Anne B. Real
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Anne B. Real
Plot
Cynthia (Ja Nice Richardson), a teenager growing up fatherless and impoverished in the city, spends her free time reading and writing rhymes. She carries around the tattered copy of The Diary of Anne Frank that her late father (David Zayas) gave her when she was a little girl. Her brother, Juan (Carlos Leon), a drug addict and dealer, steals Cynthia's rhymes, claims them as his own, and sells them to an up-and-coming rapper, Deuce (Eric Smith), who has a decent flow, but no writing skills of his own. When Deuce gets the opportunity to record a demo for a big-time producer, he pressures Juan to get him more material. Meanwhile, Cynthia's best friend, Kitty (Jackie Quinones), and a concerned teacher at her school, Michael (Antonio Macia, who also co-wrote the screenplay), find out about Cynthia's writing talent and try to encourage the introspective girl to share her gift with the world. Michael's efforts are complicated by his former relationship with Cynthia's older sister, who is a struggling single mother. Cynthia is courted, first by a good-natured small-time dealer, Jerome (Ephraim Benton), and then by a middle-class uptown teen, Darius (Geronimo Frias Jr.). She eventually learns that the increasingly desperate Juan has stolen her rhymes, and worse, and she decides to do something about it. Anne B. Real was the feature debut of co-writer and director Lisa France, who had previously worked as a stuntwoman. It was shown at the 2003 Urbanworld Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, RoviReview
Lisa France's debut feature, Anne B. Real, is a well-meaning drama with an original premise that still gets bogged down in formulaic plotting, uneven performances, and drab visuals. Making her acting debut, Ja Nice Richardson does a fine job in the lead role of Cynthia. She and Jackie Quinones, who plays Cynthia's wisecracking best friend, Kitty, bring a fresh-faced enthusiasm to their performances that transcends the rather predictable character arcs. Other performers, including Carlos Leon in the pivotal role of Cynthia's drug-addled brother Juan, do not fare as well. Leon tries hard, but it's a character we've seen on too many television police dramas and low-budget drug sagas, and while Juan serves a crucial function in the plot, he's never quite convincing as a fully-fleshed human being. Anne B. Real has been compared to 8 Mile. This film, however, has a more likable protagonist, unlike the monotonously sullen character played by Eminem. Cynthia seems to have passion and a lively mind even when she's not on-stage, where she's understandably not quite as convincing in her freestyle skills. The film's connection to the classic WWII memoir The Diary of Anne Frank is too tenuous to suggest the awkward title, though perhaps the filmmakers were simply thinking that the reference would broaden their film's demographic appeal. ~ Josh Ralske, RoviCast
- Ja Nice Richardson - Cynthia
Credit
Felice Schachter - Co-producer, Lisa France - Co-producer, Tere Duncan - Costume Designer, Lisa France - Director, Luis Moro - Producer, Luis Moro - Screen Story, Lisa France - Screenwriter, Antonio Macia - Screenwriter, Antonio Macia - Short Story Author| Anne Against the World (1929 Film), Annarth (2002 Film) | |
| Anne Devlin (1984 Film), Anne Frank (2001 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Anne B. Real
| Anne B. Real | |
|---|---|
 Anne B. Real |
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| Directed by | Lisa France |
| Produced by | Luis Moro |
| Written by | Antonio Macia |
| Starring | David Zayas Carlos Leon Janice Richardson |
| Distributed by | Screen Media Universal |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Language | English |
Anne B. Real is a 2003 dramatic coming-of-age film by Lisa France and Luis Moro, starring David Zayas, Carlos Leon, Janice Richardson, Jackie Quinones, Eric Smith, Geronimo Frias Jr, Ernie Hudson, Nesta Ward, and Sherri Saum.
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Contents
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Plot summary
A teenage girl of Afro-Caribbean heritage named Cynthia Gimenez lives in a cramped Manhattan apartment on the edge of Spanish Harlem. Her mother and grandmother speak minimal English. Her older sister is an unwed mother living on welfare. Her older brother is a drug-dealing junkie. In the course of the film, Cynthia faces chaos and betrayal. One of her friends is deliberately murdered, while another of her loved ones is accidentally shot. She runs from the police at one point, and to them at another. But through it all, Cynthia has a secret friend: Anne Frank.
