The "Black Movie" appetite is changing. | American Fiction Movie Review + Analysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มี.ค. 2024
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Watching the satire film "American Fiction" was an absolute treat, because it appears with an Oscar win for the Best adapted screenplay, that *FINALLY*, the Black Movie appetite is changing. We're going to deep dive into the story, characters, and witty production that this movie brings but MORE IMPORTANTLY, ask ourselves the question: What's more important - integrity or profit?
Check out some other videos:
- The Black Movie Problem • We need to talk about ...
- I give up on Tyler Perry • I GIVE UP on Tyler Per...
- Stop trying to make it in Hollywood • STOP trying to make it...
#americanfiction #blackmovies #CordJefferson
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I'm Tiffany, an actor turned video producer sharing comedy and in-depth analyses. My focus is on finding the deeper truths in entertainment and equipping you to discern what we're being fed through content. Subscribe and join me in resurrecting more thoughtful cinema! - บันเทิง
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Loved. This. Movie. That's all and if you want to discuss movies on a monthly basis, be sure to Join My Patreon Movie Club( ( that name definitely needs some work 🥴) 👉🏾shorturl.at/pxLO2
Glad you found out that Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of Diana Ross in the chat. 😁
What if you call it 'The Byrd Watchers' ?
I love this movie too. I'm a huge fan of Jeffery Wright so I watch mostly anything he's in. It's so good to see movies that breaks the mold. I liked the red and black liquor analogy also it was on point.
DONE
I'm glad they showed a financially well-off Black family with "real" problems and not some "Cosby" type. We're used to seeing the struggling poor black families in film. I thought it was a balanced approach.
So Im not black. But I am Cuban and I related to so much of this story. There’s a very specific stereotype we fall into for entertainment. I was a standup comic and while MY family is pretty stereotypical, I am not. But I knew so many rich educated Cubans who put on a mask of poor uneducated. I never tried to do that. But then I realized I would give my mother a heavy accent when I talked in her voice on stage. She speaks with a New Jersey accent not broken english. This film is way more than a black movie. It’s truly an American Fiction.
The biggest blow is that Traci's character was Monks buffer with the rest of the family. After her passing her actually had to figure out their relationship
To me, that’s what the movie’s really about. All the “Black book” stuff, great as it was, seemed secondary to the family conflict, and I loved the film for that.
Got extremely excited to see Erika Alexander being Attorney Maxine Shaw because it feels like a throwback to Living Single, a show that didn't get the attention it deserved but got ripped off. It was never that the show wasn't good, just that they didn't want the characters to be Black and educated.
As an author (J. Monroe Adams) I loved the film and appreciate your analysis. Moving away from 'trauma porn' in Black art is necessary, however trauma is part of the human condition so avoiding the topic all together breeds propaganda, of sorts. Black folks are indeed not a monolith, and a lot of us engage in roles and professions that supersede our blackness. Ignoring outside perceptions of blackness, being honest in our art and finding/creating outlets that provide a venue for showcasing our art takes precedent over engaging in conversations about which depiction of 'blackness' is most valid, in my opinion.
beautifully said. I do think you’ve articulated better than I could! i’m thankful for that.
I've been in the music business for many years. This film grapples with many of the issues that artists grapple with in multiple genres of art. When you work hard and torture yourself to create a great piece of art that gets no attention while the dumbest most obvious hooks and production gets all the listens it can make you cynical and angry about the state of the human condition. In the end, if you're making something personal and wide ranging, it's a higher mountain to climb and you should expect that. Most people are searching out media that anesthesizes them to the existential daily grind of their life, they aren't looking to stare the abyss in the face all the time. There is merit to dumb pop garbage AND high art. One helps you forget your problems, one helps you reflect on the human experience.... Long winded, sorry.
never apologize for being long-winded! You sat here and watched my video, I know I’m not brief lol but you make a great point, there is so much “bubble gum” out there, you think we would catch onto the formula quickly.
but what you said about anesthesia - that hit me in my chest. I don’t think we realize just how much our desires reflect our outcomes.
This movie was brilliant and nuanced. The characters were full and complex, the pain was not traumatic, it was all in the realm of life getting hard but not beating us down. I adored that it was set in the literary world and that the family are educated and layered with their own dysfunction. I loved it and intend to buy it. And your reviews are fire fire fire!
