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Director – Babak Najafi

Flick in a Limerick

Hitwoman Mary leaves a boy orphaned after a job that is ill-timed

She takes him in after a year on her mind

Her mafia family gets suspicious

Things get really vicious

As she tries to leave the crime life behind

Role Play

(Taraji P. Henson, Billy Brown, Danny Glover, Neal McDonough, Jahi Di’Allo Winston)

Nose Candy

“There is only one thing these animals understand and that an eye for an eye”

“Lady what is it that you actually do?”

“If something were to happen to me I want you take that money and run start a new life promise me that”

“It’s best that you don’t get mixed up in something you don’t understand”

“If you love me please let me go”

“If you gon stop me you gon have to kill me”

Style Points

  • Blaxploitation style establishing shot
  • Boston pier shot
  • Camerawork on jog and murder in tunnel

Money Shot

Mary goes to rescue Danny from her former colleague Tom. She infiltrates a warehouse filled with guards who shoot up her car and rip off her door. Mary then has a subsequent fight sequence all with the Tina Turner classic “Rollin on the River” setting the mood.

Final Touch

The movement in Hollywood at the moment about how women deserve equality in films and then have Sony lose faith in this production seems like such a step back. Especially having such a talented african american female lead in Taraji P. Henson. The studio started pulling ads for this film and did not bother screening it for critics right upon its release. Even though Proud Mary is nothing to call home about the sound track is dope. Several popular tunes like Anthony Hamilton’s – Coming From Where I’m From, Nina Simone’s – Misunderstood, Bobby Bland’s – Aint No Love In The Heart Of The City and The Temptations – Poppa Was A Rolling Stone to name a few were played throughout. Henson is a strong actress and excels here which is no shocker. Danny Glover was great in a supporting role as well. Initially it seems that Proud Mary was going to be a modern-day black exploitation film with a cool opening montage that had me hyped. After that it just hovers around mediocrity and does not have any real excitement until the final stages. From a plot perspective I thought they could have done a better job giving a reason as to why cold-hearted assassin Mary would have such a sentimental attachment to the little boy. This film is unpredictable however and does have a great ending. Despite the struggles Proud Mary had to endure it is watchable just not the breakthrough we desperately needed right now.

-Caleb Harris