In a flashback scene early in the film, Cynthia’s now-dead father gives his young daughter a dog-eared copy of The Diary Of Anne Frank and for the rest of the film Anne’s words, read verbatim by Cynthia, provide both her solace and her inspiration. Cynthia buys herself a plaid notebook that looks very much like Anne’s original, and she retreats to her corner, like Anne did, to record her private thoughts. “All children must look after their own upbringing,” she reads, and from these words she understands that she can either blame her surroundings and give up, or take responsibility for her own future.
She finds out that her brother is selling her poems to a rapper named ‘Deuce’ who has been performing them and recording them and claiming them as his own. But with Anne’s voice in her head, Cynthia finds her courage, and by the end of the film she has transformed herself into an artist named “Anne B. Real.”
Reception
The movie is currently number 50 on the Internet Movie Database's list of the 100 worst movies of all time, as voted by the users of the homepage. Despite receiving praise in film festivals, users have noted the film is very cliched for a coming-of-age film.
Behind the scenes
Sensitive to the raw language which pervades hip-hop culture, France and Moro insisted that the cast respect their intention to make a PG-rated film before they signed on. In an exclusive interview, France told the World Jewish Digest she had two reasons for this requirement. First she wanted the film to be suitable for everyone, including Anne’s legions of young readers: “Urban family entertainment is rare. We wanted to make a film that an 8-year old and a 90-year old could watch together and we would not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.”
The second motivation was her respect for Anne Frank’s legacy. When Antonio Macia, who plays one of Cynthia’s teachers in the film, wrote the original screenplay, he paraphrased Anne’s words. Once the film was greenlit, however, Moro contacted the Anne Frank Foundation in Switzerland and received permission to quote extensively from the actual text. According to France, Buddy Elias, one of Anne’s last surviving relatives and the President of the Foundation, was extremely supportive.[1]
Music was performed by R&B singer Janice "J Nice" Richardson, who learned how to rap for the film. The end credits include a music video by Grammy award winner Paula Cole's song "Be Somebody".
Awards and recognition
The film was inspired by the diaries of Anne Frank. Luis Moro got permission from Buddy Elias, Frank’s last living relative, who is the Director of The Anne Frank Center in New York.[2]
In Elias' correspondence with Moro, he said, "I didn't know your film is made by African Americans. This thrills me, that alone is wonderful!!"
Elias' support in his letter to Moro said, "Congratulations to the awards!!!! Wonderful but it does not come as a surprise. The film is great. I had one exchange of letters with Steven Spielberg. You can write to him and let him know that I am supporting you and love the film. My wife and I are moved especially how Anne's and Otto's words are integrated in this film. With so much sensitivity. Thank you."
Awards
| Years | Film Event | Awards | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Independent Spirit Award | John Cassavetes Award | Lisa France, Luis Moro | Nominated |
| 2004 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Debut Performance | Janice (J-Nice) Richardson | Nominated |
| 2004 | Dubrovnik International Film Festival | Black Reel Award | Best Independent Film | Won |
| 2003 | American Film Festival Award | Best Performance by an Actress | Janice (J-Nice) Richardson | Won |
| 2003 | Santa Monica Film Festival | Best Dramatic Feature | Anne B. Real | Won |
| 2003 | Taos Land Grant Award | Tollbooth[disambiguation needed  ] |
Nominated |
References
- ^ Films42 Anne Frank and Anne B. Real Films42 Anne Frank and Anne B. Real
- ^ Buddy Elias Anne Frank’s Last Living Relative, First Cousin Buddy Elias, Gives Insight Into Anne’s Life and Her Famous Diary
- ^ Films42, ANNE B. REAL: A CINEMATIC HIP-HOP TRIBUTE TO ANNE FRANK by Lisa Huttner
External links
- Anne B. Real at the Internet Movie Database
- Official Website : Moro Films
- Official Anne B. Real Blog : B. Real
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
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