'Beauty' Director Andrew Dosunmu Says The Lena Waithe-Penned Netflix Film Is A Love Letter To Black Women Vocalists

The intricacies of our identities are what make us unique. However, ostracization and othering are also used in a society that delights in placing people in boxes. Netflix’s Beauty, directed by Nigerian director Andrew Dosunmu and written by Lena Waithe, centers on one young woman’s determination to hold on to her identity amid her rising fame. Set in the ’80s on the East Coast, Beauty follows a young singer (Gracie Marie Bradley) who, after earning a lucrative recording contract, is determined to define herself outside of the oppressive household of her hyper-religious parents (portrayed by Niecy Nash and Giancarlo Esposito).

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

French Director Robin Campillo Talks ‘Eastern Boys,’ Family and the Immigration Climate in France

How do we define family? Traditionally, we gravitate toward people who are related to us by blood. And yet, as we branch out into the world, we may find kindred spirits in others that we encounter on our life’s journey. The ties that bind us together are often strongest when we have to work to maintain them. As we grow and change as individuals, our relationships with other people regularly take on different forms, influencing who we were, who we are, and who we’ve yet to become.

Moroccan-born director Robin Campillo’s latest film, Eastern Boys, explores the meaning of family while commenting on the plight of immigration in modern day France. Despite a language barrier and a gap in socioeconomic status, older Frenchman Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) and his younger Chechen lover, Marek (Kirill Emelyanov), form a friendship born out of loneliness, fear and excitement. Though it might be considered an unorthodox relationship by some, the duo combats their own issues along with outside forces that try to tear them apart. Eastern Boys is a stunning film about love, acceptance and the people we choose to be a part of our family circle.

Continue reading at GALO Magazine.

Image: Kirill Emelyanov and Olivier Rabourdin star in “Eastern Boys.” Photo Credit: First Run Features.

Tribeca Interviews: Filmmaker Christopher Bell Discusses ‘Prescription Thugs’ and Addiction

We’re all addicted to something. It could be food, intimacy, exercise or even a TV show. Depending on what our addiction is, we may try to hide it because we are fearful of being judged by society. It seems, however, that it is society itself that can help lead us down that path. In fact, from the time we enter school, followed shortly by our first internship and job, we are taught to work through pain and to never truly talk about our issues in fear of showing weakness in a competitive environment. Additionally, we must pay our bills and take care of our families, so losing workdays is not an option for many of us (and paid sick days as well as vacation days are limited in numbers nationwide, and often dependent on experience and longevity at a company). With medications that combat everything from pain to restlessness, it’s natural to seek out remedies to help soothe any ailments you may have, whether they are physical or emotional. However, many of these medications, specifically prescription pain pills, are highly addictive. Since they are so readily available, it’s easy to see how one can spiral into addiction, especially in a society that is often deemed to be “overworked and overstressed.” And once you’re dependent on something, it can be nearly impossible, if not fatal, to pull yourself out of it.

Continue Reading at GALO Magazine.

Director Elizabeth Giamatti Talks ‘A Woman Like Me,’ Accepting the Unacceptable and Her Good Friend Alex

The Buddhist Meditation on Death says, “The point is we are all going to die, but that is the very thing we cannot accept.” Is it even possible to accept what is unacceptable to so many of us? Would you spend the precious time you do have left in despair over your circumstances, or would you try to find a way to be at peace with what is coming?

Oftentimes, we turn away from films with a terminal illness at their center. Too devastating for some and far too personal for others, we as moviegoers gravitate toward more lighthearted or even action-packed films. There have, of course, been anomalies like Jonathan Levine’s 50/50 (2011), or more recently, Josh Boone’s The Fault in Our Stars (2014). Generally, however, we go to the cinema to escape our own troubles. It is rare that we are drawn to films like Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti‘s A Woman Like Me. Continue reading at GALO Magazine.

Filmmaker Caryn Waechter Talks ‘The Sisterhood of Night,’ Social Media, Friendship and What It Means To Be A 21st Century Teen Girl

Our teen years are filled with some of the most memorable points in our lives: blossoming friendships, first loves and kisses, and the discovery of who we are. Everything is heightened, from our emotions to our self-awareness, as we leave the innocent childhood days behind us. However, with the advent of social media, millennial teens experience the world differently than any adolescents of the past. Web sites and apps like Facebook and Instagram may have connected us globally, but they’ve also put our existence on display for observation, admiration and critique. Often, it can seem that our lives are simply popularity contests. The fear of missing out is one of the most overwhelming feelings that have come out of today’s technological climate. For teen girls especially, living up to or falling short of particular standards of beauty and likeability can prove to be both exuberant and devastating.

