid intelligent criticism I've seen involves elements tying this to Aristophanes work. Sometimes they injure or even kill each other and sometimes innocent bystanders fall victim to the violence.
As for me, it was different, interesting in a good way and funny. Of course, few groups in our society understand the problem better than African Americans, who are twice as likely as whites to be killed by guns. The men aren't happy about being denied physical affection, but they don't take the protest seriously? Otherwise, here are some really nice features of the film. The storyline stopped focusing on the gun violence in Chicago and started focusing more on the idea that if women stopped having sex with the men that they would stop gang banging in return. I had high hopes for this film, but was really disappointed. It was beautifully shot, great cinematography that I have not seen in Spike's joint in a minute.
John Cusack, If Al Pacino sees this film, he'll know exactly where you conjured up this performance, the sermon in the church was masterful. In modernity and convention we're given new dimension, With which to understand what's sadly a new norm. It's not classic men vs women tropes. If you live in Chicago, then you've undoubtedly heard about the needless controversy surrounding this film since the very moment Lee had any interest in making a film about the city's gang violence. It pushes the viewer out rather than sucks them in.
There are times that the actors are really digging in to deliver the dramatic goods. All main characters are black, except the one man who so eloquently speaks out against the violence and the gun laws -- the Catholic priest. But if you're expecting one of the best films of the year you. I get it,gangsta's and Aristophanes are not things that are closely associated but darn it fruity arty farty reviewers should have read a freaking Greek play at least once or twice in life. If nothing else, he's agitating for a solution to this intractable problem. Really cheesy movie with great potential it just focused to much on sex and not the real issues in Chiraq which is the gun violence.