I love this movie so much

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Some bitter wannabe critics will definitely try to make this movie out to be a lot worse than it is but it's not bad. I absolutely love the way the actors who played Marcel (Ri'chard), Marie (??), Jean Jacques (?? the dark Haitian man who made furniture) and Dolly Rose (Beals) bring the characters to life. They're amazing. I absolutely could not stand the role of Cecile (Marcel's mom). So indifferent and lacking in depth, it's just awful. That goes for Peter Gallagher's character as well. Don't you just love how he brings his dying behind to their home and leaves them with nothing? I also could have dealt without that rape scene, I mean I'm the most liberal of people but even I think it's too much. Other than that it was okay, lots of perpetuating social issues addressed in the film.

Historical drama and coming of age story involving free people of color in pre civil war New Orleans. Starts off slow but picks up steam once you have learned about the main characters and the real action can begin. This is not just a story about the exploitation of black women, because these were free people. They may not have had all the rights of whites but they certainly had more control over their destinies than their slave ancestors. The young men and women in this story must each make their own choice about how to live their lives, whether to give into the depravity of the system or live with optimism and contribute to their community. I enjoyed all of the characters but my favorites were Christophe, Anna Bella, and Marcel.

This movie was a fascinating look at creole culture and society that few African Americans are aware. My own two children are by products of a paternal grandmother whose father was a member of the gens de couleur libre and a black skin woman whose parents were ex-slaves. He married outside of and against his culture and was cut off from all of his family except for one sister who took pity on her brothers plight; raising 8 children during the great depression of 1929; providing the family with food whenever she could. Of course she clandestinely aided this family fearing for her own ex-communication. My daughter was fascinated by the movie. We have made it a part of our library.

I am glad that a part of American history is finally brought to the small screen, in addition to Lifetime television's "The Courage to Love", that deals with the subject of placage (the keeping of Multiracial women by white men), class, racial identity, and destiny.I only find two flaws in the movie. Although I thought that Marcel was good, his accent was not continuous. One minute he speaks with a flawless Creole French accent, the next minute he sounds like a 21st century teen from southern California. In addition to that, I thought that some of the younger actors, most notably the males, should have been better in executing their scenes.With the above exceptions, the acting of the veteran actors was superb. Pam Grier played a dignified Creole woman of color, as did Victoria Rowell as the loving adoptive, yet secretive, mother of Cecile. Gloria Reuben also put forth a good performance as the haughty Cecile who secretly envies her daughter. Ruby Dee was awesome as the old guardian of Anna Bella, Madam Elsie. Jennifer Beals played a wonderful Dolly Rose. And, of course, Eartha Kitt as the seedy voodoo priestess Lola Dede.As for the rape scene, I did not find it brutal, primarily because I have seen even more brutal rape scenes in movies (i.e., The Accused, Showgirls, etc.)A definite winner. 8/10