Caryn Waechter’s female-driven The Sisterhood of Night explores many of these very themes. Her feature debut follows the uproar that erupts in Kingston, New York after a teenage girl claims she has been abused by a secret group who call themselves “The Sisterhood.” This is not your typical teen girl film with a romance at its center. Instead, it’s a movie that celebrates girlhood, friendship and what the nuances of being a teen in today’s world are.

Continue reading at GALO Magazine.

Brad Saville Talks ‘Regretting Fish,’ Independent Filmmaking and 21st Century Moviegoing

Filmmaker Brad Saville on the set of “Regretting Fish.” Photo Credit: Brad Saville.

Once a major Hollywood genre, the gangster film has become somewhat of a dying breed in Hollywood. Goodfellas (1990) was perhaps the last of its kind in this classic category, though films like The Departed (2006) and Public Enemies (2009) have drawn major numbers at the box office, providing some nostalgia for the 21st century filmgoer. In the past few years, action films, comedies and biopics have dominated the box office. It seems that we have traded in our bad boys and femme fatales for action heroes and romantic comedies. Luckily, independent films haven’t yet given up on film noir and criminals. John Hillcoat’s Lawless (2012) and Jim Mickle’s Cold In July (2014) are just a couple of examples of independent films that have not yet forgotten the thrill of the gritty underworld and the characters that inhabit it.

Continue Reading at GALO Magazine.

Review: Nzingha Stewart Guides Lifetime's 'With This Ring' (Premieres Saturday, January 24th)

For several years now, Black women have had to contend with the media fueled stereotype of being perpetually single and unwed. (Apparently new statistics show that 50% of Black women will never get married.) Lifetime’s "With This Ring" tells the story of a group of girlfriends who make a pack to defy this label, and vow to get married (or engaged) in one year’s time.  Not unlike David E. Talbert’s "Baggage Claim" (2013), "With This Ring" centers around three thirty-plus girlfriends who want their happily-ever-after at any cost. However, they soon discover that what they thought they wanted may not actually be worth having after all.

Trista (Regina Hall) is an up-and-coming talent agent who cannot seem to get past the ex-boyfriend who never truly committed to her.  Upon discovering that she’s wasted yet another night entertaining his foolishness, Trista sets out on an unwavering quest to get a ring on her finger. Trista’s best friend Vivian (Jill Scott) is still in love with the father of her child. She pines after him, unable to move forward in her love life because of her feelings for him. Instead of telling him how she feels, Viv chooses to live in fantasyland and continues playing house with a man who sees her solely as the mother of his child.  Amaya (Eve) is a struggling actress who is frantically trying to convince her married boyfriend to leave his wife for her. Convinced that her boyfriend’s wife is having her own affair, Amaya spends hours trying to catch her in the act.  After attending their friend Elise’s (Brooklyn Sandou) New Year’s Eve wedding, the trio decides that they’ve had enough, and they take their romantic lives in their own hands. Unsurprisingly, their plans do not go accordingly.

Admittedly, a great deal of the film is comprised of Lifetime's trademark cheesy clichés (poor choices made by these women, the usual rom-com high jinks, etc), which you're either already with (especially if you're a regular Lifetime viewer), or are not. There are dream sequences, for example, that simply don't work, and the movie would've been better off without.

Continue Reading at Shadow and Act 

Chris Rock & Cast of 'Top Five' on Influences, Writer-Director-Actor Experience, Improv, Industry Fears + More

At a recent press junket, Shadow and Act was present as the cast of "Top Five" spoke about the film, and their experiences with Chris Rock as the writer-director and star of the film.

Here are some of the highlights:

Chris Rock (Writer/Director/ Andre Allen), Rosario Dawson (Chelsea Brown), Ben Vereen (Carl Allen), J.B. Smoove (Silk), Gabrielle Union (Erica Long), Sherri Shepherd (Vanessa).

"Top Five" vs. Chris Rock’s Stand-Up

Chris Rock: I made this movie just like my stand-up. I use to have a movie process and a stand-up process. I use to say, these are the jokes for the movie and then I’d have a whole other file for stand-up. Not this one. I feel like I put it all together. I work-shopped it a long time; like I do with my stand-up. I treated it just like my stand-up. That was kind of the goal, to get a movie that felt just like my stand-up. [A movie] that kind of went all over the place…and could be all about relationships and have a political component to it also.

On the editing process

Chris Rock: That’s one of the big differences between this movie and other movies I’ve done. I treated the editing like it was writing again. It was, ok, yes we have all of this footage but it doesn’t matter. Let’s make music, let’s do something different.

Films that influenced "Top Five"

Chris Rock: You know Woody (Allen) has been known to jump around. (Quentin) Tarantino has been known to stop a movie in the middle, and cut back to that scene an hour later or whatever.

On working with Chris Rock and having a role in "Top Five"

Sherri Shepherd: You know this was like being at the Pancake House to order my food.

