Reviews (24)

Food for the Soul....
This is a beautiful, spiritual movie filled with love, laughter and hope. All I have to say is...why did I wait five years to see it? This is truly a treasure and I am shocked to see there are so few reviews.

When you put Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington in the same movie, the sparks are going to fly. Denzel Washington is the "fine" Angel Dudley who is sent to earth to help a young minister see what is really important in life.

Courtney Vance plays the part of the minister who is loosing his church, his wife (Whitney Houston) and seems to have forgotten that family is the most important part of life. The Angel Dudley accidentally falls in love with"The Preacher's Wife!" The attraction is very innocent, but holds your attention for sure.

There are some movies which will capture your heart with the music and Whitney shines in this one! The gospel music is uplifting and inspiring and sets the tone for the entire movie. You will be getting out the tissues when she sings: "I Believe In You And Me." My cousin sang this to her husband at her wedding a few years ago and there was not a dry eye in the room. She is also the one who introduced me to this movie! Thank you Jewels!

The humor is laugh out loud funny and you will just love the minister's mother-in-law! There is great comedy, acting, storytelling and this is one of those movies the whole family can enjoy....(hint, hint...to movie makers everywhere!)

There are some movies you just have to own. This is one of them! If it wasn't so late tonight, I would have watched this movie again! A completely wonderful romantic comedy. If only they would make more movies like this one!

One of the best "feel good" family movies of all times
This movie is perhaps one of the best family films of all times. It is beautifully casted with Whitney Houston as "The Preacher's Wife" and Denzel "Dreamboat" Washington as Dudley the angel. The movie moves along smoothly and brilliantly. And there is such a good message in it. Definitely a film for the whole family to watch. The film gives you hope and you end up feeling really good about life. Give it a try, no disappointments here.

Great movie, and a much better remake.
Fine and uplifting remake has everything going for it. A great leading man (Denzel Washington) and a great cast of characters that will lift your sprits when you are down. Great support is giving by Courtney B. Vance and Whitney Houston, and the soundtrack by Miss Houston is simply amazing. See it, and let a smile come a cross your face.

Wonderful, heart-warming movie!
Great story, great characters, great music! This is one of those films you'll watch over and over again.

A Heart-Filled Christmas Movie!
Another Christmas must-have for the family. It a film about a misguided preacher who gets guidance from a gardinan angel who helps him, his church and his family have faith again. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"Feelgood" film
What's not to like about this film. Nice soundtrack, normal people and great story with plenty of comic relief. Don't be so up-tight. Get out more often!

I loved Jezebel!
This movie was a nice change of pace from the typical guy movies I usually watch. Hill Harper is hilarious. This movie doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's part of what I really liked about it. It's nice to see a different type of black male character portrayed - one that is not trying to be too cool, too hard, etc. I also liked how this guy could be such a geek, but yet not really be a geek once you got to know him. He definitely has a way with the ladies and is a thoughtful and intelligent guy.

This movie has a nice artsy feel to it and, as someone who has loved my share of Jezebels in my life, I found it very entertaining.

Better than Average But
it gets lost somewhere in the Middle&ending.when I saw the Preview I though it was gonna be a bit more Balanced but it didn't quite get there.interesting at first but it does become a waste&just goes through the Motions after a while.Hill Harper has Talent but this Film doesn't showcase Him fully to me.still worth taking a look at.it has some good moments.

Very Disappointing Romantic Comedy
You want to really like this film. As a change of pace, here is Theodorous Melville, an African American man (Hill Harper) that is not hopelessly cool or in control. His character is solidly middle class and makes no issue of the fact that he's a product of an interracial marriage. It also has an appealing premise about a man who is only able to meet women romantically attached to other men (i.e., "Jezebels").

Unfortunately, Harper's performance (particularly in the beginning scenes) is so mannered and cartoonish, that the movie becomes almost unwatchable. It's not enough just to make him awkward, he practically has be slobbering at the mouth like a baby. This lack of subtlety is probably one of the reasons why this film performed poorly during its brief theatrical run.

On the upside, the many women in the film are attractive and some even give interesting performances. Nicole Ari Parker is fun as Frances, the kookiest of the women that Theodorous meets. Laurel Holloman is also fine as Samantha, one of the first of his Jezebels.

With a plethora of generic 'hood movies out there, one can appreciate something a little different. However, most of what we get here is just plain silly. As a result, a lot of talent is wasted in this film and so is the viewer's time.

