Reviews

The theatrical picture "Foreign Student" is, looked at on its own, a sensitive and often moving film. The atmosphere of 1950s Virginia is skillfully re-created, the performances, are for the most part, incisive and stirring, and the script is tender and refreshingly non- melodramatic, allowing the proceedings to evolve in a mature and realistic way. Yet for all that, all this, the greatest plus, the most positive element is--drum roll, please--Robin Givens. As April, the local schoolteacher who also works as a domestic, she deftly creates a soulful and sexual woman. We immediately see why French exchange student Phillipe is drawn to her, why he falls in love with her. Indeed, we rather envy the young Parisian for being able to hook up with such a sexy and mature and quietly passionate girl. And when, at the end, they part and April leaves him a warm and loving good-bye note ("To Phillipe. All my love. Always. April"), we genuinely feel Phillipe's satisfaction at having had such a gorgeous and caring and fully-rounded lover. It is Robin's graceful beauty, her smoldering sexiness, and her classy intelligence that make her such an admirable love object and cause her to be the high point of the picture. When People Magazine did a story on her during the 1980s, it quoted her as contending that her long-range plans included more parts for "wholesome black girls--we don't have many female heroes in that vein." Robin Givens's character in "Foreign Student" may not be "wholesome," but through her smooth good looks and stylish sex appeal, she is certainly, definitely a "female hero" for black girls and, in fact, for girls of all races.

By and of itself, "Enemies Among Us" is a sprightly and, within its boundaries, tense film. It deals quite adroitly with the issues of international terrorism, political maneuvering, and American political complicity in international nefariousness. Yet the reason to savor it, the cause to exult in it is, as usual, Robin Givens. Although she is not in any sense the star of the picture--indeed, she really and truly doesn't have that many scenes--her role as government interrogator and former cop's wife Gloria genuinely stands out through her free-flowing sexiness, her sizzling intelligence, and her crisp authoritativeness. When she's leading the questioning of her and her colleagues' international soldier/prisoner, her smooth forcefulness and her graceful sex appeal have us riveted to her. When she's on the phone dealing with her uniformed cop ex (Eric Roberts), her sass and her spirit put us immediately on her side. And when she orders that said soldier/prisoner be "terminated"--translation: killed--after five minutes, her beauty and her suavity prevent us from being repulsed. The lady herself has asserted, concerning the quality she seeks in a mate: "I want someone who can handle me. And I'm not the easiest person to handle." Robin Givens's performance in "Enemies Among Us" puts us in a mood to gladly want to attempt to handle her--and to be fully excited regarding the challenge.

The made-for-television film "Beverly Hills Madam" has two major assets. One is the rich amount of absolutely stunning she-babes--Donna Dixon, Terry Farrell--who sashay throughout said production. The other is the positively smashing acting debut of Robin Givens. As one of high-class madam Faye Dunaway's leading prostitutes--the picture's older "Tootie," as it were--Robin makes a definite (favorable) impression. When her character, April Baxter, is canoodling with an older black man, one of Dunaway's customers, we immediately get why the black man is so quickly drawn to her. When we see April at her dance class going through her moves (her ultimate ambition is to be a dancer), her swaying and grooving instantly excite us. And when she's brutally murdered near the end of the film, we effortlessly join in Dunaway's grief for her and with equal effortlessness fully understand why April's murder makes her want to leave being a madam behind. Really and truly, the svelte beauty, the high-gloss charm, and the polished sexiness we've come to admire in Robin was apparent in her professional coming-out. When People Magazine did a story on her around the time "Beverly Hills Madam" was telecast, it quoted her as asking: "(I)f I'm supposed to be so sexy, why don't I have a date?" and concluded its piece by asserting: "Good question, although you somehow get the feeling that she shouldn't be adding her scorecard up just quite yet."Robin Givens's professional debut clearly heralded the fact that this was somebody who would go on to deserve to have a brimming scorecard.

