2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Luz (Beyond Fest 2018): Auditory Possession

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When a horror movie makes its opening credits scary, you know you’re in for a treat. Coming from a student’s thesis in Germany, the film follows Luz (Luana Velis), a cab driver who takes herself to a police station following a car accident. Luz is uncooperative during questioning and keeps repeating obscene distortions of traditional prayers. In an attempt to find out what happened during the accident and where her missing passenger might be, the police staff enlist a psychiatrist named Dr. Rossini (Jan Bluthardt) to put her in a trance and re-enact the events leading up to the crash.

But this isn’t a police procedural, this is a possession movie. Before the reenactment, the psychiatrist is drinking at a bar when a strange woman approaches him. She convinces him to go the bathroom with her and an “exchange” happens. Something passes from her to him and he conducts the hypnosis as if under some kind of mind control himself as the unknown force tries to get closer to Luz.

Velis’s acting compensates for the film’s limited settings.

Somehow, director Tilman Singer makes a woman sitting on a chair involving. It should be silly watching a adult pretend to drive a car in the middle of a police station, but Velis sells every second. She doesn’t overact, but rather delivers a performance indistinguishable from how she would have behaved in an actual cab. Singer also makes perfect use of filming conventions related to vehicles. He frames his images in the exact way car scenes are typically shot, subconsciously creating the feeling of Luz being in an actual cab. The limited, mundane location does still hurt the film, but the complete commitment combined with Singer’s staging make the entire inquiry equal parts mysterious and tense.

Visually, Singer pulls from films of the 70s and 80s. The film is shot on 16mm so there is significant grain to the images, but also the hazier look of lower budget films from the period. The film deliberately lacks definition making it feel less like a throwback and more like a restoration. Singer relies on this haziness to further enforce the mystery. Fog is often present, despite being indoors, and there is an unshakeable feeling that we don’t have a clear picture, both literally and figuratively, of everything at stake.

Luz will likely never get attention from the Academy, but it deserves recognition for its incredible sound design. This is a film that demands to be seen with the best audio system possible. Surround sound is a must. Singer crafts an uneasy soundscape with low rumbling and a score that varies from echoing clanks to electronica to piercing violins. He makes some daring moves during the hypnosis by holding on a completely black screen as Luz shuts her eyes and Dr. Rossini whispers to her. The sound mix has his voice traveling around the speakers, as if circling the audience, giving the full feeling of his frightening presence. As the film reaches its climactic moments, the abrasive, unnerving sounds never recede creating unease in the audience. It’s a satisfyingly oppressive effect that, along with Singers sharp direction, elevates Luz to a possession movie with anxiety-inducing mystery.

4/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Shadow (2018): Shades of Disappointment

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After the tepid reviews from his semi-westernized big budget action film The Great Wall starring Matt Damon, it’s great to see Zhang Yimou (Hero) return to the wuxia genre. It’s just a shame that his newest project doesn’t live up to his previous works. Set in the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history, the story centers on the relationship between two nations. The King of Pei (Ryan Zheng; The Great Wall) has a peace treaty with the Yangs led by General Yang (Jun Hu; Red Cliff) who occupies an important city that previously belonged to the Pei. Against the wishes of his people, the King refuses any attempts to reclaim the city which puts him at odds with his military leader known as the Commander (Chao Deng; The Mermaid). The Commander arranges a duel with General Yang that amounts to a declaration of war which leads to him being stripped of his title, but there is more to the Commander than the King is aware of and the movement to take back the their former homeland is growing behind the scenes.

For a director known for his vibrant use of color, Shadow represents a bold departure. Each scene of Hero was saturated in its own bold hue and House of Flying Daggers featured a kaleidoscopic use of blues, pinks, and reds, but here Yimou limits himself to black, white, and anything in between. It’s a testament to his strength as a visual stylist that the film is so richly detailed. Yimou makes use of every imaginable shade of gray with only blood splatter and skin tones breaking up palette. The incredible production and costume design use texture to compensate for the lack of colors. Ornate armor, layered wardrobes, and detailed stonework keep the film visually exciting throughout its runtime.