I remember when I wrote my first novel in high-school, a fantasy, I was originally going to write my characters as white because most of the books I read in fantasy with white characters get published more. This is what I noticed as a black teen and the few black characters in media were the stereotypical ghetto African Americans. Which made me shudder after years of seeing it outside my house when my home was the complete opposite.
But on the day I wrote it, I wanted to write characters that I wanted to see. Who were intelligent, beautiful and magical without toxic negative everyday.
Ten years later, I don't regret my decision.😊
Fantasy novels! Drop them links, we need to see something 🥹
I have a feeling that Monk's story is similar to that of Mario Puzo's. He wrote two books that went nowhere, but when he decided to write a story about Italian gangsters, which he had no affiliations with (just like Monk), he became famous.
The scene where he sits down and writes the novel is one of my favorite scenes ever. It is PERFECT for how writing is like. This film was amazing.
I saw this movie with my family in Chicago and I was really excited that the theater was full and that it had a great mix of Black and non-Black audience members who were engaging with the story. I felt personally ATTACKED because Sterling K. Brown’s character is so much like my Black plastic surgeon father who has struggled with substance abuse and reeling from a bitter divorce battle that I was afraid Cord Jefferson had been stalking my family for a storyline 🫢
I will say that it made me laugh as we left the theater and saw a lot of our fellow Black moviegoers leaving the new Color Purple remake, a movie I refused to see because I didn’t want to internalize that trauma yet again, after we had just seen a film that basically critiques this same cycle of Oscar-bait, Black trauma porn films. Interested to hear everyone’s thoughts!
So...I saw The CP and honestly..yeah, I have THOUGHTS. But can't believe how similar this movie is to your own personal life!
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison I never thought I’d see that displayed on film before in such a specific way but it proves that there are Black people of all walks of life who can be represented in less obvious ways. If you just focus on excellent storytelling, you will find an audience who connects!
i enjoyed this film as a refreshingly different take on the black experience that doesn’t shy away from challenging questions about playing into the “game” of using stereotypes and trashy stories to make it.
h o w e v e r . . . the more the film progresses, the more we see Monk surrendering to the problem that the film is critiquing without much change or evolution. the fact that he’s made it is supposed to be the payoff and I’m not satisfied with it at all because it feels like an easy way to button up an emotionally complex story such as this one.
also, i didn’t feel that the story earned the “meta-ness” of the ending. there’s no consistency there as there wasn’t any sort of hint or treatment of the story that would justify that kind of ending. if you’re going to pull the audience’s perspective in such a dramatic way there should be some sort of teasing of that shift in tone that makes it less jarring and wink-wink.
i understand that this is a satire but i just walked away from this otherwise profound film disappointed in the pessimistic and jaded ending that accepts the truncated perspective of black stories as the limit of what will be supported and backed indefinitely.
it was interesting that all of the white characters are caricatures, an ironic twist on hollywood tropes that have traditionally cast black characters as simplified, demeaned subhumans. the clueless white characters never really seem to gain a whiff of complexity, which contributes to the tense comedy but also helps to doom the story to its over-simplified ending.
Yea the casting and performance of Traci Ellis Ross was great because she was instantly likable. Makes me want more non-network TV friendly Traci Ellis Ross.
I loved American Fiction. It was a refreshing look at what black fiction means to two different black writers.
I’ve finally finally come around to seeing this movie. And I’m so glad I did. It was so nice to see all these actors together, especially Erica Alexander, whom I haven’t seen in such a long while. ❤
Fun fact: the girl at the beginning who gets mad at the n word went to high school with me! she also got to kiss Joe Keery in a dominoes superbowl ad. Shes awesome!
Saw it in the theater and i loved everything about it. I did feel like it was a bit of a bait and switch but I loved the black story that was told without it being a stereotype of blackness.
Watched it with my father two weeks ago and we both loved it!! My dad especially loved the interactions between the brothers (Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown). It was sooo endearing to see Erika Alexander again 😊
Another thing, I hope this video blows up, and encourages people to give it a watch lol
it’s such a good movie!!!
The scene at the end of the 5 judges, 3 of whom are white, overriding their votes "to honor black voices" was my favorite laugh.
As someone who works in Oberlin, the writer who went to college in Oberlin (and moved out the first day possible) was the perfect stereotype of an average Oberlin college student. (93% are from out of state and it's the 28th highest in the country for parent's income)
I haven't laughed as hard in a theater in years as I did during this movie. But as a published Black author, it's really.... a little too close to home.
