Plot: What’s it about?
Nisi (Halle Berry) works as a waitress with her friend Mickey (Natalie Desselle), but they have plans beyond serving up the soup of the day. The job might pay some bills, but these two girls want to get more out of life, which is impossible without a serious overhaul. The friends dream of having their own business, a place which served the best food in town, but also provided some of the best salon service around. But with no money and no chance to save, Nisi and Mickey only have their dreams, until fate knocks on the door. The two take off for Los Angeles, hoping to score roles in a music video as dancers. This could be the break they need, a chance to make connections and more to the point, make some cash. The director of the video, Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau) has a long, lost love in his past, which proves to be good news for the girls. His nephew asks Nisi to pose as the granddaughter of Lily, the woman he loved. He wasn’t able to pursue that romance, because Lily was a servant for his family, but his heart has never healed. Mr. Blakemore is rich beyond all reason, which means Nisi and Mickey are in sheer heaven. The presence of the young women revives the old man’s vest for life, even if the story isn’t true. But can Nisi and Mickey somehow make their dream come true, or is this another dead end?
I can often find a lot to like in even the worst movies, but B.A.P.S is just one flick that I don’t have a single positive comment about. The cast stands out as impressive, with Halle Berry, Martin Landau, Ian Richardson, and Bernie Mac all on board, but that praise is soon deflated, as the performers all hand in miserable turns. I suppose the blame falls on the weak source material, but even so, I expected a little more from these talented folks. In truth, I’d expect more out of even the least gifted cast and crew, as B.A.P.S is a complete and total failure. A lot of films this bad can often have the saving grace of camp value, but there is not a shred of camp to be found, so this is just a total disappointment. Robert Townsend has made some good movies, but his direction here is useless, though in his defense, no one could direct this to effective ends. Even so, with Townsend behind the scenes and a solid cast, it is hard to believe this movie turned out so weak. But miserable writing is certain to sink even the best cast and crew, which is just what happened in this case. The premise is recycled, the plotline is all washed up, and the characters are as thin at Kate Moss, only not nearly as memorable. New Line’s slim disc reflects the film’s limited audience, but if you must see B.A.P.S, a rental is more than enough.
Video: How does it look?
B.A.P.S is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame version also included on this release. This is a very good overall transfer, though some small issues keep the score down in the end. The contrast looks good throughout, but a few darker scenes have more than a little grain, which isn’t cool. This is never to an extreme degree, but I still think it should be mentioned in this review. The colors look natural and consistent also, I saw no bleeds or smears and the flesh tones appear normal as well. I didn’t detect much in terms of compression flaws either, this is a fine visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 option is found here, but given the material involved, don’t expect too much from this soundtrack. The music is able to use the speakers well and add some life, while a few scenes have some solid presence also. This is stuff like traffic noises, background audio, and other more subtle effects, but those add to the atmosphere, so don’t discount their value, especially in more reserved material like this. But the dialogue is still the main focus and it sounds great, very crisp and clean throughout. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English subtitles, just in case you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
