So I get a call last Tuesday from DC PR king Dan asking if I want to interview the director of the movie ATL, Chris Robinson, and check out the movie.
So I say yeah and invite the homie/journalist/Homecoming Fashion show coordinator/ past roommate Yasmine (check out her blog to get her run down of our experience) and she's down for the cause. And she is still on her Kimora high after she scored with Kimora's publicist in her yellow pumps. So we head out from Howard for the 4:20 roundtable and are a little behind. Get to the Ritz where we are suppose to meet Chris and run inside. Looking around we check out the lobby and see no event going on when Yasmine sees a husky guy with dreads chilling in the lounge with a white lady and says she thinks that is Chris. I look not really sure and trying to remember what his picture looked like and hopin we aren't to late. Smart Charreah leaves the papers with Dan's number on it in the car so we have to go back to the car. We get the papers out of blackberry molasses and head back upstairs. Calling Dan, he says he's in the same lobby we are in and we meet up with the young yet silver haired PR man.
we also meet Tim, producer of the Real DC morning show on WHUR that was laid to rest by Steve Harvey, a athesist film critic and this screech-like film head from George Mason who loves Madea and "grew up on don't be a menace" Hearing the three of them talk film for 20 minutes while we waited for Chris was a definite experience. I really felt I needed to watch more movies to try and understand what the big damn deal was.
So finally it was time and we go to meet Chris. Its no stuffy Q&A. Me and Yasmine sit on the couch and the athesist film critic and screech from George Mason sit in big stuffy chairs. Then Chris comes over and we all introduce ourselves. And then it starts. The homeboy connection. We tell him how we are from Atlanta. We grew up skating. Are the essence of the southern capitol and wondering how his depiction of the city measures up. And he loves us. Loves that we understand the community of a skating rink. The cliches. the dancing. the official coming of age local. We talk about his whole process of directing. The inside scoop of how Will Smith gave him that "he cool" nod of support. And how he's an artist and "sensitive about his shit" So after we hear his story and chill like we are really homies. He really was feeling us, especially Yasmine. When we tell him we hadn't seen the movie he looks and tell us he really wants us to see it and tell him what we think as some true "Atlanta girls."
In the car we already decide we probably aren't going to the movie as we both have stuff to do and I have to run production for the paper. But when the director of a movie looks and asks are you going to see his movie tonight so you can tell him what you think. Me and Yasmine didn't even look at each other and both say "yeah, we going" Even though you cant see his cute gap in the picture above, Chris is one of the coolest accomplished folks I know. He even confided in us that he directed Mandy Moores 1st video (you know the one with the green bug:)
After being lost and trying not to get too stressed me and Yasmine finally make it to Arundel Mills where the movie is started almost a hour late. But for us its just enough time to see where the key events begin to set into motion. the movie is the SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I say that not just cuz Im from da A. The art of the film. the shoots. the set. the detail. the dialogue. I found a new movie to add to select favorites I consider my classics.
T.I. is sexy. Im excited to see that new new is the girl from the Pharell "Frontin" video, who was just naturally pretty and not that extra made up 'video girl' look. I wont tell you the plot but the ending could have been a little more realistic. Hands down though my favorite scene was in the country club when you see how much this black man has succeeded and then they ban to the wall with a portrait of confederate soldiers with their flag. If you gonna show Atlanta, you got to include that part.
Even thought the theater is packed when we get there, I make the usher who is busy enjoying the movie like everybody else and ask her to find us some seats. So we cant get 2 together and Yasmine is sitting directly behind me. So the whole time Im grabbing her foot and she's kicking my seat as we are so excited to hear "play play," JJ's ribs, aaliyah's 'at ya best' and the all time A-town classic 'Blackberry Molasses'. So we finish seeing the movie and clap with the packed audience and are ready to hold up our end of the deal and tell Chris what we think. I told him at the hotel we would be brutally honest on what we thought and that we are. We finally spot him up in the stands as fans congratulate him. He's walking down the steps and sees us and points and cocks his head in a way of saying what did we think. We LOVED it and showed him so as Yasmine showed him our two thumbs up.
Getting lost, being late for work and still knowing I had a accounting test at 8am was all worth it! He was happy that we were happy. Heading out and not to excited about the 30 minute ride back to campus, we see a restaurant. Im ready to truck to the car when Yasmine ask am I hungry and looks at the menu. Good thing she did because we then see Dan inside the restaurant who waves us over. We air kiss as this business is known for and thank him again for inviting us. He lets us know that the buffet is set up and the bar is open. We were both hungry grab a plate and enjoy the calamari, crab cakes, shrimp scampi and other dishes. Eating at the bar we reflect on our day of euphoria and how fantastic the experience was. An older guy comes sit down so we ask him what he thought of the movie. he enjoyed and goes on to tell us of his favorite scene. All is well until he asks, "what does ATL stand for?" Before I can stop myself I go, "you dont what ATL means?" and then quickly try and do some damage control. I say how Atl is short for Atlanta and how the movie is set there with, starring the town's 'king.' He's cool, and obviously not aware of southern culture or rappers and since the high school and area the movie is in is called 'mechanicsville' it could have been placed at the town by that name in VA. We finish our drinks, get one look at Chris and head out. Two girls from Atlanta are def going places!!!!!!!!
If life is about who you know and not what you know, I may be on the right track:)
Thanks for the plug!