CRISIS (2021)

February 25, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. The best thrillers often interweave multiple story lines to create a complex web of detail for viewers to unwind. Writer-director Nicholas Jarecki (ARBITRAGE, 2012) serves up three story lines, all related to the current Opioid crisis. Although the film looks great and has a deep cast, we’ve seen most of this before and no new insight is provided in regards to the struggle. Instead, it’s really standard thriller fare that never goes deep enough into any of the characters to make us care.

Armie Hammer (along with the recent personal baggage attached to him) stars as Jake Kelly, a DEA Agent who has worked undercover in hopes of exposing the Armenian-Canadian-American drug traffickers responsible for a significant portion of opioids crossing the border. Hammer spends the entire movie with an intensely furrowed brow that would likely inspire distrust amongst any potential drug syndicates.

In storyline number 2, Evangeline Lilly (Wasp in the ANT-MAN movies) is Claire Reimann, an architect and recovering drug addict, who is out for vengeance when her beloved high school athlete son is found dead with drugs in his system. The third segment features Oscar winner Gary Oldman (DARKEST HOUR, 2017) as Dr. Tyrone Brower, a science professor at a private Detroit university. He runs a drug-testing lab and faces a moral dilemma when questionable lab results for “the first non-addictive painkiller” puts people at risk, not to mention funding for his work.

Any one of these actors or stories could carry the weight of a movie, but when combined, they succeed only in crushing the entertainment value and tension level. Oldman’s story is easily the most interesting. It addresses how Big Pharma gets new drugs rubber-stamped by funding otherwise cash-strapped labs and schools. There is also the skepticism involved with the drug-producer’s influence over the supposedly independent FDA, and on top of all that, there is the ethical concerns of everyone putting the almighty dollar ahead of safety.

Director Jarecki (the brother of Andrew Jarecki who directed the superb 2003 documentary CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS) kicks off the movie with a beautifully filmed, albeit brief, chase scene through the snowy Canadian forest. In fact, the camera work throughout is fine. It’s really the overloaded script that prevents any of the stories or characters from clicking. Mr. Oldman seems to sense that he needs to overcome the lack of complexity in his story, and because of the effort, loses his usual reserved cerebral approach for which he’s known.

Supporting work is provided by Greg Kinnear as the Dean willing to sacrifice ethics and friendship for money, Michelle Rodriguez as the DEA supervisor in a budget crunch, and Lily-Rose Depp as Jake’s strung out sister. Also contributing are Indira Varma, John Ralston, Martin Donovan, Mia Kirshner, Kid Cudi, Michael Aronov, Luke Evans, and Veronica Ferres. The weakest link here is director Jarecki himself, who for some reason, thought he could play Jake’s partner … a role that would have benefited from a more refined actor.

The horrific effects of the Opioid crisis are known to most, and the film plays like a Wikipedia explanation for anyone who doesn’t read or watch the news. Certainly not helping is the “Miami Vice” type score that accompanies many scenes, and the choppy editing that causes many scenes to fail. Better movies in this genre would include THE INSIDER (1999, ironically directed by “Miami Vice” creator Michael Mann) and Soderbergh’s TRAFFIC (2000). The obstacles faced by whistleblowers, the importance of funding to academia, budgetary concerns for law enforcement, the tragic impact of drugs on families, and the systemic corruption that has fueled the epidemic … all of these are touched on. It’s just that it all seems too obvious. If somehow you didn’t already know, the money-hungry don’t play fair – whether they be drug dealers or drug companies.

The film will hit theaters on February 26, 2021 and Digital and On Demand March 5, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

CHERRY (2021)

February 25, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Brothers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo are known for their work with Marvel, including, AVENGERS: ENDGAME, and AVENGERS: INFIINITY WAR. This time they tackle a stylish crime-thriller based on the Nico Walker novel, and adapted for the screen by co-writers Angela Russo-Otsot (sister of the directors) and Jessica Goldberg. The Russos reunite with Tom Holland (Spider-Man in the Marvel universe), and he proves quite capable of carrying the heavy load in a bleak and somber drama.

