Film Preview: Chi-Raq (2015)

Page Revisions:

(November 15, 2015) Original
(November 29, 2015) New Poster (#3)

Release Date:

December 4, 2015

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago.”

Poster Rating: C / A- / B+

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Review: (#1) Interesting visually, it’s not a particularly compelling or intriguing design unless you’re already fascinated by the film. (#2) This is a fantastic design that hits all the finer points of the film’s premise while doing so in a visually audacious and inventive way.

(#3) While not as artistically daring as its predecessor, this design puts a more compelling figure at the forefront, which enables the audience to better understand what’s going on, even if they don’t quite grasp the finer details.

Trailer Rating: B

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Review: A high concept to be sure, this is the type of filmmaking Spike Lee use to excel at, which gives one hope that it will be a far more fascinating project than some of his prior outings. That doesn’t mean the trailer’s great. There are many issues, namely the inclusion of Samuel L. Jackson as a pseudo-narrator. It throws off the rhythm of the trailer a bit, but is otherwise not too distracting.

Oscar Prospects:

Spike Lee is getting an honorary Oscar, so don’t look for him to translate that into Oscar consideration for this film even if it bears a closer resemblance to his Do the Right Thing era than his other recent efforts.