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First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story – Review
First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story – BET+ – 1 hour and 45 minutes
Tonesa’s mother, Carol, and stepfather, Emerson, agree to watch her son, Little Marlon, while she goes to a club with her friends, Carla and Lisa. They tell Tonesa to change her dress because they are going to a club with wealthy men. Tonesa switches into something more provocative and heads out for a fun night. As one man approaches Tonesa, another, Harvey, scares him away. Harvey offers Tonesa some champagne, and they have an instant spark.
Tonesa sneaks out to meet Harvey and leaves Little Marlon behind. Harvey showers Tonesa with money, gifts, and attention. Although Emerson threatens not to watch the baby, Carol caves so Tonesa can have fun. Tonesa dumps her long-distance boyfriend, Big Marlon, for Harvey and moves in with him. One day, Harvey comes home and puts his gun on the table. Tonesa reaches for the gun, and Harvey pulls her back. She confesses that she wants to be a part of his crew and sell drugs. But Harvey says no because he has another plan for her. He wants her to write bad checks.
Tonesa does great scamming for Harvey, but it’s not enough. She is ready for real work. So Harvey teaches her the drug trade, and they expand their territory. They move into a new home, and Tonesa comes up with a new idea. She wants to increase their market to the West because they have money to burn. Harvey ponders her idea and slaps her. He tells Tonesa he is in charge and makes the plans. Harvey follows Tonesa in the bathroom and promises never to hit her again. Harvey offers Tonesa drugs to dull the pain. Despite her parents’ warning, Tonesa willingly slides down a razor’s edge into a life of abuse, drugs, money, and jail.
Tonesa matures throughout this film. At first, she blames her parents for holding her back. They constantly remind Tonesa of her responsibilities and condemn her behavior. Then, she accuses her husband and boyfriends. They taught her the business only to punish her for being better than them. Finally, Tonesa takes a long look at herself. She addresses her part in the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family. The film even covers her hypocrisy. She fights back against her friend’s abuser but not Harvey. Tonesa had something special that made her the first lady of BMF: her tenacity and woman’s intuition. Tonesa refused to settle for less than the best. And when she felt something wrong, she spoke up. She didn’t always follow her gut instinct, but it was right. Tonesa earns a legitimate living today and works to help other recently released prisoners return to society. She helped ban the box and created organizations to help women and children. The film uses technology, wardrobe, slang, and hair to recreate the period. And it doesn’t glamorize her past. It provides an honest look at her decisions, life, consequences, and redemption.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
That girl’s gonna be the death of me – Emerson
That night changed everything – Tonesa
I know my child. She’ll be back in a week – Carol
Why? You scared – Harvey
Only on paper – Terry
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Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy – Part 1 & 2 – Review
Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy – Part 1 & 2 – BET+ – 3 hours and 14 minutes combined
Part 1
Lance Herndon was a successful tech mogul, husband, and father in 1996. He considers his wife, Blair, the luckiest woman in the world. Lance started and currently runs Access Incorporated out of his home. His tech company revolutionized the 911 call system. Now, Lance is bidding for the Olympics contract. He wakes up, meditates, runs, and makes voice notes for his staff before 9:00 a.m. His workers include Delyse, the office manager, and Harmony, the office assistant. Delyse is a ‘hood girl’ gone corporate and acts as a sounding board for Lance. Harmony is dating and funds Trip but fears everything. Lance walks Delyse outside to discuss the next step in his plan. He wants to remove his partner, Georgia Hills, before landing the Olympics deal. To do that, Lance needs a new alliance. He hopes to align himself with old money, a.k.a. Leonard Piedmont. He arranges a meeting with Leonard to plead his case.
Leonard meets with Lance for dinner and doesn’t say a word. He eats, leaves, and dismisses Lance. Later, Leonard encounters Lance at a restaurant because Lance ruined a land deal by buying the diner. Leonard is furious and wants Lance to give up his position. Lance refuses and dismisses him. Leonard and his wife meet with Graham Burns, CEO of Georgia Hills. They believe Lance is gaining too much power and seek to end his career. If Burns doesn’t find a way, the Piedmonts will.