The mosaic yin yang-shaped fighting platform is a wonderful use of texture and color.

The action doesn’t live up to the high bar set by Yimou’s previous films. There are still fight scenes that fans of martial arts films may enjoy, but the violence lacks impact. The combat feels fake and doesn’t have the death-defying acrobatic quality typical from Yimou. He continues to use wire work but makes the costly decision to augment it with additional special effects. He uses a speed-up, slow-down technique for the combat similar, but inferior, to Zack Snyder’s style. What made Yimou’s actions scenes so enthralling was the escalating tension from watching two opponents, in real-time, narrowly escape a volley of attacks. It may be that this choice was necessitated by a cast that doesn’t have the talent of Wushu masters like Donnie Yen and Jet Li, but it’s an effect that breaks immersion and cripples what should be the film’s main draw.

Without action to fall back on, the film’s story bears an unfortunate burden. To outsiders unfamiliar with the historical background of the narrative, much of the motivations will be assumed rather than understood. The desire to take back their city is logical enough but the generational rivalries and tensions may be lost on many. This could be overlooked were it not for the acting, or rather, the overacting. So many of the lines are screamed, snarled, or cackled with the overdone expressions of a classic Bond villain that it becomes hard to take anything seriously. The cast’s faces contort with excess emotion that puts the film closer to the cheesy martial arts movies of the 70s and 80s than Yimou’s best work. While the film makes for some stunning framings, it is an unexpected disappointment. We didn’t need to see Zhang Yimou taking cues from 300. His own style is so much better than that.

2/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Widows (2018): Finishing the Job

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Coming off his best picture winning 12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen has made the switch to studio fare. Widows features a noticeably larger budget and higher-profile cast than his previous works. The film opens with four men attempting a heist, led by Liam Neeson (Taken), only for it to go horribly wrong. In the background of this heist, there is a contentious election for alderman of a poor Chicago district between the wealthy Jack Mulligan (Colin Farell; The Lobster), a man whose family has held the role for generations, and a local crime boss named Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry; Atlanta). Manning’s money was taken and destroyed in the failed heist so he and his enforcer (Daniel Kaluuya; Get Out) hold Neeson’s wife Veronica (Viola Davis; The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) responsible for the two million dollars. Veronica stumbles onto her husband’s plans for his next heist and rallies the wives of the other men who died to steal enough money to pay off Manning and support themselves.

The script, written by McQueen and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), emphasizes the cunning of each character and, in particular, the resourcefulness of the leading women. Despite their complete lack of criminal history the women are able to trick and manipulate others to get the tools they need, even with Manning’s threats looming over them. The logical leap from being in mourning of their husbands to committing armed robbery is never fully addressed, but the film moves quickly over this detail and lets the more exciting prep and execution take priority.

Davis manages to give her character a believable frailty beneath her hardened expressions.

Davis leads the cast in a commanding performance. As the ringleader of the would-be criminals, she is uncompromising in her demands. She organizes the heist with an iron fist, but is not unfeeling. McQueen balances her tough exterior with flashbacks to tender moments between her and her husband. Davis exemplifies both the grief of someone who has suddenly lost their partner as well as the harsh pragmatism of someone in a life or death scenario. Her strength is only rivalled by Kaluuya’s character. As Jamal’s brother, he does the dirty work his sibling can’t be associated with. Less sadistic than annoyed and impatient with the people preventing him from completing his goals, he is vicious with his actions. His cold brutality is repeatedly reinforced, but is best highlighted in a unexpectedly involving scene where he lets two failed henchmen continue rapping before exacting his punishment. The sole lemon is Farrell whose natural speaking voice cripples his best efforts. The bizarre result of his attempt at an American accent is continually distracting since his character is supposed to be a local, making him the most Irish sounding “6th generation Chicagoan” you’ll ever hear.

