Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bamboozled (2000)
Director: Spike Lee
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Lee's satire on American TV is an intriguing failure. Its story, about the mounting of a TV revival of a blackface minstrel show, certainly has comic potential, and Lee has created a considerable figure of fun in the isolated, central figure of Pierre Delacroix (Wayans), the one black executive writer of the CNS network. Set against the venality and shallowness of his ratings hungry boss Dunwitty (Rapaport), Delacroix gains our sympathy. But, Lee also marks him as a sad dupe in sharply funny scenes where homeless tap dancer Mantan (Glover) and his buddy Womack (Davidson) are bamboozled by Delacroix and Dunwitty into playing frontmen to stereotypical 'hill-niggers' and 'Alabama porch monkeys' for the pilot. It's hard to know how to take him. The pilot of course is a hit, but success breeds failure: conflict for Mantan and Womack, deep confusion for Delacroix, the threatening attention of activists - and a loss of focus by the director.Author: WH
Cast & crew
Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Jon Kilik, Spike Lee
Cast: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Tommy Davidson, Michael Rapaport, Thomas Jefferson Byrd full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 136 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your review now