Taraji P. Henson might be most well-known today as playing the no-holds-barred Cookie on the hit television series "Empire," but she's also led an illustrious film career, even earning an Academy Award nomination. With her latest work "The Best of Enemies" being released, I decided to look at my five personal favorite Taraji P. Henson films.
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#5
No Good Deed
Idris Elba is known for pretty much playing a good guy, but in "No Good Deed," he plays a killer who stalks Taraji P. Henson's character and her young daughter after she helps him after his truck (which he stole) crashes. Here, Henson plays to both her strengths - drama and action - as she plays the doting loving mother, and also the no-holds-barred fierce femme fatale who exhibits incredible athletic prowess.
#4
Hustle & Flow
The film that brought together Taraji P. Henson and her future "Empire" co-star Terrence Howard was "Hustle & Flow," a film about a pimp (Howard) who decides to turn his life around and became a rap artist. Henson plays a prostitute who becomes pregnant by Howard's character, and the two fall in love and share beautiful music together.
#3
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Tyler Perry's Madea movies are generally known for crowd-pleasing comedy, but "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" is a rare dramatic film that has Perry's Madea as a side character in a story involving Henson's character, who's a look-out-for-myself woman that's not allowed anyone in. When she's tasked with taking care of her sister's children, she doesn't think she can do it - and slowly learns how to love and let others in. Featuring songs by Mary J. Blige and and Gladys Knight, the film is a stellar showcase of Henson's dramatic strength.
#2
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Based off the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Benjamin Button" centers around Brad Pitt's character, who begins life as an old man and ages backwards. Henson plays Queenie, who is tasked with taking care of the elderly infant after his father abandons him, and she sticks with him as the world seemingly turns its back on him. The film earned several Academy Award nominations, including one for Taraji P. Henson for Best Supporting Actress.
#1
Hidden Figures
During the highly segregated time of the 1960s, three African American women silently changed the course of the future. Taraji P. Henson plays real-life mathematician Katherine Johnson, who, despite being African American, was brought on by NASA to help get John Glenn into orbit before the Russians. Using her superior intellect, she managed to find the calculations to get Glenn into space and back safely, making history as she did so. Co-starring Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae as Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, "Hidden Figures" managed to tell the untold story of three fierce, intellectual African American women who defied expectations and changed the course of space travel forever.
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder." When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go. I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen. Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President. Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
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