In the theatrical film "Head of State," Chris Rock is the comedy drawing card, earning plenty of laughs in his role as an alderman running a pre-arranged campaign for President. As co-writer, he helps provide quite a lot of funny times for himself and his comedic cohort, Bernie Mac. As director, he orchestrates the comedic goings-on with a sure and knowing hand, always making sure the proceedings never get too out-there. Yet there is another reason to savor "Head of State," a second factor in making said picture memorable. And that's Robin Givens's portrayal of Rock's ex. As Kim, she employs her high-toned beauty, her poised sexiness, and her unstoppable energy to create a portrait of a greedy, grasping, entirely opportunistic witch whom it is an absolute pleasure to be against. Thanks to her good looks and appeal, she is a bad girl whom it is a fervent delight to see being bad. Her smooth charm and unquenchable hotness nicely balance Rock's "homeboy" funniness and streetwise dynamism. She makes a really and truly worthy adversary for the star. It has been reliably reported that there was initial resistance to casting her in her first cinematic triumph "Boomerang" because there was fear that audiences would boycott said film out of dislike for "The Most Hated Woman in America." Robin Givens's performance in "Head of State" clearly shows that she is the kind of actress who deserves in demand from now until the end of time.

"Restraining Order," on its own, is a powerful and often moving film. Reggie Gaskins makes an ingratiating and positively manly lawyer/hero. Sean Blakemore contributes alternating fire and sensitivity to his role as the picture's abusive husband. Gaskins's script is forceful and deftly builds suspense, and, as director, he deftly creates an ever- increasing mood of tension. Yet towering above it all, making the greatest impression is Robin Givens's performance as abused wife Diane McNeil. In her early scenes with Gaskins, she makes us feel her closeness and affection for him. In her scenes with Blakemore, she has us believing that her life with him has been sheer hell. And when she breaks down and acknowledges that her claims that she has been repeatedly abused by him were exaggerated out of her frustration that she "wasn't happy," her vulnerability and incisiveness has us not only not hating her but wanting to reach out our arms to her (Also: She fills her scenes with her son with motherly warmth and familial love). Such films as "Boomerang" and "Head of State" and "Flip the Script" have freely displayed Robin's rich talent for comedy. "Restraining Order," like her made-for-TV flick "The Penthouse," openly shows off her chops as a dramatic actress. And all of the aforementioned films clearly prove that Robin Givens deserves to be known not as "The Most Hated Woman in America" but as "The Most Talented Black Woman in America."

"Flip The Script," by and of itself, is an intensely humorous and greatly likable film. The male actors, led by Miguel A. Nunez, Jr., are deftly engaging and earn quite a lot of hearty laughs. The script by Tia Yoka McMillan gives the actors a large amount of funny business to handle. Terrah Bennett Smith, as director, always keeps the proceedings amiably light and chugging along. Yet the leading drawing card, the Number One attraction is Robin Givens's performance as Rain Jones. From her very first scene, where she adroitly juggles (concealed) awakened passion and (feigned) off-hand casualness during her telephone conversation with Nunez' character through ingratiatingly interacting with her "homegirl" buddy, portrayed by Jazmin Lewis, to where she at last openly and movingly acknowledges to Nunez the love she has always felt for him and agrees to marry him, Robin hits all the right notes. It is her plush beauty, her stylish charm, and her high-class intelligence that have us rooting for her and that easily make her the most appealing and sympathetic character in the picture. It is this flick, "Boomerang," and her made-for-TV film "The Penthouse" that clearly prove that Robin Givens is fully deserving of the title of Ms. Contemporary Black Hollywood.

"Little Hercules in 3-D" is, to be blunt about it, ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. The premise--young Hercules comes to Earth from Mt. Olympus and is befriended by a black kid and his mother--is not only fully unbelievable but downright juvenile, the performances--with literally one exception, which will ultimately be gotten into--range from grandstanding (Hulk Hogan as young Herc's father) to flat-out horrid (Judd Nelson as an official at the school said black kid and young Herc attend), and the script would not cut the mustard even as an episode of a Saturday- morning live-action series. However, as mentioned, there is one, and only one exception, as far as the acting is concerned, and that alone-- alone--is the drawing card. That exception is, namely, Robin Givens as the black youth's mother. As Dana, she offers her usual amounts of sprightly charm, high-gloss sexiness, and glittering intelligence. When she's standing with Nelson's high-school official and dealing with Herc's dad, we envy Nelson for having such a qualitative ally. When Dana squares off against young Herc's scheming mother (when the latter asks Dana what her game is, the former replies: "Trying to stop you--one mother to another"), we feel young Herc should be wholly grateful to have such an appealing advocate. Really and truly, when Robin Givens is on-screen during "Little Hercules in 3-D," a sow's ear becomes not only a silk purse but an entire uptown ensemble.