As Lance navigates the shark-infested professional waters, his personal life falls apart. His ex-girlfriend, Sophia, came to his church. Lance leaves his wife’s side to talk to Sophia. Sophia left her husband and L.A. because Lance promised a life with him. But he changed his mind. Sophia is furious, but Lance knows how to calm her down. He starts cheating on Blair with Sophia. But Blair isn’t blind to Lance’s infidelity because someone left pictures of him with an undisclosed woman on her windshield. Blair confronts Harmony and Delyse about the images and demands them to find the mystery woman. Harmony doesn’t have to look far because she recognizes her tattoos in the photo. She never knew Lance filmed her, and she confronts him. Lance dismisses her concerns because he doesn’t intend on publicizing the pictures. He decides to focus on his marriage, but it’s too late. Blair wants a divorce and an ample settlement. Lance grows tired of the drama and finds a woman he saw at his birthday party: Khloe. He woos her with his typical tactics, but nothing works. Soon, the playboy is in love with Khloe but keeps Sophia, Harmony, and Blair in his pocket. His personal and professional lives will collide with blood and mystery.
If seduction is an art, I’m Picasso – Lance
Don’t sleep. I’m not weak – Blair
Fake ass watch – Delyse
Can you say something nice about Trip? – Harmony
I just came here to look you in your eyes one last time and say good riddance – Sophia
You got more X’s and O’s than tic tac toe board – Isabelle
It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none – Khloe
Part 2
Lance’s mother, Isabelle, stands at the gate, but Lance doesn’t pass for his morning smoothie before his run. She assumes that burning the candle at both ends caught up with him. She prays for Lance and walks to her home. Delyse comes to work and sees the garage door partially open. She quips and enters. For the first time, Harmony arrived late, and Lance didn’t leave voice notes for the staff. He left them every morning to set tasks without needing to repeat himself. Delyse tells everyone to start working and enters Lance’s office. She finds the tape recorders on his desk, his laptop missing, and his calendar clear. None of this sits well with Delyse, but she leaves his office and starts working. Lance’s grandmother calls downstairs for breakfast. Delyse remembers the staff can’t enter the main living quarters, so she calls Isabelle to the main house. Isabelle walks into Lance’s bedroom and screams. Someone killed Lance.
Detective Colin and Curtis ignore the media and stroll to Lance’s bedroom. They find Lance in bed with his hands crossed over his chest and bloody footprints. Someone unplugged all 3 of Lance’s alarm clocks and concealed Sophia’s picture on Lance’s nightstand. They examine Lance’s body and don’t find defensive wounds. They suspect the killer snuck in and surprised Lance. Then they discover proof the killer took a shower before leaving the scene. At first, they don’t understand why someone would kill a pillar of society. Then, the detectives speak to Lance’s friend, Dr. Carter. Carter tells the detectives about Lance’s playboy lifestyle. So they put Blair, Sophia, Khloe, and Harmony on their suspect list. Later, they uncover Lance’s professional issues with the Piedmonts and Graham. Can the detectives unmask Lance’s killer with an evergrowing list?
My baby’s dead – Isabelle
Some taken, but I’m on it – Det. Curtis
I would have said no yesterday. But after today, I don’t know – Blair
The past is not dead. It’s all around us. And it’s our job to find it – Det. Colin
What would a person do to get the millions that they want – Carter
For your information, this is what shock looks like – Sophia
Where have you been all my life – Lance
I can stand here all day – Delyse
We are fighting over a dead man – Khloe
Review of Part 1 & Part 2
Based on the novel Redbone: Money, Malice, and Murder in Atlanta by Ron Stodghill, this two-part movie is intriguing, sexy, and funny (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The first movie shows Lance’s shrewd practices at home and work. He knows how and when to seize any opportunity and isn’t afraid to make enemies. Every woman in his life fulfills personal and professional needs. He considers who accompanies him to galas and who he sees after midnight. He is a playboy in every sense of the word. Lance unknowingly orchestrates his destruction. In the second film, viewers see the dark side of Lance. He preys on women and spots the ones that need him financially. He calls this ‘appreciating them.’ If they step out of line, Lance will cut off all support. Eventually, they will accept him back with their arms and beds open. It’s a form of financial control and manipulation. This act doesn’t excuse his murderer. The killer was more diabolical than Lance. He met his match, and it had deadly consequences. This movie is worth the price of BET+ (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer).
