[Rating: Minor Rock Fist Down]
I remember seeing director Boots Riley’s prior theatrical film, Sorry to Bother You in a small theater at my local AMC. We had not one, but two walk outs amidst the absurdity that Riley offered in that film. Well, let’s just say the walkouts of Riley haven’t ended yet as his latest feature I Love Boosters had a single walkout, with this critic almost joining the party of one. Absurd, humorous, confusing and yet very tiresome all bundled up in this fashion industry takeover of a flick.
Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige) are collectively known as the Velvet Gang, shoplifting from high end designers and selling the clothes at a discount to make a profit. They are boosters. One of the main targets they frequent are Metro Designers run by Christie Smith (Demi Moore), an arrogant self absorbed fashion designer who wants the Velvet Gang stopped at all cost. Corvette meets with Smith, hoping to get advice on how to make it big in the industry, with no luck from her. Instead, the gang get jobs at Metro, hoping to get them closer to the clothing to make boosting much easier. However, things don’t go according to plan when a mysterious booster enters the picture.
Jianhu (Poppy Liu), has teleported (here’s where the movie gets weird) to California from China. She tells the gang her ultimate goal is to steal Smith’s clothing line, returning it back to China and holding it hostage. She is a factory worker where Smith’s clothes have been manufactured, and has seen the effects the clothing has had on her family. From illness and injury, when Jianhu discovers the teleporter, and uses it to her advantage to destroy Smith’s industry, and now with the help of the Velvet Gang, she can work much faster and harder.
As controversial as my opinion is of this movie, it looks great. The costume and set designs of this are just spot on and scream high fashion. It’s the second half of the movie, once the teleporter is introduced that the movie just takes a weird turn. I cared a bit for the first half, even if it felt too long at times and repetitive in what it was trying to do. Add in the teleporter, some wacky stop motion animations, and a mysterious guy wearing a pinky ring (LaKeith Standfield), and this movie is just weird. It’s a shame, because a lot of weirder movies I care for, I just didn’t care much for this. I liked what it was trying to say, I just don’t personally think Reily’s films are for me.
Christian Ramos is a classic film fan, having had the dream to host Turner Classic Movies for years now. He also has a large amount of Oscar trivia in his head, remembers dressing as Groucho Marx one Halloween, and cherishes the moment Julianne Moore liked his tweet.
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