Opening a film with a Van Morrison song is always a welcome move, and then it cuts right to Holland as our lead character narrating as he executes armed robbery at a local Cleveland bank. He admits it’s not his first and that his face has been caught on camera a few times. Oh, and he discloses to us that he likes trees. It’s not the last time we ask, “Why?”

The directors break the film into segments, beginning with Part 1: 2002, “When life was beginning, I saw you.” In English class, he spots Emily (Ciara Bravo) and soon the romance is in full bloom. A too-quick decision has him joining the Army, and the two lovebirds tie the knot before he heads out. In this segment, we learn that he takes Xanax for panic attacks, and his best friend is James (Forrest Goodluck).

Part 2 takes us through Basic Training, where Holland’s character pushes through the brutal Drill Instructors to become a medic, which transitions into Part 3 known as Cherry (the name given to Holland’s character after his first battlefield action. His time in Iraq finds him watching as his Army pal Jimenez (Jeff Wahlberg, Mark’s nephew) dies from wounds.

Part 4 “Home”, shifts the film from a character study to a case study on the extremes of PTSD. Even though he is back with Emily, the love of his life, Cherry simply can’t function as a normal person. The medal for his heroic war efforts means nothing to a man who can’t sleep or find peace. His self-destructive actions include drinking, drug addiction, and a series of bad decisions … all dragging his lovely Emily right down with him. This leads to Part 5 “Dope Life”, which is without question, one of the most depressing and difficult to watch segments of any movie I can recall. It’s every bit as much of a downer as THE BOOST (1988), LEAVING LAS VEGAS (1995), or  REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000). The film becomes a sea of drugs, bank robberies, and needles in arms.

Long time cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (DRIVE, 2011; THE USUAL SUSPECTS, 1999) assists with the horrific sensation that these situations evoke by capturing the desperation of the characters and squalor of their environment. The Epilogue covers an extended period time through present day, and though the ending is not really a surprise, we do wish a bit more context had been provided. The initial bank robbery we see basically bookends the film leaving us trying to recover from this Romance-War-Mental Health-Drug Addiction-Crime thriller that saps our energy. This is not one for those who prefer light-hearted cinema or get annoyed by cheap filmmaker tricks.

Available in theatres February 26, 2021 and on AppleTV on March 12, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

PINOCCHIO (2021)

February 23, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Part ‘Frankenstein’ and part parable for parenting is how I’ve always thought of the story of Pinocchio. In this latest version, director and co-writer (with Massimo Ceccherini) Matteo Garrone adds a splash “Alice in Wonderland” to Carlo Callodi’s 1883 novel, “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. The result is a grim, not-kid-friendly live-action presentation that’s a bit uneven, yet still engaging.

Oscar winner Roberto Benigni (LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, 1997) is wood-carver Geppetto, a poverty-stricken man who works magic with a chisel, but is never quite sure where his next meal will come from. When the traveling Grand Puppet Theater hits town, Geppetto dreams of creating a beautiful puppet and traversing the globe to show it off. A fellow wood worker gifts him with the enchanted piece of wood from which Pinocchio is born. When he discovers the puppet can talk, Geppetto is so proud of his new son that he shows him off around town and walks him to his first day of school.

Of course we know that Pinocchio is a curious boy, and he immediately sneaks off to watch the puppet show. This sets off his many adventures, while simultaneously making Geppetto quite sad as he undertakes a search and rescue mission. Pinocchio crosses paths with the kinda creepy Talking Cricket (Davide Marotta), the fire-eating Mangiafuoco (Gigi Proeitti), a couple of tricksters in Cat (Rocco Papaleo) and Fox (co-writer Ceccherini), a confused gorilla judge (Teco Celio), and a friendly, but slimy snail (Maria Pia Timo) who lives with the Fata Turchina/Blue Fairy (played young by Alida Baldari Calabria, and older by well-known French actress Marine Vacth).

