The more Spike Lee movies I see, the more I realize what a purely distinct style he has. Like him, love him or hate him, he's among the ranks of Tim Burton, John Woo, Martin Scorecesse, Oliver Stone, the Coen brothers. Quality aside, each director has an indelibly specific style.
With Get on the Bus, Spike brings life to what could've been a monotonous journey. It's complete with vivid characters, near perfect acting, and a terrific pace. It's only downfall is occasional peachiness. Sometimes the dialog doesn't ring true and ends up sounding more like a lecture than the spoken word. (But I believe Spike even admitted to that) Not to mention a certain supporting character (the Republican) seemed too over the top to be convincing. But those are fairly minor quibbles.
All in all, a very engaging, unique film. Special mention to Blanchard's effective score and Roger Smith's stellar performance. Recommended. 7/10
With Get on the Bus, Spike brings life to what could've been a monotonous journey. It's complete with vivid characters, near perfect acting, and a terrific pace. It's only downfall is occasional peachiness. Sometimes the dialog doesn't ring true and ends up sounding more like a lecture than the spoken word. (But I believe Spike even admitted to that) Not to mention a certain supporting character (the Republican) seemed too over the top to be convincing. But those are fairly minor quibbles.
All in all, a very engaging, unique film. Special mention to Blanchard's effective score and Roger Smith's stellar performance. Recommended. 7/10