Writer/director Kywn Bader seems to be starting on the right track with LOVING JEZEBEL, but somehow got derailed after leaving the station. Hopefully, he will have a little more faith in his material next time and tell his story with a lighter touch.

Loving Jezebel
The entire movie was great!! The cast, especially Harper Hill, was terrific! It was clean, fresh,insightful, poetic and instrumentally off the hook!!!! Why a soundtrack isn't out yet is beyond me. It took me to places long since forgotten.
Bravo to all who collaborated on this project!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Laurence Fishburne established himself as one of the most compelling actors making films today with simmering performances that command the screen. With Once in the Life, a tale of small-time crooks on the run from a heist gone wrong, he adds screenwriter and director to his resumé. Adapted by the director from his stage play Riff Raff, he makes himself a triple threat as he also stars as 20/20 Mike, a small-time street hustler who cooks up a drug rip-off with his estranged half-brother Torch (Titus Welliver, reprising his stage role). When simple robbery turns into a fatal bloodbath they hide out in a claustrophobic rat hole and wait for Mike's buddy Tony the Tiger (the intense Eamonn Walker of HBO's cable series Oz). Tony is "out of the life," or so he says. Mike is too trusting to remember the truism that gives the film its title: "Once in the life, always in the life."

The heart of the film remains with these three in the dark, dingy hideout. We've seen this portrait of family, friends, and honor torn asunder by the criminal life before, and the overly talky picture never shakes its insular theatrical origins, but Fishburne pulls out some beautiful performances, especially his own mercurial turn as Mike. He delivers a fierce and exhilarating performance, and Walker burns as his trusted former cellmate, his glowing eyes and glowering expression giving his tortured struggle a tragic dimension. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Street Art - Live And In Color
Laurence Fishburne has displayed his talent as an actor in films since the mid 70's. He has memorable performances in the Matrix series and Apocalypse Now and less memorable in Cornbread, Earl, and Me. The point is he has done them and survived in the fickle world of film making.

Now Fishburne writes. This script is not to for the tender ear but if you want to take a walk in the world of the hoodlum and you want to take in style, this film is a delight. The characters are well developed and the plot pulls you right in the room with them.

Emmonn Walker and Titus Welliver put on very good performances as best friend and half brother. The fact that Titus is a white guy makes the half brother thing alittle humorous but it works really well.

The sets were downtown and colorful. The feel was beleivable but at the same time somewhat surreal. I loved the graffitti scenes while Tony was reciting poetry. It shouldn't have fit in a somewhat violent film about a drug steal gone bad; but it did.

Very fine film!

A must-see for Titus Welliver fans
Finally an opportunity for Titus Welliver to let his exceptional skills as an actor sparkle. His portrait of Torch, 20/20 Mike's dangerous, scared and increasingly suffering brother, is so intense and captivating, it makes you forget that you are watching a movie. I don't know why he has not been considered for an Academy Award; he certainly would have deserved it.

This is not an easy movie to watch, but the cast, the story and Laurence Fishburne's talent as a story-teller makes it a breathtaking experience for those who enjoy theatrical cinema. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Street Art - Live And In Color
Laurence Fishburne has displayed his talent as an actor in films since the mid 70's. He has memorable performances in the Matrix series and Apocalypse Now and less memorable in Cornbread, Earl, and Me. The point is he has done them and survived in the fickle world of film making.

Now Fishburne writes. This script is not to for the tender ear but if you want to take a walk in the world of the hoodlum and you want to take in style, this film is a delight. The characters are well developed and the plot pulls you right in the room with them.

Emmonn Walker and Titus Welliver put on very good performances as best friend and half brother. The fact that Titus is a white guy makes the half brother thing alittle humorous but it works really well.

The sets were downtown and colorful. The feel was beleivable but at the same time somewhat surreal. I loved the graffitti scenes while Tony was reciting poetry. It shouldn't have fit in a somewhat violent film about a drug steal gone bad; but it did.

Very fine film!

A must-see for Titus Welliver fans
Finally an opportunity for Titus Welliver to let his exceptional skills as an actor sparkle. His portrait of Torch, 20/20 Mike's dangerous, scared and increasingly suffering brother, is so intense and captivating, it makes you forget that you are watching a movie. I don't know why he has not been considered for an Academy Award; he certainly would have deserved it.

This is not an easy movie to watch, but the cast, the story and Laurence Fishburne's talent as a story-teller makes it a breathtaking experience for those who enjoy theatrical cinema. ... Read more