The enticement of playing all day and having no responsibilities leads Pinocchio to accept an invitation to Toyland, although the train of donkeys pulling the wagon load of kids is our tipoff to what’s about to go down. Pinocchio’s subsequent swim in the ocean and encounter with the sea monster are handled well visually, and the reunion with Geppetto is quite pleasant. You should know that the iconic Pinocchio nose that grows upon telling lies is limited to a single scene, albeit a memorable one.

Benigni was the writer-director-star of the critically-panned 2002 PINOCCHIO, which also failed at the box office. He’s much better suited to the role of Geppetto and does a nice job of capturing the essence of the character. Federico Ielapi handles the role of Pinocchio quite well, and the “wooden” effects of his face are quite impressive. The story is a metaphor for the struggles and challenges of life, and the life lessons are easy to discern … for instance, there is no ‘field of miracles’, regardless of what Cat and Fox promise. Nicolai Bruel’s cinematography is at times visually stunning as we make our way through the countryside of Italy. It’s just that director Garrone (two excellent films: TALE OF TALES 2015, and GOMORRAH 2008) chooses to emphasize the bleakness, and it’s important to note that this is far-removed from the 1940 Disney animated classic. Most will struggle to find an emotional connection, though the look of the film and life lessons are top notch. Guillermo del Toro has a stop-action animation version currently in production and it’s not surprisingly rumored to be even darker than this one.

After a long delay, the film gets a digital release on February 23, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

NOMADLAND (2021)

February 20, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Traditional beauty is nowhere to be found in filmmaker Chloe Zhao’s extraordinary film adapted (by Ms. Zhao) from Jessica Bruder’s 2017 award-winning book, “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century”. There are no breathtaking shots of majestic sites like the Grand Canyon, and the people we meet rarely bathe, and are not concerned with fashion. Despite this, the film can best be described as one of the most beautiful and most unique cinema experiences in years. Ms. Zhao provides a look at America’s roads and landscape through the eyes of folks that society tends to overlook.

A significant reason this film works is the incredible performance by two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand (FARGO, 1996, and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, 2017). She plays Fern, a strong woman who refuses to let grief suffocate her. Her hometown of Empire, Nevada was erased from existence in 2011 when US Gypsum shut down the local plant, resulting in the town’s zip code being discontinued a few months later. As if her town disappearing wasn’t enough, Fern’s husband passed away, leaving her with little evidence of a life to which she had grown accustomed. We watch as Fern packs up her van and hits the road.

Her first stop is working at an Amazon distribution center during the holiday rush season. She lives out of her van as part of the company-sponsored CamperForce program. When the season is over, Fern hits the road again. We slowly get a feel for this subculture of van-dwelling nomads, young and old, who travel the country’s backroads and keep to themselves, except when they gather to form a temporary community of similar-minded individuals. Fern makes it clear she is “house-less”, not “homeless”, and has nicknamed her customized vehicle, ‘Vanguard’.

Fern thrives on her solitude, but is also friendly enough to connect with others wherever she stops driving or works. She joins the annual gathering of Bob Wells’ community/tribe, and her other odd jobs include acting as a “host” at one of the stops, shoveling sugar beets at a farm, and cooking/cleaning/serving at the famous Wall Drug Store in South Dakota. Along the way she befriends Dave (David Strathairn), a fellow nomad whose dreams don’t necessarily coincide with Ferns. Respected actor Strathairn is the only other familiar face in the film, other than McDormand. Non-professional actors fill the scenes, most of whom are real life nomads kind enough to share their ways in front of a camera.

Director Zhao has reunited with Joshua James Richards, her cinematographer on the excellent 2017 film, THE RIDER. Their work here is a masterclass in taking us into a world most of us know little about, and doing so in a way that combines both the intimacy of people with the scale of nature. Even the sequence where Fern revisits her past life is quietly emotional and done with grace, while also packing a punch. The music from Ludovico Einaudi is exceptional in its complementary nature and ability to leave the quiet moments unspoiled, while also driving our empathy and emotions. This is an extraordinary film with a superb performance, and one that is entertaining, while also proving thought-provoking at a time when so many of us are questioning the sustainability of our current societal structure, and wondering just who will toss a rock on the fire in remembrance.

