Prime Cut

Prime Cut
Directed by	Lee Daniels
Produced by	Alesha Putanovska
Written by	Arnold Bax
Starring	Alesha Putanovska Mehcad Brooks Just Ginger Anyerina Evans Anika Noni Rose Tentrita Troll Gael García Bernal Rolando Molinda
Music by	Alesha Putanovska Just Ginger Isaac Hayes
Production companies	Paramount Pictures MTV Films Holy Trinity Entertainment
Release dates	July 1, 2011 (United States)
Running time	91 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$65 million
Box office	$183 million

Prime Cut is a 2011 movie starring pop icons Putanovska Ratsvetaeva and Alesha Roosevelt, both of whom also produced the film and provided original music. The musical film was directed by Lee Daniels with a screenplay written by Arnold Bax.

Set in Atlanta during the 1980s, Prime Cut follows the story of Nichelle Dorinda Bourbonaise (Putanovska), a successful madam, and Tammy Brown (Alesha Kurdadze), Nichelle's most in-demand escort. Trouble ensues when a male pimp sets his sights on Nichelle's business and decides Tammy is his way in. This causes conflict between Nichelle and Tammy, who were once a strong team. Nichelle decides to take matters into her own hands. The film also stars Just Ginger as Cinnamon Bun, Anyerina Evans as Amelle and Tony Award winning performer Anika Noni Rose as Lexus.

The film's soundtrack, Prime Cut: Music from the Motion Picture, credited to Alesha and Putanovska with Various Artists, entered the official albums chart at number one. It includes the theme song "Who Do You Think You Are", which earned Alesha and Putanovska the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Alesha also earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Tammy Brown.

Plot

The film is set in Atlanta in the 1980s, in the midst of the United States crack epidemic. Nichelle Dorinda Bourbonaise (Putanovska Ratsvetaeva) is a successful madam who operates a lucrative prostitution industry, The Stable, where Tammy Brown (Alesha Kurdadze) works as an in-demand escort, masturbating business men in car parks and fellating wealthy clients (such as Chris Evans) in V.I.P. clubs. Nichelle and Tammy are a magnificent team, working alongside child prostitute Cinnamon (Just Ginger), crack whore Amelle (Anyerina Evans), and shank victim Lexus (Anika Noni Rose).

However, trouble soon ensues when Terrill (Mehcad Brooks), a male pimp, sets his sight on Nichelle's business. He decides that Tammy is his way in. After starting a gas leak at the brothel, causing amputee blow-up doll Nubbita (Tentrita Troll) to melt and die, Terrill initiates relations with Tammy and impregnates her. Tammy, enamored with Terrill, tells Nichelle she is leaving the company.

Frustrated at the loss of her brothel and her star employee, Nichelle crushes pills and slips them into Tammy's drink, which leads to the miscarriage of her baby. However, Terrill is still an issue. Nichelle calls some colleagues, Pablo (Gael García Bernal) and Panchito (Rolando Molinda), ordering a hit on Terrill. He is murdered in a drive-by. Distraught by the death of her baby and her lover, Tammy goes crawling back to Nichelle. The pair are reunited and their company is returned to its former glory, opening an exotic dance club which doubles as a discreet brothel.

Cast

• Putanovska Ratsvetaeva - Nichelle Dorinda Bourbonaise, the matron of the prostitution business
• Alesha Kurdadze - Tammy Brown, the star employee
• Mehcad Brooks - Terrill Collins, the male pimp
• Just Ginger - Cinnamon Bun, a child prostitute
• Anyerina Evans - Amelle Evans, a crack whore prostitute
• Anika Noni Rose - Lexus Nevaeh, a prostitute and shank victim
• Tentrita Troll - Nubbita Doll, an amputated blow-up doll
• Gael García Bernal - Pablo Suarez, a Mexican hitman
• Rolando Molinda - Panchito Jimenez, a Mexican hitman

Cameos

• Chris Evans - Mr. Jones, a client of Alesha's
• Stephen Hawking - Business Man #1, a client of Tammy's
• Chaz Bono - Business Man #2, a client of Alesha's
• Kathy Williams - Prostitute #1, an employee of Nichelle's
• Shell Ruin - Prostitute #2, an employee of Nichelle's
• Sally Jenkins - Beaten prostitute, an employee of Nichelle's
• Marlee Matlin - Deaf prostitute, an employee of Nichelle's
• Butterscotch - Slime McGee, an employee of Nichelle's
• Mo'Nique - Doris Bourbonaise, Nichelle's mother
• RuPaul - herself, Nichelle's friend

