Tag: louisiana

EMANCIPATION – Review

Will Smith and Ben Foster in “Emancipation,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Courtesy of Apple Studios

An unrecognizable Will Smith stars as an enslaved man in Civil War era Louisiana, who decides upon hearing about Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to escape from a labor camp through the bayou in an attempt to reach Union forces in Baton Rouge, in Antoine Fuqua’s EMANCIPATION. Will Smith’s character was inspired by a real person, the man with the heavily scarred back in the famous Civil War photo, who really did escape slavery to reach an Union encampment. The photo, known as “Whipped Peter” or “the Scourged Back,” was widely circulated during the Civil War and was instrumental in convincing Northerners of the truth of the brutality of slavery.

EMANCIPATION is a true-story inspired tale of the Civil War South without the mint juleps and “Gone with the Wind” fantasy. As the film opens, we see enslaved blacksmith Peter (Will Smith) living a hard life on the plantation of Captain John Lyons (Jayson Warner Smith), along with his wife Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa) and their children. It is two years into the Civil war when Confederate forces arrive to conscript him and other enslaved men to work building a railroad track, much to the dismay of the plantation owner. In an emotional scene, Peter is taken from his family and shipped off with others in a prison cart. Arriving at the muddy labor camp, he and other enslaved people are worked until they drop, with bodies thrown into a common grave. All the time, they are under the watchful eye of a renowned slave-catcher named Fassel (Ben Foster) and his two employees, one of whom is a former slave, and the camp is encircled by hanged bodies and heads on pikes as warnings of the risks of escape. Rumors about Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation are overheard and, when an opportunity arises, Peter and three others, Gordon (Gilbert Owuor), Tomas (Jabbar Lewis), and John (Michael Luwoye) escape to cross the treacherous bayou in a bid to reach the Union forces fighting at Baton Rouge.

That chase makes up the bulk of the film, as the escapees are pursued by Fassel and his henchmen. One of the escapees is killed and the others decide to split up, making Smith’s character a man alone in a dangerous wilderness of swamp, venous snakes and alligators, pursued by a blood-thirsty fanatic, giving the film a propulsive thriller urgency, as it races towards its moving, inspiring conclusion.

Not a lot is known about the real man in the photo but director Antoine Fuqua and scriptwriter William N. Collage have taken what is known and crafted an inspiring story of determination to reach freedom amid the violence of slavery. It is also a violent story, as Fuqua does not blink in showing the true brutality of slavery, nor the relentlessness and cruelty of slave-catchers. The film is shot in a highly-desaturated color, so much so that at times it appears to be black and white, a visual choice that tamps down the visceral effect of the violence. Many on the characters in the film are based on real people, including Peter and his ruthless pursuer Fassel (in a chilling portrayal by Ben Foster), the plantation owner Captain Lyons, and a Black officer Captain Andre Cailloux (an excellent Mustafa Shakir), a legendary heroic figure of the Civil War.

The story is admirable and the film is inspiring and heroic, but it is not a film without flaws. The desaturated color tends to come and go scene to scene, which proves more distracting than if it was consistent. Smith’s character and his wife speak with Caribbean accents, sometimes in French creole, and other enslaved people have those accents too, and although there is some historic basis (some French plantation owners fled the Haitian Revolution for Louisiana), the accents seem likely to puzzle at least some audience members, raising questions that go unanswered. As said earlier, Smith is nearly-unrecognizable with his face covered in a beard and his stoic character also damps down his unusual on-screen charm. Scenes are often very dark, which is appropriate to the tone, but in the low light of the swamp, it makes it difficult to discern nuances of expression on Smith’s face. The character’s steely demeanor also limits the range of expression, although Smith does a fine job with what the director allows.