J.B. Smoove: There is no Chris approached me about the project because whatever Chris the hell does, he better put my ass in it. When Chris calls you about doing a project you say, what is it? He’ll tell you what it is, he’ll tell you what he wants from you. Typically when someone calls J.B. they want the over the top J.B. But this shows this man’s growth and what he wants from a particular project. I didn’t have to play the over-the-top crazy J.B. I got to be in his character’s corner because I had his back. You can’t have two over the top people they cancel each other out. So I’m happy that I had a chance to play a role that this guy wanted me to play, and he helped me because now my range has just increased. It was amazing to have the opportunity to work with the man.

Sherri Shepherd: Can I say one thing though, because I got my pancake order? In my scene where it was a bunch of comics, it’s very hard to corral a bunch of comics. I had to give it to Chris because he was able to let everybody have a certain amount of freedom and then corral everybody back, and that’s a hard thing to do. He’s very intensely focused on the directing aspect of it, so that was a surprise; because you know when you work with Chris doing stand-up…he’s very focused and he knows what he wants. It was an awesome experience.

Ben Vereen’s involvement in "Top Five"

Ben Vereen: I’ve known of Chris a long time and I’ve always wanted to work with him, and I don’t think he knew that. I found out that he was doing this film and I read for it.

Chris Rock: You met for it

Ben Vereen: Ok, we met for it and we read for the part. And for me, playing his father, I had to go to a certain place because this guy was really dysfunctional. And I remember the first day I came on the set, in my mind, he was a little bit too dressed up. And so Chris and I began to break him down, and we broke him down, and broke him down and he became this guy. And what’s so wonderful about Chris is that he allows the artist to find the character within there and with boundaries. It’s like almost being a Michelangelo.

An atypical “Chris Rock Film” with a relationship at its core.

Chris Rock: I knew the relationship would be the heart of the movie. As far as edgy, I knew that I wanted to do what I do and not have it so filtered down. And I thought I had a decent idea. That’s why I went to Scott (Rudin). I’ve been writing movies for years and I’ve never had the balls to go to [Scott] with anything else. So I thought I kind of had something and was in a good headspace to pull it off.

Freedom and improv in the film

Gabrielle Union: In the moment he said we have it; we have what I wrote, let’s just play. Let’s see where the scene takes us; where the moment takes us. He gave us his script, he gave us his baby, and he wasn’t like my baby is perfect, I’ve got the most genius baby. He wasn’t saying I’ve got the next Schindler’s List. He’s saying I want to get there, please give me real feedback… I didn’t assemble a bunch of people just to kiss my ass. It was amazing; it was let’s all work together, and please give me real notes so that I can create magic. And he started that way and he continued the whole process that way.

Sherri Shepherd: I know I found with Rosario and myself, [Chris] did what was on the script and then [he] kept going and you kept going. And you’re like is he going to say cut at any point? And he let you go and go and go. And that’s where you found that magic.

Rosario Dawson: Especially that one scene where you see me when we first walk in, and you give me that look.

Sherri Shepherd: Oh because, I didn’t know who you were, I was planning on getting with Chris.

Rosario Dawson: I remember we were working on it and I go, did you see that look she gave me? And I’m like that’s the look; we feel that look. I kept calling [Chris] a conductor. He had all of these different people, and it can be noise or it can be music. You can put it together and have all of these incredible people together, but it might not work. Just because you have that much talent doesn’t mean it’s going to be watchable. I thought that was something that was really remarkable. He did that, but he was different with everyone. Every single person that came on set every single day; there was something slightly different he would give them. It was amazing. He just knew what everybody’s sweet spot was, which is something that I really appreciate. Tarantino…I think he’s done that so brilliantly in his career. He would get people we hadn’t seen in a really long time and he would get them to do the exact thing that he wanted them to do. You saw them onscreen and you’d say this is amazing, and it’s still felt fresh and new and original. It wasn’t manipulative. It was just creating the perfect space for people to fill, and I thought that was something that was really remarkable. Being there throughout so much of that movie because my character is sort of that fly on the wall. It was so interesting watching how that went and it really felt like he was a conductor. It was really beautiful.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act

xoxox Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

Film Review|| The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

The third film of the wildly popular franchise, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1" has a dark and ferocious tone, making it increasingly explosive. As the franchise has matured, so has its subject matter. The narrative is no longer about a girl who stood up for her little sister, but instead about a young woman who stood against a tyrannical government and its leader.

Rescued from the horrors of the Quarter Quell, the film opens, with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13, a world she'd previously thought destroyed by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the Capitol. And yet, despite being forced into hiding, District 13 and its citizens have not only survived, but thrived. It’s a well-ordered society; led brilliantly and meticulously by President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore). Without excess or frivolity, District 13 contrasts sharply with the over-saturated colors and superfluous settings of the Capitol.