In theatres and PVOD on Hulu beginning February 19, 2020

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Posted by David Ferguson

DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER (2021)

February 20, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. If most people realized how obnoxious they were as teenagers, we’d likely have far fewer folks opting to be parents. Actor-turned-director Simon Bird, in his first feature film, portrays the awkward, frustrating, and sometimes bitter relationship between a confused and directionless teenage boy and his divorced, well-meaning, single mom. The screenplay was written by Bird’s wife, Lisa Owens, and adapted from Joff Winterhart’s 2012 graphic novel.

Daniel (a terrific Earl Cave) is a 15 year old boy who is obsessed with heavy-metal music and resents pretty much everything else in life. He’s a droopy boy who can’t be bothered to shampoo his hair, and the only energy he expends is with snarky comments to his devoted mother, Sue (an outstanding Monica Dolan), who is clueless on how to connect with a son who bears little resemblance to the younger boy she fondly recalls raising. Sue is diligent with her work as a librarian, and tries to instill some ambition in Daniel by having his seek employment.

Daniel sinks into an even lower funk when the dad he worships cancels the boy’s much anticipated trip to Florida for a visit. Of course, Sue subtly points out that dear old dad may not be the best idol for her son, but those cautions fall on deaf ears. Instead, Daniel labels Sue, “the most boring person in the world”. Their time together is cringe-inducing, as Sue does her best to convince Daniel they can have fun, despite his disappointment.

The interesting aspect of the film is derived from its structure as a comedy, while the undercurrent of sadness and isolation is ever-present. Sue is thrilled when Douglas (Rob Brydon), a history teacher, asks her out on a date. At the same time, Daniel’s best (only?) friend Ky (Elliott Speller-Gillott) encourages him to pursue his dream as a front man for a local metal band … resulting in one of the film’s funniest and strangest segments. Neither Sue’s date, or the aftermath, nor Ky’s attempt to help his friend go according to plan.

Much of the soundtrack comes courtesy of Belle & Sebastian, and the uses of musical montages actually takes away from the otherwise realistic interactions between these characters. In addition to Brydon and Speller-Gillott, Alice Lowe has a welcome supporting role as Sue’s more socially-inclined sister, but this film belongs to Mr. Cave and Ms. Dolan. Most parents can relate to Sue’s challenges, and most adults who can be honest with themselves in retrospect, will likely recognize some of their own behavior in Daniel. The nuanced behavior and witty humor is handled well, and that deeper emotional level elevates the film for those who care to dig in.

Available in theatres, Virtual Cinema, and streaming platforms on February 19, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

BLITHE SPIRIT (2021)

February 20, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Contrary to what one might assume, bringing entertaining, silly slapstick comedy to the screen is actually quite difficult. This is director Edward Hall’s first feature film, as his career has been mostly in TV series work and on stage. That stage work is likely what attracted him to this long-time favorite from Noel Coward. Adding to the difficulty is that Coward’s work was previously brought to the screen by legendary director David Lean in 1945, in a project that featured Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond, and Margaret Rutherford. Lean’s film won an Oscar for Special Effects.

Director Hall is working with a script adapted from Coward’s play by Piers Ashworth, Meg Leonard, and Nick Moorcroft. Rather than embrace the witty dialogue of a sophisticated upper class screwball comedy, this one seems committed to a level of silliness that intentionally overshadows the supernatural story line. It’s 1937 England where we first meet crime novelist Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) in an angry, whisky-laced state of writer’s block. He’s trying to adapt his own novel into his first screenplay, and the pressure is mounting since the movie’s Producer is also his father-in-law. Charles’ second wife Ruth (Isla Fisher) enjoys her life of luxury and can’t understand why her successful husband can’t do it (in more ways than one).