It is a great subject for a film but the film tries perhaps a bit too hard to fill in the blanks of the little-known actual person in the famous photo, which raises questions the film doesn’t answer. In many ways, the film feels like a bold Oscar bait reach and while it has admirable aspects, Will Smith feels miscast. Following up his Best Actor Oscar win for “King Richard” and all the uproar around “the slap,” Will Smith seems determined to take another bite at that apple with a dramatic role. But while his role in “King Richard” allowed him to show some of the charm that had made him an audience favorite, this role does not. Smith’s Peter is determined to be free and committed to his faith and the family he loves, but he is a rather steely, remote character, inspiring and determined rather than likable or warm. It doesn’t feel like the right character for Will Smith, although as noted he does as a fine job as possible with it.

This inspiring story has a lot of potential, enough that one can’t help wanting it to succeed, but the inconsistent desaturated color, puzzling details that go unexplained, and Smith’s iron-jawed character work against it. It is not as strong as cinema or as successful narratively as 12 YEARS A SLAVE. Still, it is beautifully shot and deserves credit as a heroic story that is far different from most Civil War tales.

EMANCIPATION opens Friday, Dec. 9, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY – Review

Only a couple of days into June and the movies are bombarding us with some nifty vacation options. Let’s see, we just took a wild funny trek to FIRE ISLAND in the northeastern part of the country, so where “to” now virtually? Well, the last one was a scripted twist on the “rom-com”, so how about a non-fiction flick? Yes, a documentary feature (now don’t you whine and cry “Homework?!”), but it’s also a concert overview. In fact, it’s a toe-tapping delight, much in the vein of last year’s Oscar-winner (and crowd-pleaser) SUMMER OF SOUL. We’re still in the good ole’ US of A, but a lot further south and a bit west. And though this on-the-bayou burg is known usually for one type of tune, this film looks at an annual event that’s a celebration of all things musical from all around the world. Let’s get an “ear’ and an “eye-full” of the talents on display in JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY.

The filmmakers were fortunate to speak with the man who was there from the beginning, the fest’s founder jazz mogul George Wein. After his success with the Newport Jazz Festival, Louisana locals contacted him to put together something similar in the “Big Easy”. But in 1962 the still “on the books” “Jim Crow” laws prohibited blacks and whites from mixing at most public venues. But seven years later, JC was history and Wein enlisted an enthusiastic young man, Quint Davis (also interviewed) to run the two-week music explosion over at the Fair Grounds Race Course. The doc then delves deep into the archives to give us an overview of the amazing talents that headlined through the five decades. And of course, many of the current tunesmiths sit down to offer their reflections on performing there, including the doc’s co-producer Jimmy Buffet. The cameras put us right on stage, then out in the vast standing audience to witness the magical connection between the two. We’re also there as the crews put up massive tents and stages, while the chefs and services whip up tons of tantalizing local cuisine (good thing this isn’t in “Smell-o-vision”). It’s an astounding achievement, even more so when the fest returned just weeks after the city was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. But it endures until… the pandemic. The film concludes with its triumphant revival only weeks ago providing not only a “happy ending’ but a continuing showcase for an unstoppable city and its people.

Fifty years of a fabulous fest would be a daunting task for anyone to fit into a 94-minute film, but directors Ryan Suffern and Frank Marshall (acclaimed producer/filmmaker who helmed an excellent recent HBO Bee Gee “bio-doc”) are more than up for the challenge. Unlike the earlier mentioned SUMMER OF SOUL, they opted for a grand “overview” with snippets from dozens of groups, giving us a taste of the fest’s variety, while also scoring some exceptional “talking head” testimony from an eclectic array of talents, along with organizers Wein and Davis. This brings up my only problem (and it’s tiny, I confess). One of the earliest interview subjects is Tom Jones, so naturally, I waited in anticipation for the Welsh “super-soulman” to dominate that stage. Nope. Not even a couple of bars of “Delilah”. Oh well. Ah, but within this tuneful buffet ( a little portion, here, a smidgeon of this), there are real standout “sets’. the archival footage includes the amazing B.B. King and the “re-invention” of Rev. Al Green. Aside from Buffet, there’s Earth, Wind, and Fire and Pitbull’s sweaty, sexy spectacle. Most surprising is the gospel section which includes a church choir backing up Katy Pery (no new interview, though) on “Oh Happy Day”. But even more moving is the “Boss” himself Bruce Springstein saluting the city’s survival from Katrina with “Rise Up”. Happily, there’s a brief history of the town’s ongoing musical traditions, including those funeral marches which are almost topped by the incredible local culinary delights. You may want to make sure you have dinner or lunch before seeing this, although you may wish that you’d indulged in crawfish and gumbo. It’s quite an engaging and compelling salute to (the actual event moniker) the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. And if you’re still a tad uneasy with traveling to be with the enthusiastic throngs then JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY will still inspire you to “bust a move” in the comfort of your theatre seat.