So unlike the lush greenery and vast wildlife that we've grown accustomed to seeing in the previous films, District 13 is gray and muted. The rigid order of living underground, along with the confining walls and tunnels of District 13 provide the perfect prison-like backdrop for Katniss’ uncertainty and uneasiness.

As Katniss battles with her ongoing depression, she finds herself unable to connect with those around her. She is constantly at the very edge of her sanity, unsure about her decisions and those of the people surrounding her; especially without Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who has been a constant presence in her life since the beginning of The Games. Katniss’ sister, Primrose (Willow Shields) is the only one that seems to be able to breakthrough to her. Realizing that Katniss is in the position to make requests, since District 13 is counting on her to become the Mockingjay, Primrose convinces her to demand that Peeta be rescued from the Capitol.

This film is not at all the action-packed thriller that we’ve become accustomed to in this franchise. Instead, it’s a slow progression; a psychological analysis of Katniss as she struggles to become the symbol of a revolution. Continually mistrusting of those around her, terrorized by President Snow, and manipulated by President Coin, Katniss is obviously a pawn in a much larger game; one she is not sure that she’s willing to play any longer. The residents of District 13 are unsure of what to make of her. President Coin’s right hand man, Boggs (Mahershala Ali) is skeptical of Katniss immediately, and remains uncertain that she is the right person to lead the revolution. Torn between her conscience and the people of Panem, Katniss also finds herself stuck between her best friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and the boy she’s grown to love, Peeta.

Director Francis Lawrence, beautifully constructs a war film around a major facet of war and revolution: propaganda. After all, how are leaders of revolution born, if not for the way in which they captivate and mobilize their followers?

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox 

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Cast & Director Dish on Winding Down the Franchise

At a recent press junket, Shadow and Act was present as the majority of the cast of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," spoke about the series and their experiences.
Here are some of the highlights:

Francis Lawrence (director), Nina Jacobson (producer), Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Julianne Moore (President Alma Coin), Donald Sutherland (President Coriolanus Snow), Natalie Dormer (Cressida), Mahershala Ali (Boggs), Sam Clafin (Finnick Odair), Willow Shields (Primrose Everdeen), and Jeffery Wright (Beetee Latier) were present for the conference.

On "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1"
Francis Lawrence: This half of Mockingjay is really about Katniss discovering what she means to people; all of the districts. And really taking on the responsibility of her role in this revolution. It gave us the opportunity to explore one of the facets of war, which is propaganda.

Fascism vs. Freedom and being caught in the middle. On the political and social sophistication of the books and films
Jennifer Lawrence: Katniss is representing the consequences of war. It’s not that she doesn’t believe in what President Coin wants. It’s not that she doesn’t believe that the Capitol is a terrible government that is only good for the one percent. But war is complicated, and it affects everyone on both sides. I think for Katniss being caught in the middle is feeling pain from both sides. There really is no right way to start or end a war.

Julianne Moore: When I read [the books] I was really struck by the political allegory, and that is very unusual in YA. The thing about dystopia is that what is posits is whether or not we have free will as human beings. And for adolescents in particular, that’s a time when that idea is looming pretty large because you haven’t had free will. You’re in your parents’ house and you’re looking to… who you’re going to be as human being.  So here you have this central character who is trying to decide who she is going to be personally, and who she is going to be politically; and it’s fascinating.  It’s really wonderful. Suzanne Collins also sets up this idea about the difference between freedom and totalitarianism, and how you move from one system to another. I think it’s amazing and it speaks to not just me, but millions of people.

Donald Sutherland: The allegory is evident. When I first read the script I truly wanted to be apart of this project  so that I could look back at the end of my life, which is very close, and say I was a piece of this. Because for me how she has presented this dilemma to young people, and demanded from them a resolution; demanded from them participation that could change things. Because the world that my generation is leaving everyone is a disaster in every respect; politically, socially and economically. I hope that it would be a catalyst for young people. To get them off the seat of their pants …that someone from Occupy or wherever use these films to generate from young people an energy that  will take them into the voting booths of the United States in 2016 and make people responsible, politicians responsible for their words and their actions.

On the lack of physical action scenes in the film
Jennifer Lawrence: There was a lot less action in this movie. [Katniss] is in a very different place emotionally at the beginning of this movie, and the Games have completely changed her. She has to completely rebuild herself.  There wasn’t time for much action. Instead, there was just time for her reaction to everything.

Finish reading at Shadow and Act.

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

Interview|| Mahershala Ali Talks 'Hunger Games,' 'House of Cards,' Dream Role, Race in the Industry

In "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1," Mahershala Ali plays Boggs. He is introduced to us as President Coin’s (Julianne Moore) right hand man. After Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) assumes the role of the Mockingjay, Boggs becomes her personal bodyguard.
At a recent junket for the film, we spoke with Ali about working on the project, "House of Cards," his dream role, and race in the film and television industry.

