MALCOLM X (1992)
dir. Spike Lee
writer. based on the screenplay by Arnold Perl and James Baldwin adapted from the The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Starring: Denzel Washington [nom.], Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Kate Vernon and Al Freeman Jr
THOUGHTS: It became very clear, very quickly I actually know nothing about Malcolm X; so this film was a fantastic education in his teachings and philosophy. Spike Lee set out to make an epic, and that he achieved. It’s a lonnnnng film but necessary to properly depict the growing evolution of who he was and how he thought. It reminds me a lot of Gandhi (1982) in it’s scope and breadth of exploration. And like Gandhi; I found it more interesting than enjoyable. Segmenting it into three core times in Malcolm's life really showed the evolution of his thoughts and attitudes, and you need the length of dedicated time to truly convey this idea of who his character was, to who he became, and finally who he ended up being. I did love how Lee grounded the first third in almost fantasy, utilizing intentionally jarring narrative and style to create this ‘myth’. Showing things not as they were necessarily, but how the should have been in someone’s mind. Slowly muting the colours, tone and style the more real and truthful the story became. Though I could have done without a ten minute dance segment, for seemingly no reason. Also Denzel was a BEAUTIFUL man, my word! And unlike in Do the Right Thing (1989) where I found Spike Lee's acting detrimental to the film, here he worked perfectly fine as Shorty. Loved seeing Battlestar Galactica’s Kate Vernon in her early work; and Angela Bassett was of course, excellent (curious to see her in a more passive role, she still had such fire, LOVE HER). And seeing Nelson Mandela show up (playing a teacher) was a true treat! But this is Denzel’s film, and he embodied the passion, charisma and love of Malcolm X perfectly! It was a tour de force in acting! From beginning to end you couldn’t take your eyes off him.
OVERALL
A very informative, if long film; with a towering performance by Denzel Washington. It's the definitive Malcolm X performance, for good reason. Beautifully edited, this was a very snappy script, despite the length. It really should have been up for a lot more Oscars than just Best Actor and Best Costume. My only real complaint (and it's a minor one): I understand for the time period they could not explore his bisexuality, but it would have been nice to see an indication.
~ rating: ★★★★☆ [grade: B+]
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WHIPLASH (2014) [nom.]
dir. Damien Chazelle
writer. adapted from the short film Whiplash by Damien Chazelle [nom.]
Starring: Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons [OSCAR] and Paul Reiser
THOUGHTS: I will prefix this by saying the only class I’ve ever failed in my life was Music 150 at university; and a lot of this movie (much like my unfortunate music teacher) assumed I, as a viewer, would have, at the very least, a rudimentary understanding of music. They were wrong. So you can appreciate some of my critique is how the movie doesn’t explain anything. Is the drummer the most important part of a band? I don’t know. Movie sure made it seem that way. And I just cannot relate to that level of reverence to a teacher. Maybe I just always had enough confidence in myself, or wasn’t bothered about being told ‘good job’ ahead of feeling that for myself as my primary motivator. I say all this because DESPITE these rather core misgivings I was hooked. Genuinely couldn’t tell where the story was going, it didn’t fit ‘a formula’ of concept. It constantly stopped being the film I assumed it would be; which is a rare and beautiful thing for me to experience. JK Simmons was AMAZING! I cannot fault this performance in any way; it was a masterpiece of acting. One of the greatest monsters of cinema; a mix of Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Gunnery Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket (1987). Bravo! Really my only genuine criticism was the romance, it wasn’t needed and added nothing to the character beyond another example of his musical obsession.
OVERALL
Surprisingly magnificent film. Short, sharp, brutal. Loved it! More films should aim for this length, 1 hour 36 mins. GORGEOUS! Did everything it wanted to, and left it at that! JK Simmons was... revolutionary. Honestly I cannot praise the detailed brilliance of this role enough, it is not one note; far from it. It's intricate and layered and beautiful to watch. I'd actually have nominated him for Best Actor, not supporting. Antagonists can be leads too!
~ rating: ★★★★☆ [grade: A-]