Glitter (2001)
All that glitters definitely isn't gold
Starring: Mariah Carey, Max Beesley, Da Brat, Tia Texada, Terrence Howard, Valarie Pettiford, Eric Benet, Dorian Harewood, Padma Lakshmi
Director: Vondie Curtis-Hall
Running Time: 104 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: PG
Musical, Romance
On DVD You'll struggle to find a more woefully misguided attempt at launching a successful movie cross-over from a pop face than "Glitter", the appallingly bad Mariah Carey vehicle from 2001.
Even members of Carey's inexplicably huge fanbase would be excused for giving an extremely wide berth to this ultra-shallow exercise in pointlessness. Carey's incomprehensible wailing provides a permanent backdrop to her role as club-singer-made-good Billie Frank, a woman who wears more make-up than Barbara Cartland. Ditched as a child by her boozehound mother, Billie's part as the voice in a Milli-Vanilli-style record scam gets her spotted by a middle-ranking record producer (Max Beesley). He's called Dice, and it doesn't matter that that's not a proper name - all that matters is he's one "fly DJ", wears ridiculously over-sized jewellery, and inevitably ends up wooing our more-often-than-not partially-dressed heroine.
As well as being hugely uninteresting, Dice is also the jealous type, and can't hack it any more when Billie starts attracting the attentions of a dreadlocked smoothie (Eric Benet) at a showbiz party. The pair break up, thus leading us nicely to the most cringe-inducing part of the entire film when the two of them sit in opposite sides of town somehow simultaneously writing the same bad song.
"Glitter" never pretends to be anything other than a showcase for Carey's talents, though don't ask me what those talents are - your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps "Litter" would have been a more appropriate title?
DVD Extras: Director's commentary, filmographies, music vids and theatrical trailer.
It's Got: An ending clearly intended to reduce the viewer to tears - and it actually succeeds. Just a pity it's for all the wrong reasons.
It Needs: To be at least slightly realistic. Carey's character is supposed to be globally famous, yet she wanders the streets on her own completely unhassled by passers-by. Surely Mariah would have been able to point out that that's not the way it works?
Alternatives: Coyote Ugly, What's Love Got To Do With It?, Purple Rain, 8 Mile
Summary: This drawn-out pseudo-melodramatic pile of doo-doo should be used to extract information out of murder suspects.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 26th May 2003
External Links
Glitter at the IMDB
Comments3 Comments |
| it is the best...it is truly a movie that could extremely dig the inner part in us...it is also romantic as well as inspirational, although it has a sad ending, still, i can consider it as one of the superb movies that hollywood producers and directors have ever made...i really hope there is going to be a follow-up movie for that, still, mariah as the leading starrr!!!:-) |
| Comment by:- summer kirsten coarwehl | www.movie-gazette.com... | 04 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| Wow......... uh............ umm..................... I think the rating speaks for it's self. So I assume you're a twelve year old girl, summer kristen coarwehl? |
| Comment by:- Deaniver | | 10 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| my good ness........mariah ......what was hse thinking this film was highly a untastefull uninteresting peice of crap. it rushes into an extrodinarily unbeleiveable story line and is probably one of the worst films ever, the acting in a low budget porn film is better. but i do suggest that everyone on this planet buy a copy. so taht they can burn it!! |
| Comment by:- my good god ! | | 16 October 2004 | ip: logged |