One of the rare movies that is even better on a second watch. This movie manages to tell two wildly different stories at once and make them both feel vital and impactful.
I loved this movie! Bottom line message IMO is that the way one expresses ones creativity must not be limited by race, gender, economic status, cultural background or any other “box”. Also, commercial and financial success without integrity isn’t worth a box of rocks!
yes! yes! yes!
During Sintara's and Monk's debate, I'm still torn on her part. B/c yes those real stories on real black suffering is and should continue to seen and appreciated. But those REAL stories aren't the only stories black people have. My question is what kind of variety would be in her continuing works going forward that are outside the ghetto.
I watched this movie last week & i enjoyed it.
Sterling K Brown has proven to have soooo much range. Erika I want to see cast in more after this. I dont want Cord Jefferson to dissappear after this. Isa I loved especially her dialogue she had with Monk at the lunch scene during the judging competition
The conversation between Monk and Sintara had me reeling at how layered and nuanced it was.
Also boy this movie has some of the biggest effective whiplash between comedy and tragedy that I've ever experienced.
knew i would like it from the trailer alone. had no idea it would surpass my expectations. really stellar film
The trailer didn't do it justice, it was so good!
30:08 I loved their back and forth! It reminded me of respectability politics. When she talked about potential 😭😭😭 I had to go back and rethink how I’ve been using that word! That part hit me hard!
I LOVED that argument, just wish it was a little longer.
The bookstore is Brookline Booksmiths in Brookline. It's a great bookstore, but also the locations chosen around Boston were not accidental.
I would love to know more about this! Is that because they are primarily independent stores that you think they were chosen?
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison that book store, that area in general, is filled with performative liberals. Upper middle class, lower upper class. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic book store. I've talked to different types of liberals, progressives and leftists there. But bring up institutional issues, and you'll get everyone being awkward. But the store itself makes an effort and brings in good authors and such.
The area that the movie family lives in is a white flight town. The beach house area isn't just rich, it's rich for Massachusetts. The senior living facility they go to is top notch, but snobby. I worked with that facility for years. Everywhere they go has a race/class subtext that added to the story for me the friend I went with. The joke about their father's mistress and asking "southie white or newton white?" Killed me. It was asking if the mistress was poor white Catholic or a rich white Jewish woman.
Sorry that was wallpaper. Hopefully answers the question.
Mexican here, like actually from mexico. I LOVED this movie.
As a fan of movies detailing and showing other group's experiences, I was looking for a movie that talked about the black experience but in an original and not the 'liberal hollywood' way, and not only did I found it with American Fiction, but the movie criticized that exact hollywood mentality!!
And jesus, i think Sterling K Brown and Jeffrey Wright are one of the BEST actors in Hollywood right now.
I will never forget watching this movie when they got to the literary awards and Monk says "I have a confession to make" I thought they were doing an "I am Iron Man" moment. I got chills when it cut to black.
that was one of my favorite moments in the movie!
I loved this movie so much. One part of the movie I questioned was, was Sterling K. Brown’s character not Leslie Uggums biological child. Only because she held such resentment for him and it was stated the father had a wandering eye, and Sterling K. Brown is a much darker complexion than the mother, Monk and the sister. I also know this could be a reach lol. But loved the movie and loved this video.
That is a good point. I wondered why she interacted with him like that and didn't give that a thought. Sounds plausible but I thought it was just the effects of her illness. But I like that idea!
a great question!!! that would be such an interesting angle if it were true
It bothered me so much that he was so dark skinned compared to his family. I’m like why do they cast black people like this but I’ll take it as head-canon that he was adopted.
I think the best part about Sintara vs Monk is that in the beginning Sintara starts the movie by saying something like 'when willl my people's stories be told' (while selling lots of books telling those stories). Then during the argument she admits that its taken from interviews - she hasn't met those people, she hasn't lived their lives so her stories are inauthentic. Monk's book might be trash but his book still deals with an estranged father-son relationship which reflects his own experiences with his father. She calls him out as someone living in an ivory tower when we know how much he's struggling throughout the whole movie. He learns to accept that selling out is the best option in this crazy world.
"Most profitable option."
