Posted 7:50 AM by Scoobie Davis

Film recommendations
Last night, I went to a press screening for Be Cool in Century City. I'm not going to give a review for the film--just a few random thoughts. First, it was a well-made film and I had a great time watching it. Granted this is my kind of film, but I think if any film is well made, it can appeal to people who might not be interested in the film's genre. Even if this is not your kind of film, I recommend that you see it because it would send a message to Hollywood to make this kind of movie, not some Vin Diesel or Sandra Bullock piece of crapola.

The film spoke to me because it deals with some Hollywood types I'm familiar with. Also, while I don't have much contact with the record industry, I have met some club promoters who are similar to some of the characters in the film. I also liked the reference in the film to the Mama Cass/ham sandwich urban legend.

Be Cool has a strong cast. One performance I want to point out is the one done by The Rock. I've only seen him in one other film (The Rundown) in which he did what I thought was a competent acting job. In Be Cool, he had me convinced. In fact, I didn't know the character was played by The Rock until halfway through the film (Quick note: The Rock plays a character named Elliot Wilhelm; check out the movie posters on the wall of Elliot's apartment).

After I saw Be Cool, I snuck into see Hitch. It's a light romantic comedy and I give it seven out of ten stars. Had I paid to get in, I would have felt that I had gotten my money's worth. One strong performance in a supporting role was Julie Ann Emery. I was not familiar with her prior to the film because most of her work has been in TV and in the theater. She has a good screen presence and I predict that she'll make the transition to film acting.