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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "IDLEWILD" (2006) (André Benjamin, Antwan A. Patton) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Heavy Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Minor Moderate *Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme Extreme Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Drama/Musical: Lifelong friends must contend with both a new gangster and new singer who affect the Depression-era, small-town speakeasy where they work. PLOT: It's 1935 and friends Percival (ANDRÉ BENJAMIN) and Rooster (ANTWAN A. PATTON) have resided in Idlewild, Georgia their entire lives. Yet, they couldn't be more different. Percival works in the mortuary run by his stern and long-widowed father Percy Senior (BEN VEREEN), while the always-flamboyant Rooster helps Spats (VING RHAMES) run moonshine when not tearing down the house as a singer in a notorious speakeasy known as Church. He's also keeping secret from his wife Zora (MALINDA WILLIAMS) that he's carrying on an affair with Rose (PAULA JAI PARKER) who belongs to the club's owner, Sunshine Ace (FAIZON LOVE). He's an unsavory type who's happy that he's signed club singer Angel Davenport (PAULA PATTON) to a month's worth of performances -- which doesn't sit well with resident performer Taffy (MACY GRAY) -- and is pleased when Spats wants to sell him his liquor-running business, thus meaning Spats' right-hand man, Trumpy (TERRENCE HOWARD), will now work for him. But that gangster has other plans, snuffs out his former and new boss, and then proceeds to extort Rooster who's just inherited the speakeasy. From that point on, as Rooster deals with that while simultaneously trying to run the business and perform there, Percival must figure out what to do with his life after he helps Angel with her career and starts falling for her. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the musical group OutKast or anyone else in the film, they might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For violence, sexuality, nudity and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANDRÉ BENJAMIN plays an unassuming young man who works at his father's mortuary (and feels he must take care of him) and moonlights as a piano player at the speakeasy (with dreams of becoming a songwriter). He must deal with the various developments that occur in and out of the club, including falling for and bedding Angel. ANTWAN A. PATTON plays his longtime best friend, a wilder character who helps Spats run moonshine when not performing in the club. When he inherits the place, he must contend with Trumpy, his thugs, and their attempts to extort him. He uses profanity, smokes, drinks, and has an affair with Rose. PAULA PATTON plays a diva-type club singer who arrives at the speakeasy with a secret about her past. She ends up falling for and having sex with Percival. TERRENCE HOWARD plays Spats' longtime, right-hand man who's finally had enough when Ace becomes his new boss, so he kills him and Spats (as well as others later). He then sets out to extort Rooster, smokes, drinks and uses strong profanity. FAIZON LOVE plays the unsavory, criminal owner of the speakeasy who uses strong profanity, smokes a pipe, and has bad attitudes toward others. MALINDA WILLIAMS plays Rooster's wife and mother of his many children who isn't happy that he spends all of his time in the speakeasy and eventually moves out with their children. MACY GRAY plays the resident singer at the speakeasy who smokes, drinks, and isn't happy to see Angel's arrival or the way others fawn over her. BEN VEREEN plays Percival's stern father who runs the mortuary, is bitter that his wife died long ago, and isn't happy that Percival is bringing Angel into their home and place of business. PAULA JAI PARKER plays Ace's lover who's having an affair with Rooster. VING RHAMES plays a moonshine-runner who supplies Ace's place, smokes cigars, and wants to sell the business. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this drama/musical that's rated R. Profanity consists of at least 5 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as are several sexual encounters (oral sex and intercourse, with movement, sounds and some nudity). Nonsexual nudity (bare breasts) is seen from some performers, while other scantly women are occasionally seen, as is plenty of cleavage. Violence consists of people shooting at and wounding or killing others, and fighting and beating of others, sometimes with rather bloody results. Those scenes and other moments of peril may be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers, while various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Characters smoke and/or drink (some to the point of intoxication), while other behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate. Finally, a wife becomes fed up with her husband's ways and leaves with their children, and a man tries to deal with his stern father. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, we see flashes of lightning from a thunderstorm at night. