Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Damon Wayans | ... | Pierre Delacroix | |
Savion Glover | ... | Manray / Mantan | |
Jada Pinkett Smith | ... | Sloan Hopkins (as Jada Pinkett-Smith) | |
Tommy Davidson | ... | Womack / Sleep'n Eat | |
Michael Rapaport | ... | Dunwitty | |
Thomas Jefferson Byrd | ... | Honeycutt | |
Paul Mooney | ... | Junebug | |
Sarah Jones | ... | Dot | |
Gillian White | ... | Verna (as Gillian Iliana Waters) | |
Susan Batson | ... | Orchid Dothan | |
Yasiin Bey | ... | Big Blak Afrika (as Mos Def) | |
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M.C. Serch | ... | Mau Mau: 1 / 16th Blak (as MC Serch) |
Gano Grills | ... | Double Blak | |
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Canibus | ... | Mo Blak |
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DJ Scratch | ... | Mau Mau: Jo Blak |
Dark, biting satire of the television industry, focusing on an Ivy League educated black writer at a major network. Frustrated that his ideas for a "Cosby Show"-esque take on the black family have been rejected by network brass, he devises an outlandish scheme: reviving the minstrel show. This is the hook: Instead of white actors in black face, the show stars black actors in even blacker face. The show becomes an instant smash, but with the success also come repercussions for all involved. Written by N. Cognito <nobody@noplace>
I went through equal parts of liking and disliking this movie. Enough so that I feel the need to write it out here.
First the good: The message of this movie is right on. It really makes you think about portrayals of blacks in popular culture not only in the past, but in the present. How different is the dichotomy between the straight laced Tommy Lee Jones and the "hip/cool" Will Smith in a movie like Men in Black from that between the "massa" ("yes sa") and the black house servant in movies of old? So the movie is good in terms of making you think about these things. All of the scenes showing the black face performances on the "Man-Tan Show" and the montage of blacks in entertainment at the end of the movie are quite poignant, and frankly left me speechless and fixated on the television screen.
The bad: The acting and script left a lot to be desired. Okay, to be fair, Damon Wayans left a lot to be desired. Has a good performance EVER come out of a Wayans brother? I understand he was trying to perform a "white" black man, but every word out of his mouth felt so forced that it was painful to listen to. Other than Wayans the acting, while not superb, wasn't terrible. The script however had a lot of problems. It felt like it was forced along too much, being made to lead to Mr. Lee's agenda rather than unfold naturally as a story. This made it feel rushed at times and completely ludicrous at others.
Overall, if you want to be made to think about race in America and in entertainment, this is a good movie to pick up. However, you will have to sit through some painful acting and a lackluster script, so be prepared.