Reviews (9)

Quite impressive! Margaret Cho steals the film!
A great film exploring personal identity in culture and class. Dante basco does a wonderful job in his portrayal of an Asian boy who was adopted and raised in a Black family. Great development of characters and of the relationships between the characters.

Margaret Cho steals the show with her role as an exchange student who has been accidentally dropped off at the wrong host family but learns to soak up the culture throughout the movie. Now you KNOW that's gonna be hilarious!

Check out this movie. It's really good. The storyline moves smoothly and the acting is great in this multi-racial film. Pam Grier is excellent as the matriarch in the film.

Fakin The Funk
Two thumbs up!! I originally saw this movie several years ago, loved it and had to own it. It was funny, had a great theme and provided a universal message. Stereotypes are misleading and as an African American Male, I can relate to how incorrect they can be. Faking the funk deals with this subject matter in a humorous yet effective way and demonstrates the commonality of all people, regardless of race. I live in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles and couldn't help by chuckle at the reference to persons living in the area. Buy it--you'll definitely enjoy it.

Very good film - my family enjoyed it!
We saw this film last night on USA and it was cool. Had some great moments and made us laugh. The entire cast was great and really brought everyone together. We need to see more great films like this. Like the lady said previously it gives me hope when i see a film like this. Lots of talented people coming together, bringing the races together. I really enjoyed this film. I hope more people see it. And my props to Amazon for this review service. it makes people get to play reviewer! Thanks!

Great Film!
We found the film to be great. The humanity in the film is evident from the beginning to the end. You will never see another film like this because it cut across so many channels including race, love, culture, etc. The reviews that people got up here in San Francisco was great. I think the San Francisco Chronicle gave it 4 stars or something and we agree! Go check it out! It was also the highest-rated film on USA Networks last year. We love Margaret Cho and we know some people who auditioned for the movie are bitter and are expressing their jealousy in a negative way, so let the public be the judge about it. WATCH THIS FILM!

has its moments, but not great
I got this movie used for 4 bucks at Blockbuster video. Being Asian American, I guess the premise intrigued me. So I watched it, and honestly, it wasn't all that great. The movie has an entertaining first half, with a few original set pieces worth mentioning. One scene has Dante "Rufio" Basco, a bunch of black folk, and an old Korean man playing dozens on a streetcorner. Another takes place in a Japanese restaurant, and effectively contrasts Dante Basco's "blackness" with his newfound girlfriend Tatyana Ali's "non-blackness." Yet another takes place in a Chinese restaurant, with a wannabe-black Asian waiter getting into a tussle with Rufio.

Sound intersting? Yeah some parts are, but it's just too bad the movie's execution isn't on par with its potential. Right off the bat, the film hits you with a scene that shows Rufio as a little kid. Granted, the little Asian kid is supposed to be talking with a black accent, so they decide to dub the 5 year old's voice with an articulate 20 year old's. I was shaking my head. Plus, Dante Basco needs to practice his trade. Not that it's easy trying to portray an Asian kid who's "black" on the inside, but his acting in some scenes is laughingly bad. Then we have Margaret Cho with her cartoon immigrant accent, a Tai Chi motif that's pretty ridiculous if you think about it, and a second half that loses its comic flavor. Plus, the ending is so fairy-tale like, it feels like a cop out.

My advice? Rent it when you're bored. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bo is still awesome
This video reminds people of how Bo Jackson, regarded by a lot as the best athlete in American sports history, played during his prime. Interviews were not interesting, but there were indeed a lot of precious footage about his college career when he won the Heisman Trophy, his major league adventure and NFL highlights. Most notable were Bo's 'walking on the wall' catch, amazing outfield assists, home run during 89 MLB all star game, 'running-into-tunnel' after TD, as well as the 'play' that triggered his injury and retirement. All in all, you would like it if you like Bo. He was in fact the kind of superhuman people talked about. Just Awesome.

One of my favorite videos of all time
I really love this video. It has Bo's entire career including video of Bo playing football & baseball in high school, college & professionally. It was about Bo making a video about Bo. Bo played the part of the Director & all the stage hands. This was all very cute & funny but the sports footage was authentic--including interviews with friends, relatives & fellow atheletes. This video also included some of the commercials that Bo did for television. So keep watching at the end, because this comes after the main part is over. Remember the 2 different commercials where there were several Bo's in the same picture? One of the most awesome videos of all time. Please make this video available again, because everyone I show it to would love to have one of their own.

You'll either love it or hate it
I thought Bo's book was very good, but some times outrageous. I personally read the book to read it for the football info, because I am a big Bo and Raiders fan, but I ended up learning a lot about baseball. If you're a Royals or Raiders fan, you will like this, but someone who doesn't know who he is at all, will probably be bored and freeked out about this book at sometimes. END ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Adapted from John Grisham's novel, this does not live up to its potential; although it does come close. A fresh-faced Chris O'Donnell is the naive but insistent young attorney determined to appeal the case of Gene Hackman. The latter plays a unapologetic death-row inmate accused of killing two Jewish boys 30 years earlier. O'Donnell, we quickly learn, is the grandson of the murderous old cuss and has his own agenda for trying to save him. Meant more as a character study than a courtroom thriller, this never quite gels, as it leaves a few too many questions unanswered. However, it is well worth seeing for the performances, especially Hackman as the grizzled and nasty elderly convict. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Echo Chamber
The Chamber represents one of only two John Grisham novels that I've read over the years. For the most part, I have enjoyed the film adaptations of his books, regardless of whether or not I looked at the source material or not. While the film boasts another great performance from Gene Hackman, it's still lacking, especially when I compare it to the book.

