At the end of January, the Sundance Film Festival, America’s entrants on the list of the so-called “Big Five” film festivals, returned to the snow-capped mountains of Park City and the Salt Lake City valley for a week and a half of the best in narrative film, documentaries, short films, celebrity red carpet appearances, Q&A’s, intimate panels, parties and more.
Luminaries such as David Alan Greer, Justice Smith, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and many more delivered stellar performances in one or more of the films showcased, many of which will come to theaters and streaming services throughout the coming year. Below, please find our selection of some of this year’s standouts.
“The American Society of Magical Negroes“
Although this satire garnered much controversy in the weeks leading to its debut at Sundance, it got a rousing reception at the festival. A coming-of-age story about a multiracial 20-something of African heritage whose experience at a hard-charging tech company with not too many people of color finally gives him the courage to prioritize his own humanity over the comfort of the white people around him. The message is not so much for white people but for those struggling to find their sense of worth and their voice in a world that tells them they are unimportant. Smith turns in a decent performance. The brilliant David Alan Grier steals the show as his magical mentor, and Aisha Hinds, who is more known for her dramatic turns, shows some meaty comedic chops here.
“Freaky Tales“
Pop star Normani (formerly of girl group Fifth Harmony) ventures into acting with this outstanding anthology that concluded to deafening applause at the screening I attended. The four loosely related stories prominently feature time and place- the Bay Area in the nineteen-nineties. Also starring Jay Ellis (“Insecure”) as a basketball player with insane skills on and off the court, Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) as a suicidal ex-assassin, and the late Angus Cloud (“Euphoria”) as an unlucky criminal henchman, “Freaky Tales” is an enjoyable time full of Tarantino-level action and a rousing, nostalgic soundtrack that will make it hard for you to keep from singing along throughout.
“Rob Peace“
This outstanding biopic stars Mary J. Blige, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Camilla Cabello (formerly from Fifth Harmony), and newcomer Jay Will as a gifted New Jersey student with a troubled family life who seems to beat the odds. Ejiofor plays Rob’s father, who ends up in jail and convicted of murder. Despite this, his mother (played by Blige)’s hard work and determination gets Rob through private school and into Yale University where he continues to be a talented student, well-liked by his privileged peers.
What stands out most are the stirring performances — Will as a charming, devoted yet pragmatic son, Ejiofor as a complicated, enigmatic father, and Blige as the down-to-earth, dignified Panther Mom. One of the film’s greatest strengths is the sobering message that regardless of how positive the mindset, talented and well-meaning the individual, or how hopeful the person’s support system, community influences and structural deficiencies in society are almost impossible to overcome.
“Luther: Never Too Much“
Director Dawn Porter draws a loving, music-filled portrait of the legend Luther Vandross, whose music brought romance to so many worldwide, though he was sadly never able to garner it for himself.
“Hit Man“
Comedian Retta (“Good Girls”) is featured in this high-concept comedy thriller starring Glenn Powell (“Hidden Figures,” “Devotion”) as a professor who moonlights as a police volunteer and gets way in over his head with an impromptu undercover assignment posing as a hitman. He gets in waaaaay over his head when he becomes romantically involved with one of his marks. Though the female love interest is hard to like, comedic performances by Retta, Powell, and Sanjay Rao make this film, with its hero and heroine of dubious moral character, an overall great ride.
“Exhibiting Forgiveness“
Andre Holland (“Moonlight, Bones and All”) gives a tour de force performance in this film based on the life of heralded artist Titus Kephar. Written and directed by Kephar himself, the film uses drama, magical realism, and some of the artist’s own work to take the audience into the inner realms of his fraught relationship with his substance-addicted father and his own relationship with himself. Aunjanue Ellis (“Origin”) plays Tarrell’s mother, singer Andra Day plays Holland’s character’s wife, and Ian Foreman does a touching portrayal of the young Tarrell.
“Kidnapping Inc.“
This dizzying crime caper set in modern-day Haiti finds two hapless kidnappers who go out on what appears to be another run-of-the-mill job. However, corruption and personal intrigue make this anything but your ordinary day on the job for these two. Director Bruno Mourral (who also stars) gives viewers breakneck action and slapstick comedy. Haitian singer and actress Gessica Geneus gives a stunning performance as a kidnap victim who hilariously flips the script.
“Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat“
Viewers of the “Soundtrack to A Coup D’Etat” won’t be able to keep their eyes off the charismatic leaders featured in its abundant archival footage—including Malcolm X, Patrice Lumumba, and Kwame Nkrumah. Most of the footage is centered on the efforts of world powers to control the Congo’s cobalt, diamonds, copper and other resources in the aftermath of independence from Belgium in 1960 and the deadly means by which they ultimately gained that control.
The film isn’t, as one might expect, about the music of the time per se, but it’s jazz that provides the wall-to-wall soundtrack to the film, which is devoid of traditional documentary conceits such as interviews. Director Johan Grimonprez lets the images and/or audio of the iconic leaders, CIA operatives, U.N. representatives, and activists such as the grossly unheralded yet extraordinary Andree Blouin, who was Lumumba’s right-hand woman, speak for themselves.
Though it suffers from a lack of focus, the importance of the history (such as the landmark Bandung Conference) being told overshadows that failure. Seen mainly in light of the current genocide in the Congo, “Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat” is a heartbreaking look at what might have been. Like great jazz, it will leave the viewer with much to continue unpacking long after its conclusion.
“Igualada“
Interviews with the subject, her family, and colleagues chart the remarkable story of Francia Marquez, a rural working-class Afro-Latina single mom in Colombia whose concern for the quality of life of her peers, brilliant political instincts, and ability to soldier on through death threats and ignore detractors who labeled her “Igualada” (someone who is “not in their place”) brought her to the world stage as a most unlikely presidential nominee.
“Daughters“
Produced by Kerry Washington (who stars as the daughter of a former felon in Hulu’s “Unprisoned”), “Daughters” chronicles the lives, over a number of years, of girls who participate in a program that reunites them with their imprisoned fathers for a special father/daughter dance. The girls range from elementary school-age to adolescent and are candid about how their fathers’ absences affect their lives.
Viewers also see the girls as they mature and begin to observe their fathers’ choices and character from more critical lenses. The film’s weakness is failing to mention the crimes for which the men are imprisoned. By the end of filming, one father had been sentenced to thirty years. There are also success stories that prove viscerally how much a father’s presence can transform their daughter’s life for the better.
“Power“
Director Yance Ford continues to grow in his reputation for delivering timely, relevant, thought-provoking social themes with his latest project, “Power.” The documentary surveys the history of policing in America, its roots as a mechanism for supporting slavery, and asks how much power law enforcement should have and how policing should be structured in the context of a country with a strong history of racism. Using archival footage, prominent lawyers, activists, and historians, “Power” most importantly points to the role of the civilian in helping shape a law enforcement infrastructure that can best serve and protect.
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