Date night at the theatre inspires Charles to invite the spiritualist medium Madame Arcati (Judi Dench) to their house to conduct a séance. This despite Madame Arcati being exposed as a fraud. He’s simply desperate to break his writer’s block. The story takes a turn when the séance conjures Charles’ first wife Elvira (Leslie Mann). However, he’s the only one who can see her, and neither Elvira nor Ruth are pleased with the presence of the other. On the bright side, Elvira assists Charles with his writing – it turns out she was long his muse (and maybe more).

Leslie Mann and Isla Fisher are two of the most talented comic actresses working today, but even they can’t save this nonsensical barrage of motion. Judi Dench is an Oscar winner, and at 86 years old, she still excels at working a scene. On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Stevens has neither the charm nor the comedic chops to pull off the Charles character as written. And it does seem the script, and the approach to the material, is what turns this into a vacuous affair, seemingly devoid of any cleverness save what the trio of talented actresses deliver. There are plenty of movies that deal with life after death in various ways, but whether serious or farcical, the best are entertaining. Unfortunately, this one has little to offer, and actually turns from not very funny to downright mean by the end.

Opening in theaters and VOD on February 19, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE MAURITANIAN (2021)

February 13, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. September 11, 2001 will be always remembered in history books, and seared into the memories of those who were there or watched the horrifying events unfold on television. As Americans, we were stunned and felt vulnerability for the first time in years. Also as Americans, we demanded justice for those responsible (or at least closure). Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald (ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, 1999) working from a script by co-writers Michael Bronner, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani, brings us the true story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, based on his best-selling 2015 memoir, “Guantanamo Diary”.

Tahar Rahim (so good in A PROPHET, 2009) stars as Slahi, and we first see him in November 2001 (2 months after the attack) as he’s returned from Germany to Mauritania, West Africa for a family wedding. He’s told, “The Americans want to talk to you”, as he’s taken into custody. The movie skips to 2005 where we find Defense Attorney Nancy Hollander (2 time Oscar winner Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) in the courtroom. These two are crusaders for the law, and take on the case of Slahi, who has bounced first from a prison in Jordan and now to Guantanamo. Four years with no hearing, no trial, and no charges brought against him.

The film jumps around from Slahi in Gitmo, to the two sides prepping their cases: Hollander for the defense, and Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) for the military. Couch had a friend on one of the 9/11 planes, and he’s instructed that this is a death penalty case – the only outcome that will deliver justice to the American people. Director Macdonald includes flashbacks to Slahi’s arrival at Gitmo, and even further back (1988) to his earning a scholarship to Germany. We also see the reenactment of the documented torture and “enhanced interrogation” procedures used against Slahi. It’s difficult to watch even these snippets of what he endured.

It’s 2009 before a judge even hears Slahi’s case, and 7 more years before he’s released. A total of 14 years captive with no charges, on top of the well-documented torture. Was Mohamedou Ould Slahi in some way responsible for the terrorist act of September 11, 2001?  Did he recruit others to join the cause? The fact that we don’t really know the answers goes to the heart of what went wrong at Gitmo, and how the American need for justice caused a horrific detour in the legal process.

Unlike some, I have no issues with “agenda movies”, and it seems as though director Macdonald set out to make this one. The problem is that the multiple pieces and characters are just too much to juggle for one film. At times, it seems to highlight Hollander as a crusader. Other times it wants us to understand the struggles of Couch. And then there are times when the attention is on Slahi. The fragmented approach leaves us lacking in all aspects, especially for teasing a courtroom drama that never occurs. The actual footage included at the conclusion leaves us wondering whether the intention all along was to tug on our heartstrings, rather than expose the wrongs that transpired.

In theaters February 12, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

COWBOYS (2021)

February 13, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Marriage is difficult, and adding parenting to the mix brings significantly more challenges. However when the marriage crumbles, the parenting piece becomes even more complex – for the adults and the kids. Writer-director Anna Kerrigan takes that hand and raises the stakes with a husband/father battling a mental illness, a wife/mother sticking to her idealistic vision, and a frustrated child who is absolutely certain they are in the wrong body.