Not necessarily the "best" option
Monk doesn't know how to connect while Cliff isn't allowed to connect. Lisa's death is so tragic because she was the only one connecting those two. At first I was annoyed that they killed the character to develop the two brothers, but I felt her absence throughout the movie and it's sooooo sad!
Great video! Finding this too late.
I'm a brown creator in Canada who struggles to get funding for anything that isn't tragedy p**n and this movie hit me so hard. It's not even funny. (And yet it is kinda funny)
Loved this movie. It showed us in a light other than which we are usually portrayed in Hollywood.
Developing a serious mancrush on Jeffrey Wright, who goes out of his way(now that he can choose) to play roles not typically played by black actors. All of his last few major roles have been as scientists, authors, professors, researchers...Im here for it!
I was so surprised about how great the movie was! Loved the complexity of the characters and the plot! Finally!! 👏🏽❤️
Ironic, when I seen the poster I thought it was another Tyler Perry type film. I appreciate your honesty and review. What’s considered “real” is so confusing especially in the current landscape of the world.
One thought I had watching your analysis was the tragedy/law of the commons…this could be a stretch and I hope not excessively judgmental…but the idea that one person “selling out” won’t cause any harm…but when many people think that way…harm does come.
very profound thought!
I’ve been very disappointed with a lot of ‘Black’ films lately that seem to push stereotypes and do nothing to uplift our communities.
There’s a plethora of those films on the hall-mark channel and Disney.
I thought American Fiction was brilliant written, produced, directed and executed. I enjoyed watching it with you and even more so hearing this deep analysis. I took subscribe to the mature notion of not whoring your gift out just for the sake of getting the bag. Money doesn't nurture the soul and you'll be rich with elevated problems that usually lead people down a destructive path. We do need ghetto narrators, sure but the story of Black Americans is more than just that particular struggle, or slavery or a few civil rights stand out leaders. I appreciate that this film was received so well proving the market is open for more nuanced storytelling and not just the Power, BMF or popular rap route of ratchedness and poisoning our own people and belittling our woman. So brilliant job by you and also Cord and his team. The world needs you all 🙏🏾
Thank you, love! I agree that it really is about expanding the narratives beyond the narrow viewfinder. Appreciate this insightful comment!
DRAG Tyler Perry!!😂😂😂
I liked American Fiction. I thought that it balanced emotional moments with the fact that it's a form of entertainment very well. Like, you get scenes where Monk is putting up a wall to protect his feelings, clearly disengaging from the people a few feet away from him, you see him get uncomfortable and nervous; and then 15 minutes later you have a white lady saying how important it is to listen to black voices in front of two black people she's not listening to. It fades between being extremely on the nose to relying on subtle character acting in a way I think few films accomplish well.
With the scene with Sintara, I wanted to agree with Monk, but the movie gives Sintara the last word for a reason: "Potential is what people see when they think what's in front of them isn't good enough." Cut to Monk sitting on the stairs looking defeated.
Sintara believes that Stagg R. Leigh's book is soulless, while hers is genuine. So why does the movie give her the final say? Because it's also true for Monk. He believes his writing is genuine, and Sintara's is soulless. From earlier in the movie we see Monk claim there's nothing black about his writing, he talks with Lisa about how he's just making imaginary people have imaginary conversations, he says he shouldn't have to write about real people. Yet Sintara is writing about real people.
There's a lot more to say on this topic honestly. Like, Sintara is exploiting real people's trauma for financial gain. But Monk exploits stereotypes to do the same. Monk believes that selling out can only cause harm, but ignores Coraline being capable of enjoying the spectrum of his writing. He doesn't trust that an audience can be smart enough to enjoy a diverse range of experiences. I think Sintara does.
So that's why I side more with Sintara than Monk.
Saw the movie, and actually went to the theatre to see it; and I LOVE IT
Have always loved Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright; and they did not disappoint. They delivered as always.
Funny but not in a slapstick, stereotypically buffoonish way, piques the intellect, and refreshingly original for hollyweird (and that’s saying a lot).
Haven't seen the movie but loved the analysis and points about how maintaining self integrity can impact upward mobility. I think that applies to the Corporate environment as well.
absolutely applies to corporate! I think that’s a big driver of most of the institutions we have in United States, especially. Capitalism is a drug.
To start off, congrats to Cord Jefferson for winning an Oscar for best adapted screenplay. Well deserved.
