Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fresh faces, fetching storyline: a guaranteed fun time, June 27, 2003
If you just read a thumb nail sketch of this movie, it sounds like another in a long line of (take your pick) lightweight romantic comedies/fish-out-of-water/road movies. And it's true, there's nothing terribly ground breaking in terms of plot here. Nevertheless, it's worth your time. Some of the things that make "Jump Tomorrow" special are as follows:*the whimsical spirit of the screen play;
*the capricious joy with which the actors play their parts;
*vibrantly colored sets and cinematography; and
*director Joel Hopkins, who keeps this movie from taking itself too seriously. The casting and performances in this movie deserve special mention. Hipployte Girardot turns in an amusing performance as Gerard, frenetic friend of George, the film's protagonist. Natalia Verbeke (the next Penelope Cruz?) is alluring and sweet as George's friend and love interest. But my personal favorite is Tunde Adebimpe as George. He plays the part with such hangdog sincerity, I couldn't help feeling exactly what he feels. The word "chemistry" is overused, but these three definitely have it. They play their parts so naturally, I forgot I was watching a movie. There is zero sense of "star-struck Hollywood" in this film. (Perhaps that stands to reason, since it's an in indie movie.) By the way, when was the last time you saw a movie where the three main characters were Latina, French, and African American? Kudos to the director for: 1)assembling this racially diverse cast; ans 2)doing it in a way that isn't overly self-aware, or laden with attitude. Note to parents: "Jump Tomorrow" is rated PG. Compared to much of what's out there, it's quite wholesome and free of offensive language. It would be a good choice for your next family video night. I saw "Jump Tomorrow" in Seattle in July, 2001 during its (extremely short) theatrical run. On that same day, I saw "Ghost World" (which I also loved, but for different reasons). I just couldn't get either film out of my mind; I thought for sure they would both go on to become art house hits. We all know the success that "Ghost World" went on to achieve, but "Jump Tomorrow" somehow slipped through the cracks. Ever since then, I've been hoping against hope that "Jump Tomorrow" would see a release on video. Now, here's your chance to see what you've been missing!!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unique and satisfying flick, August 19, 2003
I caught the short movie "Jorge" a couple of years back on IFC, which spawned this full-length version. That movie was black and white, and had a different actress in the lead. Also brought over from the earlier film are the fantasy sequences in the style of Spanish language soap operas.
Tunde Adebimpe reprises his role as George, a man whose appearance belies his mousy demeanor. Adebimpe plays George a little like Peter Sellers in "Being There", as a man who takes very little action, but instead allows the events of the story to happen to him. Unlike Chance the Gardener, however, George is not totally disconnected from society or reality. The plot is a fairly standard road movie type deal, with an interesting arranged marriage subplot involving George. The real attraction of the movie are the characters, their interactions. They are offbeat but quite genuine. You have Nigerians, Latinos, a Frenchman, an Englishman, but this isn't a movie that is drunk with its own multiculturalism. A lesser movie may have had these characters cleverly trying to sort out their cultural differences on their way to becoming politically correct and stereotype-free, but the movie is not about their cultural revelations, it's about their individual quests for love. However, during a brief nationalistic argument between the Englishman and the Frenchman, the latter says "You have these 4 guys with the hair from Liverpool and you think you have the monopoly on 20th century culture."
It's this Frenchman, in fact, who steals the movie. Hippolyte Girardot plays Gerard with equal parts comedy and tragedy, a guy who clings to his idealization of love even when the reality of it constantly tramples him. (The license plate on his car reads AMOUR 1). Natalia Verbeke, the Argentinian actress who plays Alicia is also very good. The movie is very light, but not at all empty. Highly recommended.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One good movie, April 22, 2004
This is a very enjoyable "girlie" movie, but really guys listen up, if your girl friend wants to pop this DVD in: go for it. Though the plot is a romantic, the characters bring to life a very fresh movie style and not only smart humor but funny humor.
Sorry theirs no nude bodies running around or Jerry Springer fights, but a very well thought out plot that is understandable and enjoyable.
It's about time some one can put out a decent movie that doesn't have anything to do with drugs, or uses the f word to start every conversation. This movie will bring a couple together, I'll put a dollar on it.. I really like this movie and wish it could be found in stores. From a real dude~
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