Cover (2007)

In the tradition of Women Thou Art Loosed "Cover" will engross you in a gripping tale of lies betrayal and infidelity. Vivica A. Fox and Aunjuane Ellis headline an all-star cast in this suspenseful account of a devoted wife and mother accused of murder. System Requirements:Running Time: 98 MinsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 024543492054 Manufacturer No: 2249205 Product Description

Shocking suspense !

Great and intense story that 'at least' every woman should see !
This movie is an eyebrow raiser!
Good story line, good plot , good acting !
I was really entertained !

P.S. Also good to buy for your friends ! September 20, 2008

great movie

This seemed like maybe a book i would have read so i decided to give it a try. this movie was amazing! and proof why i dont trust men! ;-p! September 17, 2008

AN EYE OPENER.

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS FILM. BILL DUKE REALLY DID A GREAT JOB.
I BROUGHT THIS MOVIE FOR ALL OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS. AT FIRST THEY YELLED AT ME. BUT OVERALL THEY LOVED THE FILM. I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD GO AND PURCHASE THIS FILM. IT'S WORTH EACH AND EVERY DIME. THIS GOES ON MY TOP INDIE FILMS LIST. September 16, 2008

Entertaining--Yes!--But Could've Been Alot Better!!!

Cover starts with Valerie Maas (Aujanue Ellis) being held for the murder of popular R&B singer Ryan Chambers (Leon). She contests that she is innocent in the murder but an over-zealous D.A (Clifton Davis) is trying to seek her conviction to help boost his credibility in an upcoming election. She begins to tell her story through a series of flashbacks during the interregation to Detective Hick (Lou Gossett Jr.).

Valerie is a 'happily' married woman from ATL who gives up her career as a photographer and moves to Philly with her daughter when her psychiatrist husband Dutch (Raz Adoti) takes a higher paying job there thanks to college friends Kevin and Monica Wilson (Roger Smith and Paula Jai Parker). Hard times abound when Dutch is denied the salary that was initially promised to him by Monica due to funding issues at the hospital, and it seems that he is struggling with this as head of the family through pillow talk and his reluctancy to join a local church suggested to them by Valerie's good friend Zahara (Vivica Fox). Valerie is more interested in Dutch's relationship with Monica, who is very seductive and charismatic with Dutch with every encounter. She is only side-tracked by Ryan Chambers, who is equally seductive and charismatic with her during the Wilson's anniversary party, but questions Dutch and Monica's involvement even more once she finds a condom in Dutch's wallet one afternoon. Zahara, who vows to stand by her friend, does some detective work and presents Valerie with photos that suggest Dutch is having an affair with Monica. Valerie, who is livid, confronts Dutch, who comes up with every logical explanation in the book to calm her suspicions in a heated argument. Valerie however is still not convinced. Dutch shows up unexpectantly at Ryan's home where Valerie is doing a photo shoot for him and catches the two in compromising positions, accusing her of trying to get back at him. It isn't until the pariah of Valerie and Zahara's womens church group Charlotte gives Valerie a key to a hotel room and insists that she needs to know the truth that Valerie discovers Dutch is having an affair, and it's not with Monica, but with another man. Suddenly, many secrets are revealed and Valerie must make a powerful decision concerning her marriage.

PROS: The script was believable because of the top-notch notable African American cast who brought these characters to life. We all have or know of a friend like Zahara, for example--crazy as all get out and down-to-Earth, willing to have your back when need be. Or the older woman at church like Sister Honeycomb who means well, but still comes off ignorant and out of touch. I was impressed with Raz Adoti, someone who I'm only used to seeing in action flicks such as Resident Evil and Doom. There were no raunchy sex scenes between men and you got the point during the big reveal scene, which I respected. Valerie's reactions that followed upon finding out her husband's infidelity were so human you might forget that Aujanue Ellis was only acting.

CONS:

1. The movie was very predictable and foolish at times despite the twists and turns that were presented to throw the viewer off. It's so obvious who Dutch is not having an affair with as obvious as they try to make it. The confrontation scene between Valerie and Monica was foolish, even if it was used to show how her prints got on the gun. Dutch's father bailing him out of jail and then beating him up on the way out was another idiotic scene. Valerie telling everyone at the womens group meeting in the church about her husband's infidelity with another man--of all people to tell--is poor, and I just couldn't see a woman scorned in such a way confiding something like that with so many people not close to her. The babysitter always standing at the front door during Valerie's arrival home everytime was laughable; at first, you might suspect that she is a housekeeper or something. The spectacle of a rant Kevin makes on the streets of Philly to Dutch once the word is out about the extent of his infidelity was more comedy.

2. I think the movie would've been just as good without the cheesy murder plot. It should've definitely been left out because it wasn't needed. There was such a gap in between after Valerie found out about Dutch's double life and the murder that I just felt this was something thrown in to spice up the script and not much thought was really given to it. You didn't get to see how she got caught, how her family was affected...and how is it that the murder investigation focuses on her when she was one of three people who had access to the gun in the movie?

3. While I appreciate the intellectual and ignorant conversation that was brought up involving homosexuality, the 'DL' phenomena, HIV/AIDS, and the Black church, there were still many stereotypes presented in the film. Zahara's friend Greg was the stereotypical flamboyant and emotionally sensitive gay man. There was also this crazy scene in the film that is repeated at the end to bring a realization/conclusion to the viewer where a married man hits on Greg and Dutch by offering to blow an eyelash out of their eye. I died of laughter--is this supposed to be the tell-tell sign that a man is on the 'DL'?

I heard so many people talking about this movie over the Summer and refused to take a chance and pay the 20-something dollars it was initially on sale for, and could never seem to rent it because it was never available, but finally broke when I saw it went on sale for only $7.99 a week ago. It is definitely a decent made-for-DVD Black movie I must admit, entertaining with a few flaws, but touches on a very strong subject within the African American community. A very good conversation piece, watch it with a group of people like I did and it's sure to get you talking. September 15, 2008

EXCELLENT MOVIE!!

This is an excellent movie. Very well written the acting for the most part was good. Although the scenes where the wife is seeking counseling from her church women's group is just unbelievable. A christian women's support group meeting, held in the church and led by the first lady without scriptures given, a homosexual man allowed to join the group, two members about to come to a physical fight...I could go on but you get my point.

The two lead actors should have gotten an academy award. Their performance was great. I am going to search for other movies with these two. My husband and I watched this together and it started a great conversation between us.

See this movie you will not be disappointed.

September 8, 2008

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