I saw this movie almost two months ago, and it’s one of my favorite films from this year (AF actually came out in December, but didn’t get a widespread release). I never knew this movie was based off a book called Erasure. I have to read it now and watch the film again.
Reading an article in which Cord Jefferson stated that Hollywood shuffle by Robert Townsend inspired him to make this movie makes sense now. I definitely see some of the parallels from Hollywood Shuffle to American Fiction. I thought it was interesting take on how Black authors navigate through White spaces. Black authors being portrayed like that on the big screen is something we don’t see as often. Maybe it’s because Black writers in general are underrepresented.
I know what we got in the movie was the B side, which focused on Thelonius’s family and his relationship with his estranged brother played by Sterling K. Brown. But that portion of the movie shouldn’t overshadow the real plot, which is trying to appeal to a White audience.
The only thing I wished the movie did was made the conversation between Issa Rae and Jeffrey Wright (their characters) a lot longer, because I loved what they were discussing.
I want to watch this film again lol, I loved it.
Nicole! Love the insight on Robert Townsend's Hollywood shuffle, that makes a lot of sense to me since that's what it reminded me of. But you're so right about the Bside and the longer argument - I wish I had more time with that discussion.
A.F. is a Black version of a Woody Allen movie, what i mean by that the characters were brilliantly written and interesting.
I haven't watched enough Woody Allen movies!
@TiffanyByrdHarrison I didnt get Woody Allen from this at all and Ive seen just about all his classics.
The perfect example is The Power series. Is this a type of reality for Black people? Yes. But why we keep having to watch different versions. It was just announced yet another series is being greenlit. Why do we need another one???
Yes!! It turned TERRIBLE!!
Because we don’t watch Atlanta or smart, indie stuff
31:36 Watch this movie and commentary and then think about the new Good Times. Just because we can do a thing doesn’t mean we should. There’s too much narrative about specific forms of Black pain that overwhelm any other views of Black life. By contrast, there’s so much content centered on White characters that any one depiction is just a drop in a wide ocean. We need to widen the depth and breadth of diverse Black art.
I read a really interesting article on 'Black Surrealism' as it's own genre. Can't remember the name of the article but it was very interesting in presenting a form of black art that reflects the absurdity of being 'the other' when everything around you is considered normal ie. Absurd. I probably haven't explained it well but look it up.
I love American Fiction. I mainly enjoyed the free, original, natural yet sophisticated interactions between all of the characters. Of course, racism and racialism affect us and should not be avoided completely (every great drama needs SOME conflict; Monk's conflict deals with race and relationships). The entire presentation was tight and enjoyable. Thanks for this review!
This was an amazing video essay on a film I think needs to be seen and recommended. The film addresses many issues, showcases many themes and subverts expectations while educating and entertaining. I love your channel. Thank you
The GREAT Keith David, catching a figurative stray, was hilarious.
seriously 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Terrific & comprehensive. I really needed to hear your view right after watching this film. Best part: Your focus on the debate between Monk and Santara (deserved the attention that you gave!). Like you, I felt so mixed. I did land with you on the same side: Overall, Monk is correct. However, unless I missed it, you left out the last and final comment that Santana made. I'm forgetting the exact quote, but I recall that she does come back with a suggestion that Monk himself, by his very question, might be laden with a perception that 'more' should be expected of Black folk, that his perception is that there is something intrinsically 'missing.' In effect, I had the distinct impression that Santara was confronting Theo with a possible truth: that he was himself fighting against stereotypical imagery because he fundamentally had already 'bought' into the stereotypes.
you’re so spot on! I did miss her comeback. i don’t necessarily think it changes monk’s argument and point but there was definitely some internalized self hate that monk may have been struggling with.
That’s actually my favorite independent bookstore and I remember seeing it in the movie and thinking that looks really familiar but they’re being like no there’s no way and then when it came out that that was the bookstore I was so excited I was like I knew it because only I would recognize bookstore
no way! That’s amazing that you are familiar with that actual bookstore. How cool!
This was such a brilliant film with incredibly well-developed characters. The Alzheimer's part of the plot hit very hard for me as my grandpa had it before he died during my final year of undergrad. I'm really appreciative of the rise in black cinema - everyone has their story to tell and I think it's important we can learn about the experiences of others
I seen the movie twice in the theatre and once at home on Amazon Prime. Luv this movie.