Sally (Jillian Bell) is a loving mother who wants to buy dolls, dresses and “pretty” boots for her daughter Josie (Sasha Knight). The problem is that Josie is more comfortable in the world of her dad – guns, belt buckles, horses, and hanging with buddies. Troy (Steve Zahn) enjoys a bond with his daughter and is appreciative that she likes “guy” things. The best scene in the film occurs when Josie demands to be Joe. Sitting in the truck with dad, Joe claims to be a boy, not a girl. Troy initially laughs it off, but quickly comes around to the seriousness of the situation. Having a transgender child requires more sensitivity than Troy has previously displayed, and he handles the moment well.

It’s Sally who pushes this off as the action of a confused adolescent, and makes a good point about how any child would find hunting and bowling preferable to washing dishes and scrubbing toilets. This of itself makes a strong statement. The interesting thing about Kerrigan’s film is that the transgender aspect is really not the focus. Troy and Joe take off on a camping trip in the Montana forest, with the goal of escaping to Canada. They are each outsiders in their own way, and heading to the country of “nice people” who will accept them is just too good to pass up.

Of course, a parent kidnapping their kid is never the right move, and soon a detective (Ann Dowd) is on their trail. Troy loses his medication and his behavior becomes more erratic, pushing Joe into a spot they are too young to handle. Flashbacks are used to fill in the family history, and show us each character’s flaws and difficulties. The film lacks the dramatics that we might expect given the subject matter, but I most appreciated how Sally was treated as a real person – a hard working woman, a frustrated wife, and a mother who wants the best for her child, even if her path from denial to acceptance is gut-wrenching. The film suffers a bit from the extraneous baggage of Troy’s medication and temper, but the message comes through in the end. As a bonus, we see some beautiful scenery along the way.

Available VOD on February 12, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

MINARI (2021)

February 11, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. “The American Dream” could actually be labeled ‘The Human Dream’. The idea of being part of a loving and supportive family, while achieving a bit of societal success and living comfortably and safely in a home one can call their own, is a dream that bears no boundaries, gender, or skin color. This autobiographical film from writer-director Lee Isaac Chung is centered on his childhood recollections of his family move to rural Arkansas to start a farm.

It’s the 1980s and this Korean immigrant family has packed up to leave their dead-end California life to begin anew on a 50 acre parcel in Arkansas. Father Jacob (Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead”) has a dream of cultivating Korean vegetables to fill the demand from an increasing Korean populace. Mother Monica (Yeri Han) sees less dream and more nightmare as they drive far from a city and pull up to a tattered mobile home (“it has wheels”). Their young son David (Alan S Kim) has health concerns from a closely monitored heart murmur, and is constantly being ordered to “don’t run, David!” David’s older sister Anne (Noel Cho) is mature and smart for her age, and acts as his life guide.

Monica and Jacob take jobs at a local hatchery to support the family while the farm is developed. The hatchery job is exactly what they escaped from in California, so Monica sees their situation as worse, not better … foreseeing failure on the farm. A heartfelt argument leads to compromise and Monica’s mother Soonja (Yuh-jung Youn) comes to live with them. As David notes, she’s not a “normal grandmother”. Rather than bake cookies, she freely spews profanity and quite enjoys the “water from mountains” (Mountain Dew) amidst her practical jokes at the expense of others. In other words, she’s a hoot!

Jacob accepts the offer of help from Paul (longtime favorite character actor Will Patton), a local evangelical Christian who praises Jesus frequently, and has an unusual Sunday ritual. The two men manage to cultivate the crops, yet run in to many obstacles along the way. But Chung’s film is clever in that the real core is family dynamics. Grandma’s planting of fast-growing minari herb in the creek bed acts as a metaphor for the plight of this family. Each member finds their way, and it’s clearly stronger as a unit than broken.