3.5 Out of 5

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY is now playing in select theatres

EASY DOES IT (2019) – Review

Who’s up for a road trip? I’m guessing most folks are, after being cooped up for much of this year. Well, since things aren’t quite back to normal, perhaps a cinematic one would fill the bill. Maybe a state to state jaunt would be in order, with a somewhat shady duo behind the wheel ala’ SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT or THELMA AND LOUISE, perhaps just indulging in an occasional “dine ‘n’ dash” or a “fill-up and flee”. Oh, and aside from the authorities, some roughnecks are on your trail. That’s the elements of the new comic crime caper EASY DOES IT. But with these dimwits churning up dust, nothing is ever easy (especially for the audience).


Down in Mississippi, in the down and dirty alleys and side streets, we meet the story’s two “heroes” as they try to run the old “fight scam”. Jack (Ben Matheny) and Scottie (Matthew Paul Martinez) are going to “duke it out” as the local deplorables place bets on the outcome. When a gentle tap KO’s Scottie, the crowd gets “wise. Luckily the two make a getaway, but without the moola. This upsets their boss at the “greasy spoon”, who has put in his own money. Actually it’s a loan from local crime kingpin King George (Linda Hamilton). The “fightin'” duo barely escape her enforcer “Blue Eyes” (Susan Gordon) as they return to their trailer. In the mail is a postcard from Jack’s mother in San Clemente, CA. It’s a cryptic message: “If you get this, I’m dead. But I left you something under the pier”. Ah ha, sunken treasure, no doubt thinks Jack. After another brush with Blue Eyes the next morning, Jack and Scottie hop in their beaten-up Mustang (?) to head west. But they’ve no funds, so they try to rip-off a local gas station. When that goes “sideways” they take a hostage, the timid salesman Collin (Corey Dumesnil). As the trio begins their trail of petty thievery they attract the attention of the press. Of course, the story makes it to Texas, where Chief Parker (Dwight Henry) and the strutting Officer Owen (Bryan Batt) vow to capture them. With those determined lawmen and Blue Eyes still in pursuit, can Jack, Scottie, and now Collin reach that state of sun, sand, and hidden loot?

