Red Hook Summer (2012)

Director: Spike Lee

 There are very few well-known black filmmakers working in Hollywood, or even the independent scene, in America who actually take on serious issues that affect the black community. Spike Lee is really the only one I can think of who has achieved some success. There are many who want Lee to diversify and take on other subjects, but I cherish his films because there is no one doing what he's doing. Lee's new film is just another example. Red Hook Summer is vintage Spike Lee. It's an independent film set in Brooklyn taking on issues like race, religion, poverty, and gentrification. It's style is spontaneous, improvisatory, and almost television commercial-like at times. His style makes his serious themes easy and even fun to digest, and that's why he's such a beloved filmmaker.

The film is about a low-income community that is being over-run with middle class white Americans. It's a community of people that have gotten the short straw for their whole lives and there's no hope for their future. In a community such as this you'd think the local church has a large congregations, but this is not true. Clarke Peters (from The Wire) plays the local reverend and in between his fiery topical sermons that lay out Lee's ideas, we see him trying to increase the congregation and struggle to get people to attend his church. Religion is usually the main source of hope for low-income and poverty-stricken people, so it is a bit befuddling at first he has such a hard time. But by the end of the movie, due to a late twist that is honestly a little too unexpected, you know why the church is having such a hard time. I don't want to spoil it, but I think the film raises a great point with the events of the third act, though I think the first two thirds of the movie are a little meandering and don't lead in at all to the third act. The movie isn't the most focused, the most thought-out movie, but a lot of effort went into creating a spontaneous feel that reflects real life and also actually taking on important issues that affect a specific community.

Grade: B

Malcolm X (1992)

Director: Spike Lee

 It's really a compliment to the film Spike Lee made that after watching the movie I had nothing to say about the film itself, and everything to say about Malcolm X. The autobiography that this film is based on is easily one of the best books I have read in my life, and just by virtue of adapting for the screen and actually keeping the essence of the book intact makes this film one of the finest and most flawless biopics of all time. Almost all biopics try to find one thing that defined the life of their subject, but this is impossible to do with Malcolm X because he is a man defined by his progression in life. His views evolved all throughout his life, and were continuing to do so even until he was assassinated.

Lee knows this, and follows him from all throughout his life, giving equal weight to each portion, from the beginning when he was Malcolm Little, to his criminal days when he was Detroit Red, to when he was with the NOI as Minister Malcolm X, till the end when he was El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. A filmmaker could easily make a movie about Malcolm X and give a completely inaccurate depiction of the man by just focusing on a certain portion of his life, but Lee gives us the whole picture, and this way we get an honest, truthful, and powerful progression. It is a long movie, running about three and a half hours, but I never thought it was boring and never found any scene unnecessary. Because of Denzel Washington's career-making performance as the man himself, and Lee's real knowledge and respect for the man, we surprisingly have a completely honest film about Malcolm X, one that will hopefully show the world the mans true impact on our world.

Grade: A

Filmcap: The week of Jan 16-23

(Sofia Coppola doing her thing)

This week we've got one amazing documentary, two highly acclaimed 2010 movies, and one of the more least talked about Coen Brothers movies (for good reason).