This is such a beautiful film with a gentle story grounded in realism. These people talk and act like a family, and the pressures they face are real. Racism in the south is never dwelled upon, but the struggles of a changing citizenry is faced by all. Emile Mosseri’s score is unusual, but fits perfectly, while Lachlan Milne’s cinematography at times reminds of Terrence Malick, possibly due to the setting. Filmmaker Chung has created a tender, relatable film and the cast performs superbly. The result will strike an emotional chord for many.

In theaters on February 12, 2021 and VOD on February 26, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (2021)

February 11, 2021

 Greetings again from the darkness. Electrifying. Towering. Ferocious. Choose whatever superlative you prefer to describe Daniel Kaluuya’s performance as Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party. Remarkably, Mr. Kaluuya captures Hampton’s legendary oratory skills, and his stage presence reminds of Forest Whitaker’s Oscar winning turn as Idi Amin in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006). And the most stunning part is that this isn’t even really a story about Hampton. Director Shaka King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson from a story by the Lucas brothers, Kenneth and Keith, actually devotes more time to Bill O’Neal, the FBI informant played by LaKeith Stanfield (SHORT TERM 12, 2013).

The film opens with a montage of activists in the 1960s, including Bobby Seale, and transitions right into a 1968 FBI symposium where director J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen in botched make-up) tells the auditorium full of agents that the Black Panthers are the greatest security threat to America. From there we watch as Bill O’Neal, wearing a trench coat and fedora, steals a car from a group of men in a pool hall simply by waving an FBI badge. When he’s apprehended, it’s that badge, not the car, that puts young O’Neal (he was 19 at the time) in the precarious situation of going to prison or accepting (actual) FBI Agent Roy Mitchell’s (Jesse Plemons, I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, 2020) offer to infiltrate the Black Panthers as a federal informant.

One of the film’s most memorable lines occurs when Agent Mitchell asks O’Neal why he impersonated an agent. The reply: because “a badge is scarier than a gun”. It’s a belief that still holds true more than 50 years later. And that sentiment is a key part of Mr. King’s film. Blatant racism within law enforcement is on display through both the Chicago Police Department’s harassment, and the FBI (and Hoover’s) strategy to prevent the rise of black people.

As fascinating as Hampton and O’Neal are as characters (and real life men), the script falters in a couple of ways. We never really get to know Hampton except as the fire and brimstone speaker on stage. As impressive as that is, it’s a mystery to us how this 21 year old man became so inspirational and skilled at forming alliances. His “rainbow coalition” goal to unite local groups to battle ‘the establishment’ is remarkable, but we are left to wonder if feeding the poor and opening a local medical center were possible through any method other than all-out war. And if so, why the stock pile of guns? Another letdown with the script is that we are not shown how O’Neal manages to become so quickly trusted, and promoted to head of security.

Most of this is told through the eyes of O’Neal, and Stanfield is terrific at capturing the internal conflict and constant danger. Included here are dramatic recreations of O’Neal’s interview on a 1989 PBS documentary entitled “Eyes on the Prize 2”, and he admits to considering Agent Mitchell a role model. Unfortunately, the movie never shows this type of connection between the men. Rather, it’s an awkward and forced bond between two men, neither of which are comfortable with the actions required of their situation. That’s not to say the two don’t share some tense moments, because they do. Especially effective is when Mitchell explains to O’Neal that the Black Panthers are the same, and equally destructive, as the Ku Klux Klan.

Writer-director King and writers Berson, Lucas, and Lucas are all best known for their TV work, so this is a huge step forward for them. It’s a powerful movie that explains some of the Black Panther ideology and how it was treated by law enforcement. The “War versus Politics” explanation cuts to the bone, as do the actual clips played over the opening and closing credits. Dominique Fishback deserves mention for her terrific supporting turn as Hampton’s girlfriend, especially in her final scene. If you’ve ever wondered about the responsibility of leading a revolution, or the inner turmoil of being a snitch, then you’ll find some answers in this memorable film from Shaka King.

In theaters and streaming on HBO Max beginning February 12, 2021

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Posted by David Ferguson

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