'35 and Ticking'
(Tamala Jones, Nicole Ari Parker, Keith Robinson, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Kevin Hart, et al / DVD / R / (2010) 2011 / IMAGE Entertainment)
Overview: '35 And Ticking' centers around the lives of Victoria, Zenobia , Clevon, and Phil - all friends approaching the age of 35 and struggling to build the families they've always dreamed of.
DVD Verdict: I loved this film. Refreshingly a black independent film that stayed straight-edged, poignant and yet funny throughout, the lack of black stereotypes was such a breath of cinematic fresh air.
Indeed, more than that the storyline was good, the actors well cast, all smiles, and the script tight, realistic and grounded. This movie has it all and should have had a theatrical run as it deserves it.
Another thing was the great soundtrack, chock full of wonderful songs. It actually seemed as if each song was specifically selected to coincide with the scenes each one played out behind.
As for the plot, well, here we go: Zenobia (Nicole Ari Parker, Soul Food) is still looking for a man, Victoria (Tamala Jones, Castle) is married to a man who doesn't want children. Clevon (Kevin Hart, Not Easily Broken), meanwhile, is too geeky to get a woman, and Phil (Keith Robinson, Dreamgirls) is already married with children, but his wife is not very interested in being a mother. All four of them try to rectify their romantic lives and futures while their biological clocks tick away!
In closing, and again, it was so refreshing to see a black independent film that was as well cast, and as well acted as this. Buy it, rent it today, please. This is a Widescreen presentation (1.77:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Deleted Scenes
Behind the Scenes
Photo Gallery
www.image-entertainment.com