Never one to shy away from violence onscreen, McQueen brings a welcome intensity. The opening heist quickly establishes his knack for vivid set pieces when allowed a larger budget to work with. The film also greatly benefits from his and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt’s framings. Like in 12 Years a Slave, when an extreme scene is about to play out, be it a murder or a difficult conversation, the camera will often look away from action, letting our imaginations take over. This technique is more unsettling and effective than simply showing the action as it makes the viewer a participant and forces us to speculate on what must be happening just offscreen. It’s unlikely to win an Oscar due to its genre, but Steve McQueen’s Widows is a intense and exciting heist film led by a group of strong performances.

4/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Assassination Nation (2018): Gen Z Catharsis

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Assassination Nation is one of the most explicitly Gen Z titles ever made. The film opens with a trigger warning, features teens dropping modern slang, and heavily involves social media use in its plot. Four young women go about their last year of high school as typical teenagers until personal information is released online en masse and they become the target of an angry mob. The dialogue and performances of the leading teens is exaggerated to fall into the worst stereotypes of how the teens of today communicate. It can sometimes be irritating to hear the self-centered, crass way they talk but it plays into the transgressive vibe of the film.

Director Sam Levinson (Another Happy Day) leans into the Gen Z tone with his visuals. He shoots several scenes of debauchery at high school parties but does so with unique methods. He frequently uses three videos displayed in split screen like vertical footage shot on a smartphone that gives the film a voyeuristic aesthetic, reminding the viewers that every part of these teenagers’ lives could be recorded at any time, whether they want it to be or not. The abundance of these party scenes can be excessive and the depravity displayed can be a little repulsive. Levinson continues to use these sequences even after the point has been made. When things escalate and the townspeople no longer trust each other, they begin to wear masks for privacy. Regular people dressed in masks to do mundane chores like mowing the lawn is an arresting visual. It immediately drives home the lack of control we have over how our lives are displayed.

The final action scenes are a cathartic release.

Like a Black Mirror episode, the film’s themes center on technology, disregard for humanity, and an extreme case of what their collision could lead to. The film begins with a local politician having his personal pictures and texts released. They reveal a secret double life of crossdressing and homosexuality that completely contradict his conservative, family values campaign. Because of his status and the revelations found, his leaks do not come under fire. When this leads to horrific consequences, they become new topics for “edgy” humor and memes completely unconcerned with the person they discuss. Levinson takes the topic a step further when the town’s residents have their files released. The townspeople are in uproar over having their privacy violated while still downloading data about their neighbors and snooping into their personal lives. Their anger is contrasted with people, mostly teenagers, not only viewing this content but also encouraging more releases. They show no remorse for their actions and no empathy for those affected. Everything they do is “for the lulz”. Even when people are suffering from these cyber-attacks, they still cannot escape the dehumanizing effect of the internet and virality.

When the time comes for bloodshed, Levinson brings a playful and stylish tone to the action. As the townspeople try to discover, and punish, the culprits behind the data leaks, copious amounts of blood are spilled, even rivalling Neon’s other title Revenge. There are references to Japanese B-movies from the 70s in the flamboyant red outfits the women wear and in the over-the-top weaponry they use to defend themselves as Levinson has fun with their revenge. The film also features the best home invasion scene since Blue Ruin. Levinson places his camera outside the house and smoothly moves around the exterior and up and down the multiple floors, observing the trespassers and the unsuspecting victims from a distance in long unbroken takes. Rather than being an omniscient eye, the camera appears to be searching, and struggling, to follow the action. It reveals bits and pieces of people moving about and the lack of details combined with the knowledge of what is coming is nerve-wracking. Assassination Nation works as both a commentary on the dehumanization of technology and as cathartic, thrilling genre fare.

4/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

The Sisters Brothers (2018): Meandering Western

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The Sister’s Brothers is the first American film made by acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard and is, sadly, a disappointing fumble. Eli (John C. Reilly; Step Brothers) and Charlie Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix; Her) are hitmen in the wild west known for their deadly skill. They are tasked with finding a detective traveling with a chemist (Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed; Nightcrawler)who has developed a concoction that locates gold deposits in riverbeds.