Part 1 & Part 2: I give it 5 out of 5 stars
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Cruel Encounters – Review
Cruel Encounters – BET+ – 1 hour and 32 minutes
Cameron interrupts his sister’s birthday party at the hottest Atlanta club. His sister, Destiny, prepares to argue but stops when Cameron gives her devastating news. The FAA declared their father, Dexter, dead after a plane crash. Cameron and Destiny meet with their stepmother, Corynne, at their father’s company, Granite Slate Holdings, in the morning. The media speculates who will run the company. Cameron is the Chief Marketing Officer but has a history of car accidents. Destiny is V.P. of acquisitions and holdings by day and a wild party girl at night. The corporate attorney, Blake, sits everyone down and briefs them on Dexter’s will. Dexter left everything to Corynne, making her the CEO. Cameron and Destiny are furious at their father’s decision and don’t understand why he wrote them out of the company. Then, Corynne drops another bomb. The company is hemorrhaging money, and she must reduce costs. Corynne cut their salary by 50%, canceled their personal and corporate credit cards, and won’t pay for Destiny’s apartment. When Destiny questions her living arrangements, Corynne suggests she move in with Cameron. Before they leave, Det. Howard updates the family on the FAA finding. It wasn’t a pilot error that caused the plane crash. It was a faulty part. However, the maintenance crew said it was new. The police believe someone tampered with it and classified Dexter’s death as a homicide.
Destiny saunters into Cameron’s home with bags in tow. She informs him that the guest room isn’t good enough. She wants his room. Destiny has more on her mind than living arrangements. She wants to take back her father’s company. Destiny recalls that Cameron and their stepsister, Lauren, had a fling. She tells Cameron to seduce Lauren because Lauren is a minority shareholder. They can take over the company and appoint a new CEO with their combined shares. But if Cameron fails, he will give his shares to Destiny. The two shake on their devious plan but keep a dagger behind their backs.
Buy some pearls for this movie because you need something to clutch. The audacity is extreme in this family, and they have zero shame. Their devilish behavior isn’t new for them. Their father’s death only unleashed the beast. They both had affairs, used each other, and stole to get ahead. This movie takes a TV series of twists and turns and compacts them into less than 2 hours. When you thought it was over, there was one more twist in the last 30 seconds. The shocks will have you rewinding to ensure you heard it right. The plot has no loose ends but begs for and deserves a part two.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars
Is that the right look for the CEO? Inquiring minds want to know – Corynne
All you do is run your mouth – Destiny
And all you do is twerk – Cameron
We have a professional relationship now. That’s it – Lauren
We’re in love – Blake
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Ruined – Review
Ruined – BET+ – 1 hour and 33 minutes
Doctor Landon is a successful OB/GYN with a flourishing clinic. He strives to give women top-rated healthcare with a ‘pay what you can’ motto. Liv is an interior decorator with a thriving business and happy customers. They have been married for ten years but haven’t been able to carry a child to term. Liv shops at a local market with her friend, Charlotte, and discusses her marital issues. Charlotte tells Liv to be honest with Landon and leaves. Liv bumps into Alexis, and Alexis confesses. She is a marriage counselor and overheard her problems with Landon. Alexis believes she can help them because she has a 99% success rate. Alexis gives Liv her business card and leaves.
Liv reconsiders having children after her latest miscarriage. Instead of telling Landon, she puts her baby clothes on an online auction. Landon sees the post and expresses his disappointment. Liv cries and pulls out Alexis’s card. She calls Alexis to make an appointment and breathes a sigh of relief. She hopes this call will repair her marriage, but it could end her life.
The plot feels familiar, but the lead doesn’t follow the blueprint. At first, Liv trusts Alexis and follows her advice from their therapy session. However, Liv reconsiders when she spots changes in her life. She questions everyone around her, gathers evidence, and does her research. She never turns on Charlotte when Charlotte suggests something is wrong with Alexis. Liv is an adult and confronts the problem. This film leaves the plot open for a sequel, but it’s unnecessary.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars
As you know, women make the world go round – Landon
I’m so sick of apologizing for something I have no control over – Liv
I should tell you, rescuing marriages is my specialty – Alexis
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Categories: Annie Ilonzeh, Anthony Dalton II, Apryl Jones, BET+, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Chris Warren, Ciera Payton, Cruel Encounters, Daphnique Springs, Faith Malonte, First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story, Jessica “Jess Hilarious” Moore, Keesha Sharp, Kellie Williams, Keri Hilson, Leon, Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy, Michelle Mitchenor, movie, Nicole Lyn, review, Ruined, Taye Diggs, Tobias Truvillion, Tristin Fazekas, Vanessa Estelle Williams, VOD
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