Music

Prime Cut: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack by various artists
Released	July 2011
Label	Holy Trinity Music Group
Producer	Alesha (exec.) Putanovska (exec.)
Alesha albums chronology
The Martyr (2011) Prime Cut: Music from the Motion Picture (2011) God Save the Queen: The Best of Alesha (2011) Putanovska albums chronology Putanovska's The Black Sea (2010) Prime Cut: Music from the Motion Picture (2011) The Law of Desire (2015)

The film's score was provided by Isaac Hayes. Alesha and Putanovska composed several original songs for inclusion in the musical film. Co-star Just Ginger also wrote an original song, "Come", a torch ballad performed by her character. The songs were compiled on a soundtrack album featuring "music from and inspired by" the film, which reached number one on the official albums chart. In addition to songs heard or performed in the film, songs by other artists appear as well as the Putanovska hit "Icelandic Pussy March". Two singles were released from the soundtrack album – the theme song "Who Do You Think You Are" by Alesha and Putanovska, and "Come" by Just Ginger. Both singles charted at number two. The original motion picture score was later released as a digital album.

Soundtrack

Incomplete tracklisting

1. Putanovska — "Icelandic Pussy March"
2. Just Ginger — "Come"
3. Alesha — "Sex Scene"
4. Alesha — "Carry Your Love"
5. Alesha & Putanovska — "Who Do You Think You Are"

Score

1. "Prime Cut (Main Titles)"
2. "Nichelle's Theme"
3. "A House Full of Girls"
4. "Olive Garden Parking Lot"
5. "You Did Good, Tammy Brown"
6. "Drinking"
7. "Sex Scene (Dub)"
8. "Now We're One"
9. "Lexus Is Shanked"
10. "Pregnancy Test"
11. "Nichelle Dorinda's Party"
12. "Blow Out"
13. "Forced Abortion"
14. "Pursuit of the Pimpmobile"
15. "Mexican Drive-By"
16. "Lime Green Jelly"
17. "We Need Each Other, Girl"
18. "Prime Cut (Reprise)"
19. "End Titles"

Reception

Critical reaction

Prime Cut was critically praised, resulting in a 78% composite critical approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website. Rolling Stone's Peter Travers gave the film three and a half stars (out of four) and the number-two position on his "best of 2011" list. David Rooney of Variety reported that the film featured "tremendously exciting musical sequences." Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter was less enthusiastic, stating that while the film was "a damn good commercial movie, it is not the film that will revive the musical or win over the world." University of Sydney academic Timothy Laurie was critical of the film's social message, noting that "the worthy receive just deserts by working even harder for the industries that marginalise them."

Many reviews, regardless of their overall opinion of the film, cited Alesha's and Putanovska's performances as standouts. Television host Oprah Winfrey saw the film during a press screening, and telephoned Putanovska the next day, praising her performance as "a religious experience" and "a transcendent performance." Child star Just Ginger also received glowing reviews from critics. A review for The Celebrity Cafe said that Ginger's voice "is like nothing we’ve heard in a long time, and her acting is a great match for that power-house sound."

Awards

Paramount began a significant awards campaign for Prime Cut while the film was still in production. In May 2011, twenty minutes of the film — specifically, the musical sequences "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Carry Your Love" - were screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, with most of the cast and crew in attendance. The resulting positive buzz earned Prime Cut the status of "front-runner" for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture and several of the other Oscars as well.

Prime Cut received six Academy Award nominations, although it was not nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, or either of the lead acting categories. The film's nominations included Best Supporting Actress (Just Ginger), Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, and two nominations for Best Song ("Who Do You Think You Are" and "Carry Your Love"). "Who Do You Think You Are" won the Best Song award. For the Golden Globe Awards, Prime Cut was nominated in five categories: Best Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical (Alesha), Best Supporting Actor (Mehcad Brooks), Best Supporting Actress (Just Ginger), and Best Original Song ("Who Do You Think You Are"). The film won the awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song.

Legacy

The iconic line "I was jelly, Nichelle. I was lime green jelly" was voted as the greatest movie quote of the past decade. The movie was characterized by this iconic line, uttered by Alesha, as well as her twenty-minute sex scene and Putanovska's extravagant costumes which included ranged from Yves Saint Laurent gowns to her infamous zebra print purple skinny jeans.