Juwanna Man

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Singleton</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Director</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Jesse Vaughan</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>To get respect you must give respect</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Starring</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Miguel A. Nunez Jr.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Vivica A. Fox</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Tommy Davidson</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Kevin Pollak</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Kim Wayans</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> `Lil Kim</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> Think of all the bad boys in the NBA who display their best on court performance in conjunction with their worse behavior off the court, and you have Jamal Jeffries (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.) of the United Basketball Association (UBA). Jamal is a defensive player and an <I>offensive </I>star, whose ego and actions get him booted out of the league.</div> <bR> <div> Jamal's fall from grace is faster than a speeding bullet as he loses his agent Lorne (Kevin Pollak) because his rich endorsement contracts evaporate when his corporate sponsors implement the morals clause and his temporary suspension becomes permanent. In short order, big time partying with his girlfriend Tina (`Lil Kim) goes away after he declares bankruptcy. With no house, no woman and no agent, he goes home to his Aunt Ruby (Jenifer Lewis), who punctuates the movie with a funny edge and a moral focus.</div> <bR> <div> Jamal has no respect for women in general and in particular no regard for the Women's UBA (WUBA). After seeing a young girl stroke the ball with finesse on a playground court, he's apt to change his mind. He does decide to change his look as he plays cards with Aunt Ruby and her running buddies. He goes from someone who "could" look like a woman to one who "does" look like a woman. He dons a wig, the right undergarments and a dress and he is good to go.</div> <bR> <div> Jamal tries out for the Charlotte Banshees, whose star player is Michelle (Vivica A. Fox) and they are soon doing a Shaq/Kobe thing. Sparks fly at first, then they become each other's new best friends. Jamal's WUBA name is Juwanna Mann and as expected, the team makes it to the playoffs.</div> <bR> <div> Lots of funny, although not realistic, things happen with Juwanna. She manages to not be naked in the women's locker room or shower and no one notices or asks about the background of such true talent that comes out of nowhere. Although some of the silliness and the fast cuts bring the film down a notch in quality, I liked the humor and the message.</div> <bR> <div> Between talking about the importance of getting along, being a team player and considerate of others, there are numerous issues of respect that are dealt with. The game that so many men run on women is set out on the table, as Juwanna warns her teammates what to beware of. Respect for elders is never challenged<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Symbol" >-</FONT>when Jamal says "yes ma'am" to Aunt Ruby, he straight up means it and comes to attention.  </div> <bR> <div> What I liked most was the satire. Puff Smokey Smoke (Tommy Davidson) and Romeo (Ginuwine) put a knowing twist on being super cool, with the gold teeth and the exaggerated way of speaking that sometimes shows how little you know (fill-let mig-non for filet mignon, axed for asked, etc). Included is a lesson on what a man is supposed to do when the woman says no. The fire engine red suit and matching cap (turned around), completes the total package that is both humorous and satirical. Samuel L. Jackson is cool with his Kangol cap on backwards but he's not sporting a set of gold capped teeth and making body movements like he's getting ready to break into song.</div> <bR> <div> Latisha (Kim Wayans) has basketball skills and self-doubt, possibly in part because she is a lesbian on a team that has never tasted the thrill of a championship. As part of Juwanna's transformation from I live for me to living for "the we," she grows, as does everyone around her, realizing there is more to the world than me, myself and I.</div> <bR> <div> One thing that keeps this from being just another lightweight film about sports and redemption is that it reflects on looking yourself in the eye in the mirror. We each tend to be in our own world and if we excel at what we think is important, before long we can begin to feel that we are infallible. The smart ones avoid that trap; those who learn from small mistakes are a few steps behind and the knuckle heads have to lose it all before they look in the mirror and understand what they are seeing…if they are lucky enough to figure it out.</div> <bR> <div> To the extent there is some Jamal in each of us, Juwanna may help show us the way. This film won't be on the tip of your tongue at Oscar time but it may have more meaning to real life than many of those movies that are on the receiving end of the awards. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> George O. Singleton  © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>Reelmoviec@aol.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>