I suppose we should begin with the biggest “name” star (as you see below, she’s a good quarter of the poster). Hamilton does give it her best effort with basically a “one-note” character. King starts out angry and continues to fume until her final fade-out. After a brief early sequence in “the vehicle” with Blue and the boys, Hamilton spends the rest of the flick growling into a princess phone while smoking a stogie and pacing about, dressed in one of Edward G. Robinson’s old suits, in a room with tacky furniture and garish purple (yech) walls. It was hoped that her return to the Terminator franchise last year would mark a new entry to interesting film roles, but this unwieldy caricature (cornrows, yeah) is beneath her. I was also familiar with one other actor, Batt who was the beloved, mush missed Salvatore in the early seasons of TV’s “Mad Men”. His role is nearly as cartoonish as he puffs out his chest, boasts of his policing skills, and sports a ‘stache that looks like the “face fur” of Ron Swanson, Thomas Magnum, and Ron Burgundy entangled in a follicle orgy. As for the flick’s main focus, Methany tries to bring a likable Harold Hill conman quality to Jack, but he often comes off as a motor-mouthed, preening, puffy (always working on a joint) dimbulb. But he’s a mastermind compared to Martinez as the hyper-active wide-eyed doofus that is Scottie. His “quirk” is yelling his lines in extreme close-up (often bragging of his Native American heritage), as he slathers latex house paint on his face (no scenes of him trying to remove the sticky, gummy stuff with a turpentine scrubbing). Things don’t pick up as the duo becomes a trio with the addition of Dumesnil as the annoyingly awkward Collin, who appears to have time-traveled from the ABC sitcom classic “Room 222” where he was a “guest star” substitute teacher trying to gain the respect of his students (and the attention of Karen Valentine’s Alice Johnson, no doubt). We’re made to think that Jack And Scottie have “loosened” him up (aided by lotsa’ weed and booze), but he remains an irritating “nerd” cliche. As for their pursuer (think a punk blonde Wile E. Coyote brandishing a Louisville slugger), Gordon fiddles with her transistor radio, hearing baseball play by play relayed by John Goodman (aping Jack Buck) and the news read by Harry Shearer (not Kent Brockman), as she glowers and slams her black leather gloves together in frustration, in an attempt to be menacing.

And who’s the ringleader of this merry band of misfits? First-time feature director Will Addison, who also co-wrote (whoa, there was a script) the film with star Methany. He straddles the line between cloying pretension as the story stops dead several times for arty little monologues that look to have been shot in 8 mm ( the picture becomes a small square in the screen’s center) in which the characters spout off about their dreams and beliefs, and forced Coen brothers-inspired zaniness with lots of jump-cuts, slo-mo, extreme close-ups, and spinning cinematography (a bit of Barry Sonnenfeld perhaps), all in an attempt to keep us interested and make the story seem “edgy’ and fresh. Epic fails on both counts. The attempts at whimsy fall flat especially in the fantasies of their “gas scams” and in the bits of “arty” animation as the buzzed trio see their bottle rockets morph into obliging ladies. And to spice it up a bit Scottie gets “nekid”. A final showdown in the desert might be a tribute to Russ Meyer, but it just reminds us that he did it with much more skill and style nearly 50 years ago. With grating characters, a witless screenplay, and clunky direction, EASY DOES IT is really hard to get through. Really hard. After 90 minutes of this road trip, the living room couch doesn’t seem so bad.

0 Out of 4

EASY DOES IT opens in select theatres and is available as a Video On Demand on most cable and satellite systems, along with many digital streaming apps and platforms

FOREVER MY GIRL – Review

 

Though the day of cupid’s arrow is still a month away, that doesn’t stop the studios from trying to heat up these frigid Winter nights (and matinees). And, for at least this February 14, the holiday is claimed by Christian Gray and company (add joke about restraining cherubs). As foretold by its PG rating, this romance is pretty gentle, though it’s also based on a literary “heart-tugger”. Plus it’s got a “mighty strong” country kick with its locale and music (soundtrack and setting). so Hollywood’s hoping for a “long term relationship” rather than a one night (or single viewing) stand with FOREVER MY GIRL.

