On H List of Movie Reviews

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How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 3/18

3/18: The trouble with some black films is the pervasiveness of black attitude.

People just don't like it, and quite frankly, I don't, either. It's usually the death knell of a black film. Hence, How Stella Got Her Groove Back has been hard for me to swallow at times. When Whoopi Goldberg's character died, I didn't care. In fact, I also preferred Stella's two sisters to meet the same fate. They all add nothing but negativity.

On the other hand, one reviewer on Amazon got confused and said, "I was unclear when exactly she [Stella] lost her groove and when she re-discovered it. Her groove level seemed relatively stable throughout." It's a point well-taken because Angela Bassett looks absolutely stunning throughout, even for a 40-year-old woman.

I like the movie because of the believable story which made big waves in 1998. It features fine acting by Angela Bassett and newcomer Taye Diggs who's the most memorable and unbelievably handsome, notwithstanding the fake Jamaican accent. It tries to be shocking by putting them together, but the reality is: Taye Diggs was 13 years Angela Bassett's junior and it's only a rich, driven black female falling in love with a black guy from an affluent family despite his "pool boy" status. Had he been poor hailing from a third world country, the situation would be totally different.

All in all, the sizzling hot pairing of Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs is the reason to see How Stella Got Her Groove Back, but the rest is tough to put up with.

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