The film has the earmarks of a vanity project. In his eagerness to catalog the indignities suffered by blacks in the Hollywood of 1942, the writer/director/producer has neglected to include a compelling storyline or characters with depth and unmuddled motivations. He needs to realize that the audience that seeks out a movie focused on black America is already aware of our sorry history and feels patronized by such heavy handedness. The ones who might need that sermon won't be watching the movie in any case. Walter Mosley shoehorns alot of social awareness into his stories, but the plots and characters keep us riveted.
The writing in several scenes is tone-deaf and cringe-inducing, such as the one where the starlet's lover has been fatally shotgunned and our hero, Archie, is dancing about with excitement in anticipation of the studio boss rewarding him with a movie part, seemingly unaware of her distress. That should never have made the cut.
His direction is subpar as well, with performances that often seem embellished and pointlessly busy while lacking in specificity and clear intention. Maybe the actors just needed a couple more takes or some deft adjustments, but they didn't get them.
The acting is a mixed bag. The lead has some really good moments and others where he seems vague or doesn't seem to mean what he's saying. Some of the supporting performances are right on the money, others not some much. But as Spike Lee has said, it's the director's fault if a bad performance reaches the screen. He needs to keep going until he gets a good one.
Technically, the movie's sound makes it into professional territory, though some of the vocal performances occasionally sound under-miked. On the other hand, the photography and look of the film are outstanding, first-rate.
The writing in several scenes is tone-deaf and cringe-inducing, such as the one where the starlet's lover has been fatally shotgunned and our hero, Archie, is dancing about with excitement in anticipation of the studio boss rewarding him with a movie part, seemingly unaware of her distress. That should never have made the cut.
His direction is subpar as well, with performances that often seem embellished and pointlessly busy while lacking in specificity and clear intention. Maybe the actors just needed a couple more takes or some deft adjustments, but they didn't get them.
The acting is a mixed bag. The lead has some really good moments and others where he seems vague or doesn't seem to mean what he's saying. Some of the supporting performances are right on the money, others not some much. But as Spike Lee has said, it's the director's fault if a bad performance reaches the screen. He needs to keep going until he gets a good one.
Technically, the movie's sound makes it into professional territory, though some of the vocal performances occasionally sound under-miked. On the other hand, the photography and look of the film are outstanding, first-rate.