Aramide Tinubu: First, I’d like to say congratulations on all of your success.  I’ve been watching "House of Cards" and I’m obsessed with "The Hunger Games," like the majority of America.  I’d like to start off by asking how you prepared to become Boggs. At the 2013 Emmy’s, you spoke about working to truly understand the characters that you portray. Boggs has always lived underground. How did you prepare to become him?

Mahershala Ali: One of the first things I wanted to do was change how I felt in my body. I couldn’t change my look because I was finishing up "House of Cards," so I couldn’t grow out a beard, or grow hair or anything like that; which I would have ideally loved to do. It felt appropriate for the character at the time. So, the best thing I could do was begin to lift weights a little. I had worked on slimming down in the last couple of years just to be able to look like a businessman in a suit for "House of Cards." So now, I wanted to feel a little bit more present and just different in my body, so I picked up like five to seven pounds, so I was working out quite a bit. And then, going to work, I kind of just changed the environment for myself, sonically. There were a couple of albums I would listen to in my trailer to put me in the headspace of District 13.  So I was listening to this Method Man album "Tical," which came out in like ’94 or ’95.  It just sounded appropriate for the piece it sounded like "District 13" to me; in that time, and in this building rebellion.  So then I just build. The work that I do with all of my characters is have some sense of where they come from.  I kind of create my own story for myself. What’s going on with my parents, are they alive?  Or family, do I have children?  Do you see those things or not? All the mental work that I have to do to be present and give off a sense of truth that can connect with the audience.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act 

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

Film Review || Beyond the Lights

"It's not my business what you had with her, and now I see that you're not free of her. And it was foolish to compete with her, but my fractured heart cries 'Choose Me'". ~ Noni JeanIn this media obsessed society we are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities. We have become constant voyeurs, looking from the outside in. We form our opinions about celeb lives from tabloids and photographs, never truly knowing what it is that we are judging or praising.  Gina Prince- Bythewood’s Beyond the Lights gives us a rare and intricate look at the life of a fast-rising star, from the inside out.

Prince-Bythewood’s third feature film follows, Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha- Raw) a young entertainer who is on a fast track to major fame, but who is suffocating internally. Mega-sexualized, overworked and bitterly unhappy, Noni has become a puppet, controlled by her label and her mother/manager, Macy (Minnie Driver).  Nauseated by the stage-show that has become her life, Noni decides to jump from the balcony of her hotel room.

Kaz (Nate Parker) is the police officer assigned to Noni the evening she attempts suicide. Though he’s able to talk her out of leaping to her death, Naz is disgusted by the circus and lies that follow the incident. (He's a true boy scout at heart.) Unwilling to be sucked into Noni's circus, Kaz attempts to walk away. Despite his efforts, their connection crackles and ignites.

Noni  is drawn to Kaz's quiet, damn near broody nature.(Parker is perfect in the role. He’s constantly watching, quietly observing, taking her all in.) Likewise, Kaz is intrigued by Noni's spirit. She's hidden somewhere behind the image that she presents to the world.

The film is breathtaking because of the exquisite  performances. So often romantic dramas fall into the realm of corny.(And this is from a sappy girl who appreciates a bit of corniness.)  Few films, those like Love Jones (1997) and The Notebook (2004) speak universally to audiences about love.  The honesty in those films is what connects us. Mbatha-Raw and Parker's performances are so electric that they remain believable throughout the entire film. Their characters become more of themselves as their connection deepens. Prince-Bythewood made the decision to strip Noni bare both mentally and physically. As the film progresses the layers of makeup, hair and costuming are peeled away until Mbatha-Raw's bare face is left staring wide-eyed at us.

Kaz becomes more himself as well, perhaps in ways that he least expected to. Often it's the paths that we so rigidly insist on following that are holding us back from our densities. (I really could wax poetic about how delicious Nate Parker looked in this film, but that’s neither here nor there...)

The man doesn't even have any facial hair and I'm STILL here for it! (Y'all know my disgust for lack of facial hair.)

Another standout performance in the film is Minnie Driver as Noni's mother, Macy Jean. A shrewd woman, she seems to value Noni’s image over her well-being. The beauty in the role is that Prince-Bythewood refrains from making Macy completely villainous. She has layers and complexities just like anyone else.

The film is extremely contemporary, it's very much a romance of this moment. It does not shy away from issues of mental health, race, class, celebrity culture and sex. I also really enjoyed the equality dynamic amongst the pair in terms of their careers and ambitions. (Don't nobody want a lazy ass partner.)

