This Is It
This Is It is for the fans. If you’re not one of them, or if you don’t have even a grain of curiosity about the superstar that is Michael Jackson, then do yourself the favor and skip this movie. For the rest of us, This Is It is the much needed last glimpse of the Gloved One.
He sings, he dances, and most memorably, he laughs. All preconceived notions of the man and of his health during the timing of this movie and everything leading up to its release should be left at the door. He put his all into this production and it shows. The audience is treated to a backstage pass for over-the-top performances and an intimate showcase of his vocals.
The only moment of eeriness comes when the ending credits begin to roll. Michael Jackson’s song, appropriately titled “This Is It”, begins to play. The song is hauntingly good. The lyrics start with: This is it/ Here I stand/ I’m the light of the world/ I feel grand. It’s such a beautiful song that perfectly closes out the movie and the sad ending of such a musical genius. After watching Michael Jackson perform in his rawest form and seeing him give his soul to this work, the movie ends and the magic is taken away—the man is taken away. And you’re left thinking: This is it. This really was it.
Bottom Line: The man did still have it.
Top Ten Reasons Why He’s a Keeper
You know he’s a keeper when…
- You disturb him in the middle of his very last quest in Valhalla Knights 2 and all he does is let out a dramatic “Nooooo”, then proceeds to do the favor you interrupted him for.
- He shops for your favorite puzzle games whenever he’s at GameStop so you won’t hate his xBox so much.
- He doesn’t raise his voice at you after you accidentally mess up his decks of magic cards—the same decks that he spent weeks on putting together and raving to his friends about. (It’s also a good sign when you’re not afraid to tell him that you bent his favorite Flying Creature card because the most he’ll do in retaliation is unleash a world of tickles on you.)
…I will stop this post at 3 reasons as to not embarrass my fiancé any more than I already have..
Shades of Ray
Shades of Ray is cute. Period. There’s no going around it. Its simple storyline is filled with humorous moments that arise out of an interracial marriage, and moreover, out of the struggle of an adult-child dealing with his parent’s cultural differences.
Zachery Levi (best known as the star of the TV show Chuck) takes on the lead role as Ray Rehman, a half-Pakistani, half-white male who has found the love of his life, a beautiful blonde from an upper-class family. But when his future wife-to-be delays giving him an affirmative answer to his marriage proposal, his Pakistani dad takes the opportunity to push his son onto a more traditional Pakistani woman. With a little push from his father (and the advice from his level-headed mother), Ray begins questioning fate and understanding the relationships that surround him.
Shades of Rey has all the elements of a warm dramedy that’s perfect for a relaxing evening in. The cast is loveable—from the easy-on-the-eyes lead character to the quirky father. Credit goes to the writer-director for being able to to shed some light on touchy cultural issues (and stereotypes) without the heavy undertones.
Bottom Line: A sweet and humorous depiction of an otherwise complicated love triangle.