Audiard is a strange choice for this material. His most well-known works like A Prophet or the Palm D’or winning Dheepan are known for raw realism in difficult situations like entering prison or being an extremely poor immigrant in a new country. There are moments in this film where his eye for adversity comes through. When the abrasive formula is used in water, Audiard’s camera lingers on the scars left on the legs of the main characters and hints at an alternative tone the director could have taken.

In many ways, the western genre should have been ideal for Audiard’s sensibilities. The somewhat romanticized depictions of this period emphasize the freedom of life on the frontier, but gloss over its difficulties. A film focused on the daily struggle against the harsh wilderness and banditry would have been a perfect match for his skillset. Instead, the partially comedic narrative feels out of place.

Phoenix and Reilly were not the right choices to play the brothers.

The problem begins with the casting. As the two brothers, Reilly and Phoenix bring too much comedy to the roles. The characters are written as a low level hustler (Phoenix) and a big, dim-witted, but well-meaning follower, essentially a twist on Lennie Small and George Milton from Of Mice and Men. The film is cut to use Reilly’s character and the brothers’ frequent squabbles for laughs, but this actively clashes with Audiard’s attention to detail. Phoenix relies on what has become his standard affect (the tilted head, crooked smile, and belabored delivery) which ranges from too serious to too playful for the situations at hand and Reilly’s history as a comedian makes him incongruous in the setting. The brothers, as portrayed by Phoenix and Reilly, would have been right at home in Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in the West. They are caricatures that don’t belong in a serious film.

The script is a tonal mess. Written by Audiard and his frequent co-author Thomas Bidegain (A Prophet), it tries, unsuccessfully, to walk the line between humor and harsh realism and does so without a driving force to the plot. Their initial goal of finding the detective and chemist falls by the wayside partway through and no real replacement ever appears. As a black comedy, the lack of a plot direction would not be a major detriment. Even great comedies often have bare plots as use them as little more than an excuse for additional gags. But because Audiard has created an authentic setting, their purpose is noticeably absent and it makes the two hour film feel much longer. It’s unfortunate that the beautifully realized detail is squandered by the script, miscast leads, and conflicted direction. The Sisters Brothers is ultimately a set of ill-suited components forming an unsuccessful dark comedy and a meandering western.

2/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

A Simple Favor (2018): Pulpy, Twisty, Riotous Fun

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This one is a doozy. A hyper-involved mommy vlogger named Stephanie (Anna Kendrick; The Last Five Years) befriends a wealthy working mom named Emily (Blake Lively; Gossip Girl) when their two children ask for a playdate. The women become close until one day Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school and is never heard from again. No one, not Stephanie, not Emily’s employer, and not her husband Sean (Henry Golding; Crazy Rich Asians) has any idea where she could be or what could have happened to her.

The film deftly holds the delicate balance between thriller and comedy. Director Paul Feig is known for his comedic works with hits such as Bridesmaids and Spy, but this outing borders on camp in the best way possible. The screenplay is full of outrageous story beats that may have been too much to believe on their own but by embracing the ridiculousness, Feig gives the film a playful tone. He overemphasizes character tropes with scenes like Emily’s tough businesswoman being introduced with a slow motion strut worthy of a professional wrestling entrance. Feig’s last film, the Ghostbusters reboot, suffered from what appeared to be too much onset improvisation. Here he has his actors stick much closer to the script.

Even the side characters are memorable. It’s as if the writer, Jessica Sharzer (working from the novel), forgot that they were supposed to be in the background and instead wrote them to be as interesting as the leads. There is a trio of fellow “moms” (one of them is a dad) from the school that offer their own color commentary and are tangentially connected to the plot in hilarious ways. The main investigator pops off snarky quips during his questioning, despite being on a missing persons case, and it all comes together to create a film that is constantly entertaining.

Kendrick and Lively’s odd couple dynamic is a great source of comedy.