Beyond the Lights is lovely. Arguably better than Prince-Bythewood's first feature Love & Basketball (2001). (I'm sure there will be a thousand debates about this.) The performances are outstanding, the music is entertaining and the chemistry is extremely sexy. (Did I mention Nate Parker?!! Gugu is also stunning and you should check her out in Belle if you have not seen it.)  I know one thing, I shall never view plane takeoffs the same (surfbort). I’d even go out on a limb and say that men will enjoy the film as much as women.

Go head on Ms. Prince-Bythewood, continue to make them tell your stories! I'm so here for Black women directing mainstream films. (Ava DuVernay's Selma is up next.)

Beyond the Lights is in theaters November 14. (Take your boo, your mama and them. Or just take yourself, you're worth the date.)

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxox

PS. Nate Parker

Film Review: Dear White People

On my first day of college at NYU, I dragged my three bags up eight flights of steps to get to my assigned room. Many years later now I don't recall what type of door tags the Resident Hall Advisor had made for the first semester, but I do remember how the names on the door, how they looked and how they made me feel.  My dorm door read, "Sarah, Susan, Sally and Aramide". So began my freshman year of college; a strange and often troubling prologue to my college experience as a whole." Justin Simien's Dear White People felt very much like relieving that experience.

I went into the show with extremely high expectations. The film has been garnering serious buzz for well over a year. It centers around the fictional Ivy League Winchester University in or around Chicago. Samantha "Sam" White (Tessa Thompson), the film's protagonist  is a mixed Black nationalist airs a campus radio show entitled "Dear White People". The show exposes the hypocrisies and racial injustices that are ingrained within the university, as well as the micro-aggressions that students of color experience on a daily basis along with with the spaces of privilege and power that the white students on the campus continuously occupy. 

Though often humorous scoldings like  "Dear White people, please stop dancing", Sam also points out completely inappropriate behavior, like the use of the word Nigga by white people even when "hidden" under the guise of reciting rap lyrics. Needless to say, Sam's ruffling quite few feathers.Winchester has also enacted a random lottery selection that leaves students with little choice of where they might dorm. An issue that is seemingly only affecting the historically Black dorm on campus.

There's also tensions between the President of the University's son Kurt (Kyle Gallner) constantly antagonizes standing proudly on his pedestal of privilege. Not the only douche bag in the film, Kurt is constantly at war with Troy (Brandon Bell), the head of the Black dorm and the son of the Dean of Students (played by Dennis Haysbert). Troy also just happens to be Troy's ex, confused about his own identity and place at Winchester, he's constantly seeking his father's approval while trying to accepted by Kurt and his crew.  

Lionel (Tyler James Williams), a black gay student  who can't seem to find his footing anywhere, is the object of both Kurt's ridicule and Troy's disdain. (Tyler is brilliant by the way, just as he was in Everybody Hates Chris). Though he's being constantly shoved into stereotypically labeled boxes by his classmates, Lionel might just discover his own identity in the end. 

I'll admit the film started off slow for me, the narrative was like a weaving basket and I struggled first to understand how all the threads aligned.  Perhaps it was because my expectations were so high. I found my mind racing, desperately trying to figure out where the story was going before it picked up speed. When it did however, it was not at all what I expected. In fact it was much much more.

Instead of the collective story of the token black kids that I and I'm sure many of you know. Simien chose to focus on the complexities of Blackness. What if you don't really have a place in the Black Student Union? Perhaps you find the idea of wearing your hair in it's natural state abhorrent? Maybe the person you love is someone society has tried to shame you into hiding? All of these ideas are assessed in the film. Teyonah Parrish who plays "Coco", the upwardly mobile bougie Black girl whose looking for a Robin to her Paula is freaking brilliant. (Much more range then she is afforded on either Mad Men or Survivor's Remorse.) And yes, it's also made clear that it's NEVER OK to just reach into ANYONE's head and rub your Hands through it. Nor is it EVER acceptable to wear Blackface. (Dear White people, STOP WEARING BLACKFACE!) 

The film isn't perfect, it's not as alternatively sound as I would have hoped and there are some questions left unanswered in the end that I felt as viewers we are owed an explanation.It did however make me think, as it will many of you. It brought me back to that day freshman year of college when my roommate looked at me with disgust and pity when she found a strand of my hair by the refrigerator. (Early on I gave her the "Black people don't wash their hair everyday talk.") Apparently she thought that meant I was just filthy. It also reminded me of the awkward encounters that I had with the other black kids that made up the entirety of NYU 5% black student body at the time. (Like the incident of the girl who acted a fool at a restaurant and didn't tip, or the guy at that frat party who tried to "hook up" with me because I was the only other black person there, or the times when I went to Black history month club and the older students were rude and snooty and wouldn't speak to the freshman.)

