TIFF Review: Stella Meghie’s ‘The Weekend’ Is Witty, Raw & Proves That Three Is Always A Crowd

Everything can change over the course of three days, as is chronicled in Stella Meghie’s biting comedy The Weekend. Struggling stand-up comedian Zadie (Saturday Night Live alum Sasheer Zamata) is 29, and — as she puts it — "extremely single." Regrettably, Zadie's nonexistent love life is mostly for lack of trying on her part. When she isn’t busy trying out new material on stage, she’s still pining over her ex-boyfriend turned reluctant friend Bradford (Tone Bell), even though they haven’t been together romantically in three years. To make up for skipping out on his birthday soirée for loftier plans — like eating an entire pizza and wallowing in self-pity, Zadie gifts Bradford with a first edition, signed copy of W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk. She also invites him on a weekend getaway at her parents' bed and breakfast in picturesque northern California. Much to Zadie's disdain, Bradford invites his girlfriend, Margo (DeWanda Wise) along as well. Bougie and well-put-together, Margot knows exactly who she is. Meanwhile, Zadie — who is still trying to figure her life out — can’t take it. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Things start off on the wrong foot before the trio even arrives to the bed and breakfast. However, their trip takes an intriguing turn when a single, very sexy guest named Aubrey (Insecure’s Y’lan Noel) arrives, and takes an interest in the plucky, self-deprecating Zadie. Zamata and Noel’s scenes together are some of the best of the film, and stand out because they allow audiences to see Zadie in her own light without Bradford's shadow cast over her.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Netflix's 'She's Gotta Have It' is bold, brilliant & black as hell (Review)

From the moment the Prince/ Notorious B.I.G. opening track rings out from the television screen, Spike Lee’s electric new Netflix joint She’s Gotta Have It springs to life. After much critique about his "woman problem" in some of his past work — Lee has gotten with the program. Tracy Camilla Johns’ 1986 Nola Darling, which was set against a crisp black and white Brooklyn background will always remain glued in my memory, but the film was ruined for me when our protagonist was viscously raped by her suitor Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks). I haven’t gotten over it, and neither has Lee.In a 2014 interview with Deadline, he said, “It was just totally…stupid. I was immature.” We are in an age where women – especially Black women are laying themselves bare, and unapologetically demanding to be heard. With guidance from his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee who also serves as an executive producer on the Netflix TV adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It — Lee presents an image of a Black woman who is as refreshing as she is enticing. Shots Fired and Underground alum DeWanda Wise is center stage this time, delivering a brown-skinned Nola Darling whose the homegirl you love, envy, and are sometimes exasperated with. Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It is a complicated and multi-angled portrait of a millennial Black woman trying to make in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Nola’s got her men — Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony), Jaime Overstreet (Lyriq Bent), and Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos) all return in vibrant color with new layers and subtle personality changes. However, she’s also got her girlfriends Shemekka Epps (Chayna Lane) and Clorinda Bradford (Margot Bingham), a lady lover (Ilfenesh Hadera) and a bomb ass therapist (Heather Headley). Gentrification is rampant, money is tight, but Nola is living — and how she lives, who she makes love with, and the art that she creates is going to be on her terms.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.