Lively delivers a strong performance as someone with more to her than meets the eye, but it is Kendrick that steals the film. Her Stephanie can jump from awkward to funny to determined and resourceful without it ever feeling schizophrenic. She also plays the perky, overeager parent with becoming irritating. Unlike similar characters in other movies, Stephanie’s interest in helping out at school and making the perfect dinner comes from a genuine desire to be a great mom and she doesn’t hold it over the other parents. Kendrick is a terrific actress that has unfortunately spent most of her time being the standout performance in otherwise mediocre films. It is far past time that she be allowed a meatier role and this is finally it. She manages to make Stephanie convincing as she goes from stay-at-home mom to super sleuth and does so while always being endearing and funny. Let’s hope this is the start of many more interesting roles for her.

To a certain extent, A Simple Favor is a self-aware genre film like Adam Wingard’s You’re Next. The difference being that rather than riffing on horror, it draws influence from soap operas and female-targeted melodramas like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. It takes these starting points and furthers their already ludicrous plot turns to create a thriller that is equal parts twisty, pulpy, and, more than anything else, riotous fun.

4/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Blaze (2018): Beautiful Visuals and a Questionable Subject

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Ethan Hawke (Before Midnight) gets behind the camera to direct a biopic on the life of country musician Blaze Foley. The film follows Foley, played by Ben Dickie, as he travels between gigs at local bars often ruining his own performances with his constant inebriation. Hawke chooses to use a non-linear structure and cuts between his performances, his time with his wife Sybil (Alia Shawkat; Arrested Development), and a radio interview with other prominent musicians. The nearest comparison would be the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, but the narrative takes a much more insular look at Foley’s life and does so without the Coen’s trademark sarcasm.

Despite the limited budget, the film’s visuals are outstanding. Hawke and cinematographer Steven Cosens have created a series of gorgeous, nostalgic images evocative of country living. The bulk of Foley’s home life bears a distinct amber hue and even his meager accommodations are rendered in loving compositions with light feathering at the borders to create a wistful tone. The most arresting visual of the film is an ultra-slow-motion wedding scene that is also a great example of expressionist filmmaking. Hawke elongates this pivotal, joyous moment to capture their elation. As bubbles lazily float by and confetti slowly falls, the couple is locked in a seemingly endless embrace symbolic of their enduring love. The beautiful cinematography makes the film an engaging view, even when the narrative meanders and outstays its welcome.

The film’s visuals are its greatest asset.

Hawke has a clear love for Foley’s life and music, but the film Is ultimately unable to create the same affection in the audience. For those of us unfamiliar with Foley’s work, his portrayal can often be repulsive. His relationship with Sybil is sweet at times but is marred by his own selfishness. He is so focused on his own music that he ignores the sacrifices made by his loving wife who works to support him as he screws up his chances because of his drunkenness. Foley’s music is repeatedly referred to as revolutionary, but to the average ear it just sounds ordinary. Pleasant, but nothing to write home about. Foley also claims that he has morals and goals beyond music. He talks about the “pessimistic world” and wanting to be a legend, not a star, because “a legend means you stand for something” whereas stars only exist for themselves. The natural question becomes what does Foley stand for? For artistry in the face of commercialism? For heartfelt songwriting? These might be the intended answers but his self-destructive behavior makes them dubious claims. His disparaging of other musicians and the industry as a whole are more like self-righteous ramblings from an alcoholic wannabe. There have been many stories, both fictional and real, of struggling singers that never succeed because of their own substance abuse but the narrative does little to distinguish this particular story from the countless others. Hawke’s film, while impressively shot, never provides an answer to why Blaze Foley is worthy of our attention or what impact he left on his industry.

