The 19th-century adventures of George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old boy on a Barbados sugar plantation, is the focus of new eight-part series, Washington Black.
Starring Sterling K. Brown, Tom Ellis, Ernest Kingsley Junior and Rupert Graves, young George must flee when the life he’s known is threatened after a gruesome death.
I’m down for the uplifting adventure this one promises, and happy to see Brown bring his best to every role, as always. My only hope is that Washington Black won’t make me cry as much as This Is Us, the award-winning show that put him on the map in a big way.
Eddie Karanja, Iola Evans, Billy Boyd, Tom Ellis, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Naika Toussaint, Tattiawna Jones, Rick Worthy, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Nia Thompson also star.
New drama/thriller Paradise stars Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Krys Marshall and Sarah Shahi, and it’s about a security service team tasked with protecting a past president.
Colour me very intrigued, for this is the most exciting thing I’ve seen from Hulu in a while.
I can’t wait to learn where Brown’s performance is going to take his character. Especially considering the super vague plot outline.
Are you also curious about the shenanigans afoot?
Julianne Nicholson, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Charlie Evans, Richard Robichaux, Rafael Cabrera, Darin Toonder, Jon Beavers, Laith Wallschleger, Cassidy Freeman, Scott Lawrence, Michelle Meredith
Besides the one or two moments when my impatient self wished for a slightly quicker pace, I have no real complaints about American Fiction.
Writer/director Cord Jefferson’s latest comedy/drama stars Jeffrey Wright, John Ortiz, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. It is a story about a black American author who finally finds success but at a cost he didn’t quite foresee. Jefferson’s film truly delivers on its trailer’s promise; for it is funny, very smartly written, and well-acted. It also features one of the most super clear and cleverly constructed analogies I’ve ever heard; one that just happens to feature the Scotch Whisky brand Johnnie Walker.
American Fiction is ultimately a movie about race and how the topic shows up in the literary world. I’m not sure that this subject has been explored quite as thoroughly, hilariously and cleverly as it is in Jefferson’s movie. And since it’s a subject that affects many writers of colour (Jefferson included), it’s no wonder that he has referred to the film as “the greatest honour of my entire life, truly.”
In addition to the aforementioned brilliant analogy, another key highlight is a wonderful scene where Wright and Rae’s characters have a highly engaging back-and-forth that I could have watched forever.
If it wasn’t already super clear, I had a great time watching American Fiction, as did the two guests who joined me at a London screening in November. As such, when you’re in the mood for something good, and funny, watch American Fiction. Especially since as per the words of Jefferson himself:
“I don’t intend this movie to be didactic. I didn’t intend it to teach any moral lessons or, scold anybody for anything. I wanted to make a movie for adults that allows you to think for yourself and allows you to have a good time.” _Cord Jefferson
As a non-enthusiast when it comes to musical films, the main reason I wanted to see Frozen 2 had zero to do with the music. I was curious because of the animation style – especially when it comes to Elsa and her beautiful outfits. It turns out that both her style and the way she’s animated are two of my favourite things about Frozen 2.
Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck’s film became most engaging for me approximately one hour in. This is precisely at the point when Elsa’s ’water action’ sequence begins. A time when I finally felt like something truly exciting to watch was actually happening. Before this point, I was feeling disappointed and a tad annoyed. I lie. I was more than a tad annoyed by the seemingly unexciting musical numbers and Anna’s ability to jump to conclusions when Kristoff was trying to ask her ‘the question.’
Frozen 2 (2019), Walt Disney Pictures
There are a few somewhat pleasant moments, plus moving moments, especially regarding Elsa and Anna’s sisterly relationship. Yet some of these scenes ended up feeling a little forced.
It’s after the one-hour mark that Frozen 2 becomes fun. Unsurprising, since my two favourite moments happen after the one-hour mark. One of them was the one musical moment that grabbed my attention in a good way, at precisely one minute into Iduna’s Scarf.
Disney and musical fans will have the best time with this. I’m only one of those things. I therefore find myself glad that Elsa and Iduna’s Scarf were there to get me through.
Waves (2019), Alexa Demie, Kelvin Harrison Jr., A24
Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie and Lucas Hedges, Waves is a coming-of-age, raw, emotional and sometimes funny drama/romance centred around the teenage children of a couple in modern-day America.
I liked the way Waves opened; the colours, camera angles and music, all of which worked to remind us of the seemingly carefree youthful abandon of late adolescence. As hectic, bright and beautiful as those moments were, it’s not too long before you realise that everything isn’t quite right. Tensions become apparent and it’s clear something is going to change – and not in a good way.
Tyler (Harrison Jr.) is a promising and troubled high school athlete unable to truly open up to his parents, so he suffers behind closed doors. His younger sister Emily (Taylor Russell), who seems to fade into the background much of the time, doesn’t have the focus of her parents, especially her father; at least not the way her brother does. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s Tyler’s troubles that end up tragically and irrevocably altering the lives of more than just his immediate family.
Waves (2019), Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown, A24
Considering the themes of familial tragedy and some very modern/American issues, it’s no shock to anyone that I shed a few tears as Waves played. Particularly because of the very real and raw way writer/director Trey Edward Shults’s film captures the emotional turmoil suffered by his characters. Some of it is so heartbreaking that I have to liken certain moments to having to watch an inevitable car crash while being completely unable to help.
Waves is the kind of movie you watch for the film making artistry, great acting and the ways it beautifully and realistically captures some of the most delightful and heartbreaking events in the lives of teenagers and parents in modern America. You will laugh and smile, be very concerned but also often moved by the generosity of spirit displayed before you.
‘Long’ is another word to describe this movie. It’s not quite the bladder-busting 3.5-hour length of The Irishman (2019). However, by the halfway point in Shults’s well-captured and highly affecting movie, you’ll think, ‘Yeah, I think it’s wrapping up now.’ Except it doesn’t wrap up because that’s when act two – or more fittingly, ‘the second wave’ begins. And so sit back down you must, because you’re going to need what it has to tell you, especially after the tragedy of ‘the first wave’.
The Movie My Life 