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Waiting to ExhaleRating:
Release Date: 13 January, 2004 Retail Price: $14.98 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $3.99! Cast: Complete Cast (12 total) |
Waiting to Exhale Reviews
Not Quite As Polished As Hyped
Big Budget African-American movies powered by high-octane music and commercial marketing build up a product that often falters because of one red-marked reason: the product does not live up to the anticipation (The brilliant MALCOLM X represents the one exception). WAITING TO EXHALE (WTE) does not stray from that outcome.
Like STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK and BELOVED, WTE displays all the muscles, attire, and connections for a genre-defining romantic movie along the lines of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY or FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL or even PRETTY WOMAN, but it loses credibility not because of its cast or production, but because of its convoluted storytelling. The best love stories possess some of the very best storytelling in movie history (GONE WITH THE WIND, TITANIC, MARTY).
The story begins well, but gets bogged down when Whitney Houston's long-standing "sometimes beau" (the always wonderful Dennis Haysbert) pops into the picture. While in the beginning, the interlocking stories of Houston's, Bassett's, Rochon's, and Devine's characters intrigue the viewer, Houston's relationship twists/turns dominate the film's second half causing it to change its focus from multinomial to monomial. Nothing dooms a movie away from excellence than changing foci.
If you want a well-written, enduring African-American love story, try JASON'S LYRIC, THE WOOD, THE BEST MAN, BROWN SUGAR. Try three of the greatest of the era: BOOMERANG, STRICTLY BUSINESS, and TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME . Also try some great TV series (A DIFFERENT WORLD, SOUL FOOD, GIRLFRIENDS, LIVING SINGLE).
WAITING TO EXHALE diverts the attention while it plays, but in the end, you will probably remember the movie for what it really defines: a B-class movie under A-class window dressing.
Great Film But Some Content is Diconcerning
I have mixed feelings about this film.This is a great film with a very strong performance by Angela Bassett. This is a very funny film also. The humor keeps it flowing. I do feel, however, that the story focuses too much on these women "getting some" and that relationships overrule everything but work. The best part of the story is Angela Bassett's character. I also think that the men in this film deliver good performances. The focus of the film is also the friendship between these women.
More Customer Reviews (10 total)
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