3/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Support the Girls (2018): Affectionate Comedy

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A Hooters-esque sports bar somewhere in Texas is an unusual setting for a film, but that’s to be expected from director Andrew Bujalski. His 2013 film Computer Chess followed attendees at a programming conference in 1980 and was shot entirely with cameras from the era in black and white so, comparatively, Support the Girls is significantly more accessible. Regina Hall (Girls Trip) plays Lisa, the general manager in charge of a lineup of young women while dealing with a host of her own issues. As one of the creators of the mumblecore film movement, Bujalski continues his interest in sympathetic looks into the lives of ordinary people filled with scripted dialogue so natural that it sometimes feels improvised.

Bujalski’s eccentric characters are brought to life by a wonderful cast. At the center of the film, Hall plays Lisa as the den mother of her bar. She refers to each of the young women as her family and acts on those words as she goes far beyond her manager-employee relationship to help them in their personal lives. She does this to her own detriment when the bar’s owner tries to enforce business-only behaviors. Her altruism and self-sacrifice, even as she deals with personal problems, is impossible not to love. Hall’s performance is warm, sensitive, and gentle as she drives home Lisa’s overwhelming compassion for others. Haley Lu Richardson (Columbus) also deserves praise for her work as Maci, Lisa’s top employee. Her Maci is perky beyond belief but without becoming annoying. As a character says, she’s “an angel sent from Heaven to show the rest of us what a good attitude looks like”. Her genuine enthusiasm and “can do” mindset is infectious and the connection between her, Lisa, and the rest of the staff is irresistible.

Hall and Richardson are amazing together.

At times the film feels like it may have been better suited to the small screen and that’s not a knock against the movie. Bujalski’s affectionate direction is strong but his characters and setting are so well drawn that it’s a shame we only get to spend 90 minutes with them. People normally talk about world building when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy movies, but this film is a great example for others to follow. Bujalski constantly includes subtle hints about other crises going on in the lives of the characters. Lisa’s relationship with her husband, Maci’s new boyfriend, and the plethora of other subplots at the fringes of this slice-of-life story would be perfect material for seasons of a television show. Bujalski has created an honest, recognizable world filled with relatable characters, each with their own stories waiting to be told. It’s a testament to the film’s quality that its biggest flaw is that we’re left wishing we could have spent more time with its loveable characters.

4/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

Madeline’s Madeline (2018): Performance Art Experiment

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Performance art is not the common person’s entertainment and neither is this movie. Director Josephine Decker (Thou Wast Mild and Lovely) has created a 90 minute arthouse piece capable of being enjoyed by only a select few. The film follows a teenage girl, Madeline (Helena Howard), in New York City as she spends her days working in a theater group while being raised by her mother Regina (Miranda July; Me and You and Everyone We Know).

Decker is known for making experimental films and she continues that trend  here. The first 15 minutes of the film will be more than enough to alienate the majority of viewers. In the intro, she cuts between a theater group doing abstract warmup exercises and Madeline at home continuing those exercises and the result is completely disorienting. Decker shoots in tight closeups with extremely shallow depth of field. Objects and actors come into and out of focus and a blurry haze often covers the screen while strange vocals fill the soundtrack. The growls and heavy breathing of their warmups become the rhythmic score of the film. At this early stage, the characters and any sort of potential conflict between them have not been introduced yet so the sensory barrage quickly runs out of steam, shifting from jarring to frustrating as we wait for a reason to care about the carefully created cacophony onscreen.

Madeline’s fellow performers are more irritating with every scene.

There is a germ of interesting story here about mother/daughter dynamics in the presence of mental issues. Madeline is on a prescription to prevent unexplained “episodes” and her mother also shows signs of instability. Regina is at times overly emotional, being brought to tears over the slightest comment and elsewhere is furious beyond belief. A narrative about a mentally unstable single mother raising her similarly unstable daughter and how the daughter manages her illness using theater as her own personal therapy would have been fascinating, but it is unfortunately not Decker’s focus.

When some semblance of a plot is finally shown, it is pushed to the background. Decker seems most interested in creating an experiential film about theater. That might be appealing to those invested in and familiar with the art, but to outside observers the continued emphasis on their practicing is esoteric, embarrassing, and exhausting. The troupe repeatedly tries different exercises ranging from pretending to be an animal to acting out personal trauma, but not towards any concrete goal. Each additional scene of black-clad performers wears heavily on any remaining patience.