The little town of St. Augustine, Louisiana is all abuzz on this sunny warm afternoon. Home town boy Liam Page’s first CD is climbing the charts (everyone’s heard his hit song on the radio). And today he’s marrying his high school sweetheart Josie (Jessica Rothe). But as she adjusts her veil, the best man pays a visit to the bridal prep station. Seems that Liam has left word that he’ll not attend. Of course, Josie is devastated. Flash forward eight years to the present day, and Liam (Alex Roe) is a superstar, selling out huge concert venues. He’s a music sensation, and a handful for his manager Sam (Peter Cambor). Late the next morning Liam finally rises from his booze and groupie-fueled stupor. In his limo ride, the TV news report informs him of the car crash death of his hometown “best bud’ (and almost best man). Braking from his “handlers”, Liam bribes his driver to take him back to his little birth home. He arrives mid funeral service, much to the chagrin of his widowed father, Pastor Brian (John Benjamin Hickey) and shocks Josie. Crashing at his old home, Liam has Sam overnight his charge cards (and send a rental car). While he “gets his head together”, Liam tracks down the very angry Josie. Still single, she has taken over a local flower shop. On a visit there, Liam is surprised to meet Josie’s seven year-old daughter Billy (Abby Ryder Fortson), named after Liam’s late mom. Could she be his offspring? While Sam and Liam’s publicist Doris (Gillian Vigman) fret about Liam’s musical commitments, he leaves the fast lane to spent time with Billy and perhaps mend fences with her mama. But is it too late? Can the over-indulgent pampered singer finally become a responsible adult, let alone a daddy?

 

Despite his absence from the opening flashback sequence (he’s a runaway groom), Roe’s Liam is the film’s main focus, though he seems to be more at ease as the hard-partyin’ “honky-tonker” in his first scenes. But he does, as they say, “clean up nice”, when he returns to his roots (all the stage “sweat” is overdone, reminding us of the “on air” Albert Brooks in BROADCAST NEWS), though his discomfort never fully erodes away. Perhaps this stems from the huge hurdle he must clear in order to get us on his side, the hurdle being his big bail eight years previous. The victim of the incredibly selfish act, Josie immediately gains our sympathies, thanks to the work of rising star Rothe (one of the roomies in LA LA LAND, who also delighted us last year with her energetic lead role in HAPPY DEATH DAY). Upon his return, Rothe gives Roe a look that would destroy him a thousand times over (I imagined the eye beams from X-MEN’s Cyclops reducing him to ashes). Luckily her character warms, and Rothe shows us soaring joy as her heart finally heals. Here’s wishing her more opportunities that showcase her talents in more worthy material. Fortson is, of course, unstoppably adorable as lil’ Billy (hey, she’s the daughter of ANT-MAN, so maybe that’s a super-power), even as she’s burdened with all too mature, precious bits of dialogue (this seven year-old talks like a thirty year-old sitcom writer). Hickey is humble and sincere as the preacher papa, projecting a quiet dignity and strength, while Cambor is full of exasperation and perspiration as Liam’s show-biz daddy (rather than the cliché “woman on the phone” we’ve got the male counterpart).

 

Director Bethany Ashton Wolf also wrote the screenplay adaptation of Heidi McLaughlin’s best seller, keeping a tight rein on the movie’s narrative. Not having read the original novel, I’m wondering if the story meanders as much as this retelling. There are long lingering shots of the gorgeous Louisiana countryside (the tourism board must be delighted) that help establish the mood, as the plot clumsily attempts to hit the dramatic beats as it marches toward its inevitable “life is grand” final clinch. It appears that the marketing folks are going after the audience that somehow still flock to the Nicholas Sparks-inspired schlock. Unfortunately GIRL has none of the camp excesses of those flicks. I mean, there’s no real villain, no outside force scheming to keep the lovers apart, other than Josie’s too protective older brother who delivers a stern lecture to Liam. Plus there’s no big dramatic bit of action that puts the duo in jeopardy. A chaotic cook-out can’t compete with gale force wind and rain. I’m also wondering if the characters were simplified for the screen, as Josie seems far too quick to forgive and forget, even indulging in a showy “50 Shades”-style date (no chains, just a big helicopter getaway) And, as mentioned earlier, Billy’s “beyond her years” speech patterns and references (invoking RAIN MAN and JERRY MAGUIRE’s Jonathan Lipnicki) don’t work. The whole things plays out like a sub par basic cable movie, its PG rating ensuring that it won’t offend or shock. Thanks to that, FOREVER MY GIRL certainly feels like an eternity.

1 Out of 5