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by kellie abrahamson
kabrahamson1@aol.com
Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast has spent over a decade changing the musical landscape with their experimental approach to the genre. After dominating the music world, the next natural step is, of course, Hollywood. The pair joins forces for the first time on the silver screen in Idlewild, a movie musical which takes place in Prohibition-era Georgia. Idlewild is now available on DVD.
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After spending most of his life under the watchful eye of his overly protective father (Ben Vereen), Percival Jenkins (Andre Benjamin- a.k.a. Andre 3000) is ready to say goodbye to the small town of Idlewild, Georgia. A mortician at the family business by day and a pianist at “Church” a local speakeasy by night, Percival is a soft-spoken man who keeps to himself even in the spotlight. His long-time best friend, Rooster (Antwan A. Patton- a.k.a. Big Boi), is the exact opposite. Rooster is the club’s most popular singer and, as a result, he’s become the right hand man to club owner “Sunshine” Ace (Faizon Love). Rooster finds himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he is forced to take over Church after Ace is murdered by the mob. Balancing his duties at the club, his growing debt to mob boss Trumpy (Terrence Howard), and his responsibilities at home becomes troublesome for the normally carefree young man. Meanwhile, Percival becomes acquainted with a beautiful singer named Angel Davenport (Paula Patton), a young woman with secrets in her past and dreams of stardom in her head. The two grow close during her time in Idlewild and Percival slowly becomes the man he has always wanted to be. Idlewild also stars Malinda Williams, Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray, Patti LaBelle and Ving Rhames.
Winners of six Grammy Awards, OutKast has sold over 20 million copies of its eight releases, making the group one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time. The move from music to film began in 1998 when the duo discussed creating a semi-autobiographical 1930s period musical with an all-black cast. Collaborating with long-time friend and music video director Bryan Barber, the trio came up with Idlewild and managed to sell worldwide distribution rights to Universal Pictures in September of 2005. The film and a companion soundtrack album were released about a year later to mixed reviews.
The Idlewild DVD was released last week and contains very few bonus features. A deleted scene revolving around the “Rooster” storyline made it onto the disc along with a deleted song from the film of the “Percival” side of the tale. Two music videos also made the cut, one for Morris Brown by Big Boi the other for “Idlewild Blue” by Andre 3000. The disc is otherwise bare, leaving me to wonder if a double-dip is in the future or if fans will have to go the rest of their lives without at least an audio commentary from charismatic rap duo.
Because I have long been a fan of OutKast and have a deep love for musicals, I have a soft spot for Idlewild. The music and choreography are breathtaking and the two leads, more accustomed to being behind a microphone than in front of a camera, do an adequate job with their characters. Cameos by Patti LaBelle and Macy Gray are both welcome and amusing given their diva roles. First time film director Bryan Barber fills every scene with camera tricks, making it more like a music video than a feature film, which is actually a good thing. Each scene is pleasing to the eye and innovative, leaving the viewer wanting more even though the story itself is pedestrian at best. Barber, who also wrote the script, left much to be desired in this tale, which is predictable and lacking clear focus a great deal of the time. Because the visuals are so stunning, so stylish and energetic, it’s easy to forgive the lack of plot cohesion and originality. All that said, I cannot, in clear conscience, recommend this film to the general viewing public. Those who are fans of OutKast’s music and are familiar with Andre Benjamin’s film repertoire will no doubt be pleased with the film. Fans of Baz Luhrmann, who technically had nothing to do with the film but clearly inspired Barber with his tendency toward anachronism, will also find Idlewild entertaining and will be reminded of Luhrmann’s Oscar winning film Moulin Rouge. Those who have no attachment to the above and like their period pieces accurate in time and space should probably steer clear of this film.
While Idlewild is admittedly not for everyone, the film has much to offer and gives moviegoers a glimpse at what could very well be the future of filmmaking, the lack of a solid script notwithstanding. Still, this is one movie that cannot be blind-bought. Rent Idlewild and make sure it’s your cup of tea before purchasing.
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