The film also reminded me of the time last year when I was leaving my thesis class for my graduate programs (where I was the only black person) at my Ivy League slams matter and I said "that got on my black nerve." And, one of my classmates turned to me and said, "Why does it have to be a "Black" nerve?" 0_O

Dear White People, lets it be known loud and clear that despite the fact that we live in Obama's America, we are not and no where near post-racial. Its unapologetic and brass in your face. It screams loudly and clearly that race and racism are still issues so lets talk about them. Go see Dear White People, and tell me what you think.

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxoxo

Film Review: Get On Up

*****SPOILER ALERT ****** I want to say that the most epic biopic that I've ever seen aside from Malcolm X (which despite its brilliance had its issues) was Taylor Hackford's Ray staring Jamie Foxx. The Best Actor award was well deserved and since then I've compared every single biopic of black people to Foxx's performance.

Despite the fact that I'm obsessed with history, I feel a way about biopics especially because it seems like one of the ways for Black people to be seen in film. is Hollywood only comfortable if we're stuck in the past? Hopefully we are ushering in a new era of cinema but, I'm over seeing us as slaves, sharecroppers, maids and even iconic but troubled public figures.

Though I feel like I have a good handle of what's going on in Black Cinema, I hadn't heard of Chadwick Boseman until the press circuit for 42 started. Obviously, I went to see it (as I do most things having to do with black film and TV) and I thought it was a well done film. Chadwick was really good as Jackie Robinson. The film was a bit fluffy, but so are most biopics and I didn't think much else of it, or him for that matter

That changed when photos from this project leaked. Boseman, hair fully conked and dressed as the Godfather of Soul. To say I was apprehensive was putting it lightly. To get down James Brown's mannerisms and the intricacies of his character seemed literally impossible. I was certain that the film would be a complete train wreck.

And it would have been, had it not been for Bosemen pulling of the performance of a lifetime.

I'll admit, I enjoyed The Help for what it was. Octavia Butler, Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain are incredible actresses and Tate Taylor stayed within him realm as a director, perhaps the book provided the guidelines that he needed.

With Get On Up, Taylor took a lot of risks and unfortunately they didn't really work. To begin with the coloring was overly saturated, pulling the audience out of the time period and right back into the 21st century. Where Ray was gray and muted, sucking you further and further into the story, Get On Up was way too flashy where it didn't need to be.

The flashbacks were also exhausting and extremely clumsy. The story cut back and forth dropping the audience down without giving us any real guidance into which point of Brown's life we were being shown. Only cheesy title cards and Brown's clothing choices helped ground us in space and time. This really did a disservice for younger generations, yes, we all know James Brown's music but perhaps not a chronological discography.

There were also many unanswered questions in the film, I'm not sure if things were cut for the purpose of time or if the editor was just not in sync with the rest of the project. At one point there was mention of Brown's son Teddy having some highly contagious disease and then it was never mentioned again. We never get a complete understanding of how he met either of his wives. His tax issues came up out of the blue and the entire story was very disjointed. (Perhaps there were holes because Brown's family wasn't comfortable airing all of his dirty laundry.)

In spite all of this, the performances alone made it well worth my $14. I've stood for Nelsan Ellis since I first got hooked on True Blood my freshman year of undergrad.  He's an exceptional actor who deserves so many more roles. He was fantastic as Bobby Byrd.  Also, ya'll needed to find Brandon Smith (he plays Little Richard) and give him a full leading role in Little Richard's biopic. The man was EPIC.  And finally, as I've mentioned Chadwick Boseman should be so proud of his performance. And quite frankly, I wouldn't be mad if I saw him portray another ten iconic Black men.

Overall, the film was certainly worth seeing, though perhaps I'm one of the few who felt that way. The film barely grossed $14 million which is kind of sad making it number three at the box office this weekend.

xoxoxoxox Chocolate Girl In the City xoxoxoxoxoxox

The Best Man Holiday and the Second New Wave of Black Cinema

When I was younger my parents didn’t allow my sister or myself to watch television during the week. They were very education-minded and wanted us to find joy in books and explorations instead of focusing our energies on screens. Don’t get me wrong, film and television were still very prominent in my house. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are Friday evenings with my dad and sister renting videos from Hollywood Video store and pizza from Pizza Hut. On Friday my sister and I sat down in front of the PBS afterschool shows and then the TGIF line up on The WB(we never had cable in our house). We ended our evening with whatever video we had rented. Though we subjected our poor parents to every Mary Kate and Ashley film that was ever made, it was our father, a Nigerian immigrant who introduced us to the classics. Through him, we were introduced to films like The Sound of Music, It’s A Wonderful Life, Sense and Sensibility and so forth. In return, we got him hooked on Harry Potter (both the books and the films).