In "Blankman," Damon Wayans provides the laughs as a nerdy inventor who, through use of gadgets he's devised in his own home, becomes a costumed superhero who "heroically" rescues his hometown from corrupt influences. Yet it's Robin Givens as intrepid TV journalist Kimberly Jonz who gives said flick its charm and its sex appeal. As the reporter who breaks the story of Blankman and serves as the film's Lois Lane, she deftly employs her stylish beauty, her high-toned sexiness, and her stiletto-sharp intelligence to create an intensely desirable counterbalance to Wayans's out-there funniness. When Wayans, after having spent an evening with Robin's Kimberly, tells his ever-dubious brother, portrayed by David Alan Grier: "When she (Kimberly) stuck her tongue down my throat, it was only there a few minutes," a considerable part of us fiercely wishes that we could have been in his shoes. In sum, while Damon Wayans is undoubtedly the comedic center of "Blankman," Robin Givens, as the film's aforementioned ace reporter, proves once again that she is without question the queen of the black celebrity/entertainment world.

Heather Locklear had always been "the cat among the pigeons," to employ the legendary "Melrose Place" head honcho Aaron Spelling's phrase, but in "Lexi Gets Stiffed," Jamie Luner gave her, as she almost always had, a run for her money. Jamie was, quite simply, the most beautiful, sexiest, most altogether alluring woman in the prime-time-soap world. With her flaming red hair, her come-hither-AND-NOW stare, and her steamy, sultry voice, she never failed to be a drool-worthy, heartbeat- quickening, pant-inducing turn-on. Whether she was dueling with Heather, luring a "Melrose" man into her sexual web, or just sizing up a situation with her piercing pussycat eyes, Jamie always incited thoughts of lust and desires to be horizontal with her (with both parties bare- ass-naked, of course). The earlier Spelling prime-time soap "Savannah" marked her debut in said genre, but as Lexi Sterling in "Melrose," she had the perfect forum for her slinky looks, her barstool-veteran charm, and her unvarnished sexiness. The lady herself once said: "You can sleep with a blonde, you can sleep with a brunette, but you'll never get any sleep with a redhead." Suffice it to say that Jamie Luner was certainly, definitely one redhead with whom it would have been an absolute joy not to get any sleep.

"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was, in sum, a silly, shallow, basically empty-headed sitcom that was absolutely undeserving of Will Smith (how he must be overjoyed that his dismal days being in that stinker are over). However, the episode "Cold Feet, Hot Body" was a genuine stand-out, and, as usual, it was Robin Givens who made it so. Her lush beauty, her plush sexiness, and her dazzling energy honestly powered the episode and made it wholly memorable. As Denise, she made a thoroughly, totally thrilling lure and made one dying to be in Smith's shoes. When he turned her down (!), the viewer really and truly felt like yelling out: "Hey, if he's not interested, I am! Give me a try!" Her mouth-watering vamping of Smith's character made the heart race and the pulse intensify. It was that episode that signaled Robin's emergence as the modern-day celebrity/entertainment world's leading black pearl. And, contrary to the famous song of the same name, she, thank Heaven, absolutely escaped being in the background.

It was The New York Times that termed Marlon Brando and Al Pacino the rescuers of bad films. Well, as with many things The Times had it dead wrong. The person who actually deserves that title is Robin Givens. And she abundantly proves that she merits it in "Jackie Collins's Hollywood Wives: The New Generation." The only other factor concerning "Generation" that makes it worthy is a generous display of female skin (Best example: During one scene where Robin's character, Kyndra, and Farrah Fawcett's character, Lissa, are getting "a midnight massage," we- -hurrah!--see more of the former's smokin' bod than the latter's). But, again, Robin is present and, again, she is just about the only worthwhile element of this stinker. Despite the thinnish characterizations, the mostly-amateurish dialogue, and the crawling pace, Robin's uptown charm, her svelte sexiness, and her keen intelligence shine through and, along with the considerable amount of exposed female bodies and a smattering of incisive dialogue, prevent "Generation" from achieving absolute badness. Really, the producers of "Generation" should have told her what Candace Bergen told the clutch of TV-newswomen guest-stars after they appeared on her "Murphy Brown" sitcom: "You saved our ass."