Her name translated from Swahili into English means work of art. Her name is Sanaa Lathan, and she is certainly living up to it.
In the late ’90s, Lathan starred in a number of romantic comedies based on the lives of African-Americans. These movies included “The Best Man,” and “The Wood.” In 2000 she starred in the surprise hit “Love and Basketball,” where she starred alongside Omar Epps. The hits kept on churning out when she starred in Terry McMillian’s adaptation, “Disappearing Acts,” and she was last seen as hip-hop columnist turned magazine editor Sidney Shaw in 2002’s “Brown Sugar.”
Now the young beauty has moved on to a film that is full of scandal, mystery and suspense. These are just a few words that summarize “Out of Time,” a new film by director Carl Franklin.
This film which stars Hollywood veteran Denzel Washington (Matt Lee Whitlock) and starlet Lathan (Ann Merai Harrison) takes place in Banyan Key, Fla. It is tale of a small town police chief that finds himself in the middle of a double homicide case with all the evidence pointing to him. Matt has to do everything in his power to stay steps ahead of a police force he has worked with for years, one comprised of his closest friends.
Lathan is Washington’s high school sweet heart and love interest. She gets to have a steamy love scene with the glorified sex symbol.
“I’ve been in the business wanting to take it to the next level, this was kind of a dream come true,” Lathan said of the opportunity she had to work with Washington.
With a cast that includes both seasoned actors and newcomers, “Out of Time” is sure to stand out amongst other movies in the box office. The cast includes Eva Mendes, who was most recently seen in “2 Fast 2 Furious” and “Once Upon A Time in Mexico.” Also on board for the project is former Superman Dean Cain and lastly John Billingsly gets laughs out of the audience in stressful situation with his uncanny sense of humor.
If this cast may seem a little different one reason may be because the actors come from divergent ethnicities.
“That’s how all movies should be, America is truly a melting pot and Hollywod does not represent that at this point. It’s a very colorful world and it’s the 21st century and it’s about time,” Lathan said.
Initially the roles were going to be filled by white actors. However, scheduling conflicts became a problem. Someone suggested that Franklin take the script to Washington to see if he would be interested in the starring role of Chief Whitlock. Washington instantly agreed once he knew Franklin was on board. The two men worked together in “Devil in a Blue Dress.” Once Washington was on board it was only a matter of time before the other slots would be filled.
To add to the steaminess of the plot that was already heavy with sexual tension and gorgeous actors, the film was shot entirely in Florida throughout different sections of the state such as Boca Grande and Miami in the oppressive heat during the hottest season of the year.
“I fell in love with Miami, it really didn’t feel American. There’s something in the air, it felt freer. The heat was a trip, it’s humid, it makes you want to scream,” Lathan said.
Audiences may not scream when they see this movie, but they will surely be on the edge of their seats anticipating the next unexpected twist.
“Out of Time,” hits theaters on Friday.