As I got older I began seeking out images for myself. UPN was still on at the time and there were always reruns of The Cosby Show and A Different World. Not to mention more contemporary shows like Moesha, One on One, Family Matters,Martin (the list goes on in on).  During the day on Saturdays, many networks played films like What’s Love Got To Do With It, The Color Purple, Sounder, and so forth. It was on these Saturday afternoons in the TV room in my childhood home, that I got introduced to Black Cinema.  It was these images that I repeatedly retuned to time and time again.  By the time I got to high school the ban on weekday television was lifted. I got my own room and my own TV set and I somehow convinced my mother to add me to her video rentals card. I became obsessed with the Black image onscreen. Already a history nerd I sought out older films like Imitation of Life and I hid rentals I wasn’t suppose to have like Monster’s Balland Menace II Society.  (In my house unless you were thirteen you weren’t watching a PG-13 film). There was something comforting, something that felt like home for me when I saw these brown faces onscreen.

            When it was time to go to college, I knew that I had to continue studying film. At the time, and perhaps even now, I realized that I didn’t have the balls to try and make it as a Black female director or even a screenwriter. (Ava Duvernay , Kasi Lemmons Dee Rees, Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes and so many other wonderful women are saying everything I could have much more than I would have.) Instead, I chose to keep consuming, to keep studying and to keep writing about what I loved so much. During my undergrad I was lucky enough to study under some of the top Black Cinema Scholars of all time. Ed Gurerro and Manthia Diawara to name a couple.

            Still upon my undergrad graduation and, making my decision to continue on with my education there wasn’t much Black Cinema being produced that reached a wide audience. (Aside from what was coming out of Tyler Perry studios.) This year, everything seems to be changing. It seems that we in a magical period that we haven’t been in since 1990’s (The Black New Wave). This year I was able to get on this pre-screening list. I’ve gotten the opportunity to and attend a ton of screenings and Q&A’s. I’ve seen 12 Years A Slave(I saw it twice), The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, Fruitvale Station, American Promise,  Mandela: Long Road to Freedom, Mother of George, Best Man Holiday and these are just films from the Black Diaspora. This doesn’t even begin to cover what’s happening on television.  Every week like many other Black Americans I turn in to see Kerry Washington on Scandal but there is also, Sleepy Hallow, Almost Human, Being Mary Jane, New Girl (Damon Wayans Jr is back) and let’s not forget the tale end of the mini series Many Rivers to Cross: The African American Experience 1500-2013 on PBS. There is so much more out there that I don’t have time to mention and much more that is coming. Shadow & Act will keep you updated.

            When I talk about my excitement to my contemporaries, some don’t understand my excitement or why I’m so enthusiastic. It’s the history component that I think they are missing completely. Black people have been hopelessly scarred and traumatized by racism. Invisibility only adds to that trauma. In the past years the sheer absence of people of color onscreen has undoubtedly had a detrimental effect not just on young people (those who completely missed the Black New Wave of the 1990’s) but people of color in general. I’m an avid believer self-image can be directly correlated to how the mainstream media portrays you. Invisibility is detrimental.  Black Cinema/ Media and Television is so important it helps reaffirm our existence as a people. I’m no longer making claims for ideal Black figures (Cosbyesque) but instead for a variety.

With that being said, I f*ckin thrilled about the The Best Man Holidayand its success and well as the success of the other films and shows that are coming as well I watched the original Best Manthis morning and I laughed and smiled like I was seeing it for the first time. The sequel was EVERYTHING!!!!! (LIKE FOR REAL IT WAS AMAZE). I laughed, I cried. The dialogue was spot on, the acting was amazing and the two films fit beautifully together.  It just worked perfectly. And let me just take a moment to pause and say thank the Lord for LANCE SULLIVAN (Morris Chestnut)…Jesus what a MAN!

            Hollywood has said and will probably say in the future that the reason they don’t like to make Black films is because they don’t make money. (A “regular” film must make back what it spent 3:1, to be deemed successful and Black films must make 5:1)  Black films don’t really sale overseas, so its pretty much always a gamble. Honestly though that’s just an excuse. If Hollywood can find the money to make trash films about teenage vampires in academies then they can find the money to make stories about Black American Life.  But why should we be so depended upon the studio system? Its up to us to tell our own stories, and to keep showing up for those who have been so gracious and selfless to share their talents with us. (Coming up was have, About Last Night, Black Nativity, Ride Along,) When I went to see to see The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & PeteI asked director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Notorious) about this renaissance in Black Cinema. He said, that for some reason right now people are paying attention to Black Cinema in a way that they haven’t been since the 1990’s. The platform is there, its up to us to stand up on it.

xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxo

PS. I hope to be back more regularly soon peeps. I'm finishing my Master's thesis on Black Girlhood & Parental Loss in Contemporary Black American Film