Madeline’s Madeline may not be an enjoyable film to watch, but it’s not quite a failure. Decker has a specific vision of the all-consuming nature of performance art and uses discordant sounds and visuals to create a feeling, rather than a narrative for the audience. She is fortunate to have Howard whose emotional changes are as visible as her physical contortions. At one point, a character quotes Carl Jung and says “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” Decker has created a chaotic collection of expressionist sounds and visuals about performance art that will strain even patient viewers. There may be a secret order to her film, but only for viewers willing to put up with it – and there won’t be many of those.

2/5 stars.

2018, Recent Reviews, Reviews

BlacKkKlansman (2018): All Power to All the People

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Who better to go undercover in the KKK then a black cop? As ridiculous as it seems (resist the urge to reference the famous Dave Chapelle sketch), BlacKkKlansman is based on the true story of the first black cop in Colorado Springs and his infiltration of the local KKK chapter. Ron Stallworth (John David Washington; Ballers) plays a rookie cop who responds to an ad for the KKK in the newspaper, posing as a racist white man, but mistakenly gives out his real name. He continues his conversations on the phone and uses a white peer (Adam Driver; Paterson) to attend meetings in person to investigate their potentially violent plans. As director Spike Lee (Chi-Raq) notes in the opening titles “dis joint based upon some fo’ real, fo’ real shi*t”.

In his first leading role, Washington’s performance leaves room for improvement. He is at his best when on the phone with klansmen and directing the investigation. In these moments, he takes an active role in the film and shows his character’s personal passion for this particular job. However, throughout most of the runtime, his performance is strangely distanced. In many scenes that should call for a strong emotions, he has a blank, almost confused look on his face. His wide-eyed expression may be meant to convey his lack of experience as a police officer, but the unintended effect is that is reduces his agency within the story. It’s a shame that a character who takes such a daring leap is attached to a performance that doesn’t do his courage justice.

This deer in the headlights look comprises too much of Washington’s acting.

The 70s setting provides plenty of material for Lee to pump up the film’s style. The cast, particularly the black leads, are shown in bold outfits with bright colors, bell bottoms, paisley shirts, and with plenty of facial hair to go around. He also taps into the Black Power movement of the time and contrasts it with the KKK’s white supremacy. While the klansmen shout derogatory screed and exclusive benedictions like “God bless White America”, the Black Power leaders decry “All power to all the people”. In one of the film’s most powerful moments Lee juxtaposes the Klan’s initiation ritual and celebration with a Black Power meeting where a character recounts a case of sickening injustice and cruelty. The film’s greatest triumph is how it contextualizes the Black Power movement (and other equality initiatives), often miscast as radical or extremist, as striving for standard, humane treatment of all individuals in the face of the Klan’s ignorance, prejudice, and fearmongering.

Spike Lee’s films are inextricable from his personal politics and with BlacKkKlansman it feels like he has finally found the story where his message and movie are complimentary. His talents as a director are indisputable but too often his political voice has been problematic, inconsistent, or unsuited to the story at hand. This was apparent in Chi-Raq where he sincerely believed his ideas about gang violence and guns were going to cause social change, but muddled his message with lowbrow humor and precarious implications about gender roles. With his new film, Lee’s favorite topic of race relations in America is his, and his characters’, center focus. The script weaves in enough language mimicking contemporary politics that the film’s story feels relevant. This is sometimes done to comedic effect with the striking similarities between the KKK’s hateful rhetoric and modern day campaign slogans but Lee, never one for subtlety,  doesn’t hold back any punches. When it seems like he will resign himself to parallels and allegory, Lee comes out in force and makes his points explicit. As always, Lee isn’t just releasing a movie, he’s making a statement – and a loud one at that. His style and commentary on the present environment fill the story with enough panache and thematic contrasts to create one of his most effective films ever.

4/5 stars.