Two Weeks Notice

This movie falls into the same "why are you watching this" camp as Just Married. But Two Weeks Notice did gross bout $120 million worldwide. And $120 million can't be wrong.

I'll get it out of the way and say that I Love Hugh Grant. Yes, he's skeezy and slimy and definitely uses that disarming eye flutter thing to make you think he's better than he is. But he's freaking sexy and looks better and better every year. (and sure he paid for it, but he paid for it with a Black girl!!)

Like so many movies set in New York City, Two Weeks Notice has one minority in it. Filmmakers and television producers a like have decided that this is an accurate representation of the city. Which is strange when you consider that the actual ethnic makeup of NYC looks more like this.


(scroll down the wikipedia page. you'll find the info. and a whole lot more. never stop learning.)

So Two Weeks Notice employs one minority in their cast. And oh, so appropriately, it is a lesser version of the magical black person. Dorian Missick plays Tony, Grant's chauffeur who lives at home with his mother and expects her to have dinner waiting for him when he gets home.

But he's also a great chess player and uses his skills to show Grant how to woo the stubborn Bullock...Too bad he can't use those skills to help himself. Such a burden.

And thus is the plight of the magical black person. See a listing of other notable films who employ this tactic here: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:GchS2LSUp1MJ:www.amazon.com/The-Magical-Black-Person-Genre/lm/J1R7ZNBTA8RR+magical+black+person&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

Thank you Spike Lee for giving us this term. I believe he originally said "super duper magical black person." This is a black person who has a skill or talent that is used almost exclusively to benefit a white person, while the black person is held back by fate or their own folly.

Now, Two Weeks Notice isn't an "important" film and thus the inclusion of a MBP probably didn't affect that many people who saw and/or analyzed this film. But it is lazy filmmaking. And it gives other films to write these vaguely shuffling bit parts in for actors of color and get away with it with no scrutiny.