Adam Hall (Chris O'Donnell)is an idealistic young lawyer, who travels to Mississippi to plea for the life of an inmate, scheduled to die in the gas chamber in four weeks. The condemned man is an unyielding bigot, who happens to be the attorney's estranged grandfather, Sam Cayhall (Hackman). It is learned through a series of flashbacks, that the Cayhall family history is complicated, through Adam's visits with Lee (Faye Dunaway).

Director James Foley tries his best...unfortunately nothing can help the film. It's clear almost from frame one that O'Donnell is miscast. His performance reminds me of a male teenager going through puberty. He just didn't have the necessary range to go toe to toe with Hackman. For his part, he does a fine job, but could have used support. Dunaway could have phoned it in--with better results. The film ruins any of the book's suspense. There's none of the guess work about what's gonna happen--I can only only say the book version is better...but not as good as the novel A Time To Kill.

I think the folks at Universal knew what they had here. The DVD only has a few production notes and the theatrical trailer in the way of any extras. Given the film...that's a good thing. Save for Hackman you may want to just stick with the book.

not the best
This movie is about a young lawer trying to get his gramd father out of prison. The grandfather is on death row. In the end ol' grandfather gets gassed. Groos this movie was mot to great but the acting and bachgrounds were great. The plot was the worst ever.

Don't bother
About halfway through the book,"The Chamber", I discovered that the movie would be airing on television. It's pretty difficult to review a film that can barely hold your attention, steadily, for no more than half an hour. It lacks the gripping drama and suspense of the book and of other Grisham novel adaptations like "The Firm" and most especially "A Time to Kill".

With the exception of Gene Hackman as death row inmate Sam Cayhall, the casting is what most hurts this movie. Chris O'Donnell may have been the big "it" guy as far as young actors at the time this movie was made, but he just can't hack it in the role of a lawyer. Especially one who is defending his grandfather on death row. You'd expect a lot more emotion and charisma. O'Donnell's portrayal lacks this natural emotion and frankly, the confidence needed in general to be a convincing attorney. Lela Rochon is rarely good as anything but eye candy and since that is not her role here, she doesn't fit. In the most odd and questionable casting move, football player Bo Jackson as the death row warden? They shouldn't have adapted this great novel into a film, at least not at a time when the field of young actors was so scarce and undesirable.

The storyline is great but in the film it is so cut down that you're best off to just stick with the book version.

LONG BORING NOVEL = SHORT MOVIE THAT BOMBED
Chris O'Donnell, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway star in this terrible boring movie based on John Grisham's novel.

O'Donnell stars as idealistic young attorney Adam Hall who takes on the death row clemency case of his onetime klansman grandfather, Sam Cayhall (Hackman). With just 28 days before the execution, Adam sets out to retrace the events leading to the crime for which Sam was convicted. As the impending death sentence looms closer, Adam works quickly to uncover the family's history for any - hidden clues.

There is a serious problem with the book and movie, the book is long and so boring and it's sad to say a bestseller. The movie is short and a obvious bomb. Usually John Grisham books are great, thrilling suspensful fun. While John Grisham's movies are long and good, there at least 150 minutes this one was 1 hour and 53 minutes. What happend here? I'll tell you a lousy novel equals a lousy movie.

Very good plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, if nothing else, to the movie. Al Pacino is great, and when Adam Cayhall shoots down all the monsters from mars, let me tell ya, you could watch it over and over again. I don't want to give away any secrets, but the highspeed eighteen wheeler chases across a busy highway in on coming traffic.... that takes you buy the throat and swings ya around, squeezing harder and harder and never letting go until it snaps, and your head falls down onto your chest, (because theres nothing holding it of course!) and snaps your collarbone with it... it splinters into many peices within your body. Anyway... I just would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, and In my opinion, this was the best war movie yet. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nothing I haven't seen better countless times before
The sole reason I watched that movie was that I usually like Daniel Baldwin's acting regardless of the quality of the film he's in. Afterwards I felt severely let down.

The plot is a sorry mix of what made up a couple of first-rate and lesser action movie these past years: a disappointed special agent turns, steals an ultra-secret army device which disintegrates people but not buildings and takes a city hostage. Still do-goody ex-partner tries to get device back and kill baddie with a James-Bond-like license issued by more-secret-than-secret inner government circles.

Can it get more cliched? No. And the oneliners, the distractors (must all would-be wives be silly non-supportive chicks who make you wonder why a 'super-hero' even is interested enough for marriage?) and the other characters are even more cliched.

This movie is a lot like zapping wildly through a couple of channels all showing direct-to-video action flicks. You know every action and reaction, the special FX are from the can or look like US army ads, the plot has twists which are telegraphed a mile ahead and the absolutely ridiculous car chase at the end is the lowest common denominator of them all.

I might have excused all this if I'd liked the acting, if there had been 'some' spark, some thing genuine and distinct in that movie. The impression however was of actors just moving through the set for the money, uncaring, not directed -- animated GI Joe and Co. show more acting ability.

The whole feel is tired, pre-fab, uncaring. Not recommended. ... Read more