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some of the camera movement and quick edits might cause that reaction. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Spats gives a flask to young Rooster. Notes on Percival's sheet music become animated stick figures, with one drinking. Spats runs a moonshine operation and uses young Rooster as a worker. Young Rooster drives a hearse with booze stowed in a coffin in the back. Taffy holds a bottle of booze while performing. Miscellaneous people drink in the club. Rooster drinks from a flask. Spats, Ace, and Rooster have drinks. Ace and others make a toast to "fast women." Rose drinks from a flask. Miscellaneous people drink. Rooster drinks from his flask. Another supplier sells booze to Rooster for the speakeasy. Many people drink in the club. Miscellaneous people drink. Percival's father appears to be intoxicated while mean to Angel and Percival. We see bottles of booze in Angel's dressing room. Rooster drinks at the club, as does Taffy and many others. Trumpy has a drink. Some characters might be smoking pot as they quickly put out whatever they're smoking and try to wave away the smoke when someone comes across them doing so. Rooster drinks from a flask. Rooster leaves the club rather intoxicated with two women, but his wife fires a shotgun blast that gets their attention. BLOOD/GORE There are various shots in several scenes of dead bodies on a mortuary table and/or in caskets (including one man being placed into one), but beyond being dead, they're not gory or discolored. Percival vomits into a trashcan from being nervous onstage. Spats is bloody after being shot, as is Ace (on their clothing). Rooster goes to see his booze supplier, but doesn't notice the pool of blood on the floor below him. He does see, however, blood run out of the dead man's mouth and then hears violence from another room. He sneaks a peek through a hole and sees one of Trumpy's goons repeatedly punching another man in the face -- that's bloody -- quite hard (including sending blood splattering onto a nearby radio). Trumpy loads a gun and then shoots the wounded man several times with bloody results. Rooster has some blood on his face after a fight. A man who's been shot has bloody clothing, while a woman has a small bit of blood on her dress from being shot (but we then see a large pool of blood behind her on the floor). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Trumpy and his goons kill various people. He also extorts and threatens Rooster if he doesn't pay up after he inherits the speakeasy (and he doubles the price of alcohol he'll be selling). We see Percival and Rooster as boys lying on the floor under a table looking up women's dresses (we see some underwear, but that's it). One of the boys comments, "Those are some sassy drawers" before being yanked out from there. We see a flashback to Percival's aunt slapping a yardstick on a piano to make young Percival keep practicing. Spats runs a moonshine operation and uses young Rooster as a worker. Ace isn't nice to others, including Percival. When Rooster is late to perform at the club, patrons get unruly and throw bottles at the stage. Angel acts like a demanding diva, but we later learn that was just an act of impersonating someone else. Rooster and Rose have an affair. Ace refers to Rose as his "bitch." Ace says about "p*ssy" and money that if God created anything better, He kept it to Himself (some viewers might not like that reference). After Spats offers to sell Ace his business, the club owner acts like he now owns Trumpy who isn't happy with this development. That results in Trumpy killing both. Upset that his stuttering henchman followed the wrong person, Trumpy says he must have a peanut for a brain. He then loads one bullet into a gun, spins the chamber, and then aims that gun at the henchman's head, pulling the trigger (nothing fires). Another supplier sells booze to Rooster for the speakeasy. Percival's father is upset that he's brought Angel to their place, and refers to her as a floozy. We see a flashback to a performer acting condescendingly toward Angel. Later, we see another flashback of Angel stealing some of her clothes (and she later poses as that woman with her name). Various club patrons boo and heckle Angel when she tries to perform on the stage (showing that she's a novice), while Taffy laughs at this development. Percival returns home to see that his father has drunkenly burned his sheet music. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Blood/Gore" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. For those sensitive to such sights, there are various shots in several scenes of dead bodies on a mortuary table and/or in caskets (including one man being placed into one). After Spats offers to sell Ace his business, the club owner acts like he now owns Trumpy who isn't happy with this development. That results in Trumpy shoving Ace backwards, with the latter then pulling a switchblade on Trumpy who calmly pulls his gun on him. But he turns and shoots Spats dead first before shooting Ace twice, wounding the latter. He then slaps Ace's face, pushes down into one of his gunshot wounds and then shoots him again, killing him. Both shootings have bloody results, and Rooster tries to remain hidden out of sight as Trumpy kills them. We briefly see a few roaches run by on a tray in the mortuary. Rooster pulls his pistol when he enters a house and Rose tries to hit him with a frying pan (both thinking the other is Trumpy or his henchmen). Upset that his stuttering henchman followed the wrong person, Trumpy says he must have a peanut for a brain. He then loads one bullet into a gun, spins the chamber, and then aims that gun at the henchman's head, pulling the trigger (nothing fires). It seems that Trumpy was going to have his goons rough up Rooster outside the club (we see one with a baseball bat), but they're interrupted from doing so. Rooster encounters a stopped car that blocks the road in front of him, so he gets out, draws his gun and slowly approaches (thinking it's a trap, but it isn't). Rooster goes to see his booze supplier, but doesn't notice the pool of blood on the floor below him. He does see, however, blood run out of the dead man's mouth and then hears violence from another room. He sneaks a peek through a hole and sees one of Trumpy's goons repeatedly punching another man in the face -- that's bloody -- quite hard (including sending blood splattering onto a nearby radio). A goon then holds a gun to Rooster's head and brings him into that other room where Trumpy loads a gun and then shoots the wounded man several times with bloody results. Rooster tries to escape and hits some of the goons, but can't do much harm to a large goon who just laughs at the punches that bounce off his chest. That goon then punches Rooster quite hard in the face and then throws or knocks him through a wall. But when Rooster starts to scramble away, Trumpy and the others open fire in his direction. Rooster manages to get a gun and shoot back, but a goon's shot knocks him out of the house to the ground (he's okay as the bullet was blocked by something in his clothing). As the others laugh about that, he gets off several shots, wounding or killing some of the men. Trumpy and the rest shoot at Rooster as he flees and shoots out the tires of one car. A car chase then ensues, with one goon firing a Tommy gun at Rooster who manages to shoot him dead. Trumpy then uses that or another Tommy gun to keep firing at Rooster who manages to race and then cross ahead of a passing train just in time, cutting off Trumpy in the pursuing car. A thug hits Rooster and then slams him into a piano on the stage. The two then exchange various blows, with the thug elbowing Rooster and then preparing to shoot him. But Percival smashes a chair over the thug, knocking him out. Rooster then tries to roll that piano at Trumpy who fires some shots in the air and is about to shoot Rooster when Percival shoots Trumpy instead, killing him. We then see that a woman was also shot and mortally wounded during this incident. Percival nearly hangs himself regarding the death of his lover (seen in various quick shots), but Rooster being at the door interrupts him just in time. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Shotgun/Machine guns/Switchblade: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Notes on Percival's sheet music become animated stick figures, with one shooting a gun on the page. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Some of the dialogue was muffled and/or otherwise hard to understand, so the following should be considered a minimum. Phrases: "What's your f*cking problem?" "Will you shut the f*ck up?" "Oh sh*t," "That's bullsh*t," "Sounds like some bullsh*t," "Piece of sh*t," "Horsesh*t," "Drop my sh*t right now," "Sells like canned p*ssy," "Get you some" (sexual), "Whore house," "Bitch," "Damn shame," "You son of a bitch jackass," "Nigger(s)," (said by black characters toward other black characters), "Nigger, you're crazy," "Jackass" (said many times by one character), "Okay my ass," "Floozies," "Damn fool," "Like hell you will," "To hell with that," "Hell no," "Idiot," "Broad" (woman), "Greasy ass," "Never bring a knife to a gunfight," "Get your lying, cheap ass up," "Hooch" (booze), "Mr. Fatman," "So now who's the jackass?" "Fat ass," "You old battle-ax," "You must have a peanut for a brain," "Ain't life a bitch?" "Pissed," "I don't give a damn," "Sick my ass," "Heifer," "Or I'll kick your fat ass," "Stupid ass" and "Shut up." We see Percival and Rooster as boys lying on the floor under a table looking up women's dresses (we see some underwear, but that's it). One of the boys comments, "Those are some sassy drawers" before being yanked out from there. During a musical performance in the club, we see various topless female dancers who have designs painted over their bare breasts (thus making them appear not quite as nude). When Rooster is late to perform at the club, patrons get unruly and throw bottles at the stage. Some of the dance moves seen in the movie might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Percival purposefully goes underwater in a bathtub and holds his breath there. We see a miscellaneous woman break a bottle and hold the broken part to threaten and/or ward off some man (briefly seen). Rooster has some sort of tattoo across the top of his chest. Percival nearly hangs himself regarding the death of his lover (seen in various quick shots), but Rooster being at the door interrupts him just in time. JUMP SCENES Zora suddenly fires a shotgun. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful and ominous music occurs in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Some songs have non-explicit, but suggestive sounding lyrics, while others have lyrics that we couldn't hear and/or understand (the music drowned out most), meaning there's the possibility that some may possibly contain potentially objectionable material in them. Some seated dancers in short skirts and fishnet stockings show a lot of leg and some butt as they move about and raise their legs while seated and then standing (including bent over with their butts toward the camera). During this, Percival sings and includes the rhyming line (to the one before it), "Ever man wants to kiss your...and so do I." PROFANITY Some of the dialogue was muffled and/or otherwise hard to understand, so the following should be considered a minimum: At least 5 "f" words, 21 "s" words, 2 slang terms using female genitals ("p*ssy"), 21 asses, 16 damns, 11 hells, 2 S.O.B.s, 11 uses of "G-damn," 7 of "Lord," 2 of "Good Lord" and 1 of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY Some of the dialogue was muffled and/or otherwise hard to understand, so the following should be considered a minimum: There's talk of "fast women" and we then see Percival and Rooster as boys lying on the floor under a table looking up women's dresses (we see some underwear, but that's it). One of the boys comments, "Those are some sassy drawers" before being yanked out from there. Taffy shows varying amounts of cleavage in the club. During a musical performance in the club, we see various topless female dancers who have designs painted over their bare breasts (thus making them appear not quite as nude). Zora isn't happy that Rooster spends so much time in the club that she refers to as a "whore house." We see various amounts of miscellaneous cleavage from various women in various scenes in the film. When a female performer shows a lot of leg (with it raised), Rooster tells her not to show so much so soon. The camera pans across various female performers' butts in their small, feather-covered bottoms. There's some slightly sexualized dancing by female performers on the stage. Ace slaps Rose on her clothed butt, then puts his face down there and then laughingly says it tastes like chitlins. Ace says that something "sells like canned p*ssy." A waitress shows a lot of cleavage while serving a table in a very revealing top. Ace and others make a toast to "fast women." A man repeatedly stares at Angel's clothed body. We see partial views of Rooster having sex with Rose in a parked car. Both are clothed, but there's movement and sounds as she's on top of him and his hands are on her clothed butt. She then scoots back, spreads her legs and he kisses down between them. We later return to this scene and he's performing oral sex on her (no nudity or actual contact) and we see and hear her pleasured reaction, but others arrive and interrupt them. She quickly runs out and shows some cleavage as her dress partially comes down, with Ace then playfully slapping her on her butt. Taffy tells Percival he should "get you some" (meaning sex). Ace says about "p*ssy" and money that if God created anything better, He kept it to Himself. We see Percival in a bathtub (an overhead shot) but only see him from the chest up. We see a topless woman descending some stairs in the club. There appears to be some slight sexual cavorting in the hallways of the club (clothed men and women together, but nothing explicit). Angel shows cleavage and a lot of leg (in her high-slit dress) as she performs on stage. Percival and Angel passionately kiss. Percival and Angel passionately kiss while clothed, out in the rain at night. They then enter a bedroom where they continue to passionately kiss and undress each other. We then see various quick and partial shots of them having sex with glimpses of her bare back, partial views of her bare breasts (one with his hands on them), and movement (with both on top -- the most graphic being her in that position) -- all from various camera angles and distances. Later, he tells her he's "glad you came" and she says "Yeah" (which could be a nonsexual comment, a double entendre, or an orgasm related statement). Some seated dancers in short skirts and fishnet stockings show a lot of leg and some butt as they move about and raise their legs while seated and then standing (including bent over with their butts toward the camera). During this, Percival sings and includes the rhyming line (to the one before it), "Ever man wants to kiss your...and so do I." A musical number in the closing credits shows Percival performing with various scantly clad female dancers (in small, but Broadway type and period style "bras" and shorts). The outfits show cleavage, and Percival looks over at one dancer's butt and knowingly smiles about the view. SMOKING Rooster (cigars), Spats (cigars), Ace (pipe), Trumpy, Taffy and others each smoke several times, while many minor and background characters smoke in various scenes, particularly those set in the speakeasy. We see that Angel was a "cigarette girl" (vendor) in the past, and she spills her goods in another performer's dressing room. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Zora isn't happy that Rooster spends so much time in the club that she refers to as a "whore house." After some murders, Zora wants to leave town. We see Rooster and others at Spats' funeral (a brief scene, and their relationship, if any, between them isn't clear). Percival shows Angel a book containing funeral photos of his relatives, including his mother who he says died when he was four. Rooster leaves the club rather intoxicated with two women, but his wife fires a shotgun blast that gets their attention. Showing that she found Rose's lingerie in his clothes, Zora tells Rooster that she's leaving (to her mother's) and taking the kids with her. One child states they don't want to go, but Zora drives off with them. A miscellaneous woman says her daughter ran off to another city, leaving her with the grandkids. Percival returns home to see that his father has drunkenly burned his sheet music. The latter then warns Percival that Angel will leave him just like his mother left him (the father), but Percival reminds him she died. Percival then says he's leaving (to go to Chicago with Angel), causing his father to be upset and plead for them to talk (but Percival says "About what? We never talk"). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The Depression. Prohibition and speakeasies. Moonshine. Mortuaries and how they used to be in people's homes. Stuttering. The comment that if you can't find a way, make one. Percival shows Angel a book containing funeral photos of his relatives, including his mother who he says died when he was four. VIOLENCE When Rooster is late to perform at the club, patrons get unruly and throw bottles at the stage. After Spats offers to sell Ace his business, the club owner acts like he now owns Trumpy who isn't happy with this development. That results in Trumpy shoving Ace backwards, with the latter then pulling a switchblade on Trumpy who calmly pulls his gun on him. But he turns and shoots Spats dead first before shooting Ace twice, wounding the latter. He then slaps Ace's face, pushes down into one of his gunshot wounds and then shoots him again, killing him. Both shootings have bloody results. Rooster pulls his pistol when he enters a house and Rose tries to hit him with a frying pan (both thinking the other is Trumpy or his henchmen). We see a miscellaneous woman break a bottle and hold the broken part to threaten and/or ward off some man (briefly seen). Rooster leaves the club rather intoxicated with two women, but his wife fires a shotgun blast that gets their attention. Rooster goes to see his booze supplier, but doesn't notice the pool of blood on the floor below him. He does see, however, blood run out of the dead man's mouth and then hears violence from another room. He sneaks a peek through a hole and sees one of Trumpy's goons repeatedly punching another man in the face -- that's bloody -- quite hard (including sending blood splattering onto a nearby radio). A goon then holds a gun to Rooster's head and brings him into that other room where Trumpy loads a gun and then shoots the wounded man several times with bloody results. Rooster tries to escape and hits some of the goons, but can't do much harm to a large goon who just laughs at the punches that bounce off his chest. That goon then punches Rooster quite hard in the face and then throws or knocks him through a wall. But when Rooster starts to scramble away, Trumpy and the others open fire in his direction. Rooster manages to get a gun and shoot back, but a goon's shot knocks him out of the house to the ground (he's okay as the bullet was blocked by something in his clothing). As the others laugh about that, he gets off several shots, wounding or killing some of the men. Trumpy and the rest shoot at Rooster as he flees and shoots out the tires of one car. A car chase then ensues, with one goon firing a Tommy gun at Rooster who manages to shoot him dead. Trumpy then uses that or another Tommy gun to keep firing at Rooster who manages to elude them. A thug hits Rooster and then slams him into a piano on the stage. The two then exchange various blows, with the thug elbowing Rooster and then preparing to shoot him. But Percival smashes a chair over the thug, knocking him out. Rooster then tries to roll that piano at Trumpy who fires some shots in the air and is about to shoot Rooster when Percival shoots Trumpy instead, killing him. We then see that a woman was also shot and mortally wounded during this incident. Reviewed August 22, 2006 / Posted August 25, 2006