CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Crossroads

Director

Tamra Davis

Year

2002

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Thursday, September 18, 2003

For a long while, I thought there was no point in reviewing Crossroads. I usually review movies that I like or that I plain hate... but mediocre stuff like this? I’m lazy. But then again, why not talk a little bit about Britney.

Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Zaldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) were best friends until puberty and life itself separated them. One day they decide to take a road trip together for different interests and their friendship is reborn. Of course, there’s also the guy (Anson Mount) who’s giving them a ride, and soon love gets in the way…

Crossroads has a lot of problems. First of all, it has an artificial leading lady, I mean, character. The movie strives for honesty and harsh reality while at the same time showing us this woman who looks like a Barbie doll and behaves like one, whatever that means. She’s all cute and nice and innocent. Even the way she talks. And it isn’t all Britney’s fault. The character is constructed that way and it would be impossible for her to try to achieve more with it. That said, she isn’t a really good actress either.

The movie’s plot is horrible as well. It wants to showcase Britney’s singing yet every time she opens her mouth to carry a tune it’s embarrassing. Like the karaoke scene, for instance. And then it also strives to be an insightful road trip with a message. Forget about it. This movie is boring and the dialogue is ludicrous. I didn’t believe these girls for a minute. Except, perhaps, Taryn’s character, which seems to be the most human of the bunch.

Oh, and let’s not forget the cheesy subplot involving Britney’s mom. She’s too sad because she left her when she was young. Now she’s made up her mind to find her and when she does we’re all expecting a big confrontation scene. Well, there isn’t one. Kim Cattrall appears briefly but just to say hello and stand there.

Now, about Britney, she ain’t much of an actress. As I said earlier, she’s ridiculously cute and just not real enough for anyone to care. This is her show and there’s no doubt about it. Too bad I couldn’t care less. And I do hope she does something better in the future, because I don’t hate her, it’s the movie that bothers me.

“All we have is now, and right now we have each other.”

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