Its so, so good!
Well reviewed. 👏🏽 I absolutely loved American Fiction gave it a standing ovation. Everyone use your platform responsibly and respectfully.
Can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a new film this much.
No one likes stereotypes, and no one likes anyone believing they can guess your life by you, maybe speaking on a couple of things.
8873
Is it me or is there a bit of a Leslie Uggams renaissance underway? First American Fiction and now Fallout. It’s wonderful to see more of her and all these exquisite actors!
She's been killing it lately. I was pleasantly surprised to see her in the Deadpool franchise.
This movie is the literary version of "Hollywood Shuffle".
I watched the F.D. signifier video on spike lee before watching this movie and I'm really glad I did because I feel like American fiction is almost like a retelling of bamboozled, but with different take aways. I also wondered if the director of american fiction was thinking of bamboozeled when writing this movie. Just interesting to think about.
I also watched the F.D. Signifier video and I spent the rest of the movie telling my girlfriend "I need to show you the Bamboozled trailer"
I totally see that and had similar thoughts about Bamboozled. I thought of this as like an updated, more realistic take (until the awards ceremony scene).
Maxine Shaw attorney at law
This movie made me think of Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle! I thought it was brilliant!
One of the things that I don't think was addressed much, which I like because it let us think about it ourselves, was the fact that he was closest to/worshipped his father who killed himself seven years ago. This must have been when he started to pull away from his family and what started him down a path of mild depression that was alluded to a few times. I like how the sister also pointed out how because he was so close to their father, the other two siblings built a close bond that left him out. It is super interesting and is sort of the basis of everything that we're seeing now. As someone who lost both parents, I like that this is something in the background which is clearly an important aspect of what is going on but isn't seen as the main issue to be addressed.
@@jenniferprice4992 I really appreciate that perspective. I hadn’t worked that subtlety out myself.
This movie is amazing and unfortunately it won't get the views it deserves.
I really hope more people see it! it’s really well done
this film was so clever and its cinematic momentum, as you said, was fantastic! I watched it with my mom and we both loved it. I've been so pleasantly surprised with the Oscars nominees from this past year as I catch up with them, they've all been great in such wildly different ways!
6:31 that's the thing too I worry about my novels being placed in the African American section of a bookstore instead of it just being a novel or in my case, fantasy, being written by an author who's black.
I want my novel to be seen for its merit and characters, not because it's a black fantasy.
I actually go to the AA section to specifically look for books written by black authors. Just makes it easier for this 60-something black woman.
Its basically the spike lee movie from the 90s with that Wayans brother
Bamboozled! very similar
Being black in any industry is hard without selling out some morality is hard because the system is inherently made devoid of moral values. But I think films like these and more black and people of colour making work like this creates that room for nuance to be seen as valid. They’re so many more shows/ books and all sorts of media for black adults/ Kids that aren’t just focused on racial inclusion. I think we need more of these depictions in order to make it normalised in the general society
I'd prefer movies where we didn't sellout. So selling out doesn't get any more normalized as it already is.
Also to Sintara's debate on media morality. Snuff exist, and many countries are aware of it's damaging effects, same with porn. If we can acknowledge the damaging aspects of those medias on minds of young men, then we can understand the damaging aspects of the exploitation of black stereotypes for success, no matter the size of the bag.
This film is brilliant. I've watched it twice. I wll buy it for my collection.
It's definitely worth buying for a collection!
Okay so I greatly enjoyed this movie. I greatly enjoyed your review of it as well. So as a writer, I thought it was incredibly self aware and powerful in deconstructing the issues around the black community and the publishing industry or media in general. This was expertly done with a great mixture of satire and seriousness that was really engaging to watch. For your review, I thought it was neat how you pieced every aspect together like a puzzle finding value and contribution in everything even in some things I found to be problematic (I'll get to that in a sec). My general opinion concerning the topics slightly disagree with yours. I don't think the "hood" media is the issue especially with books, I just think the issue is the lack of counter narratives. If the white community can have Colleen Hoover and Sara J Maas then we can have Zane and all the other spicy black writers that wanna write that stuff. So in that regard I love the linear story that is both making the argument from the main characters perspective but is also pushing back appropriately through the love interest. It created a good balance. Overall I think it was nearly a masterpiece except for one glaring thing...
So from here on I'll sound a bit negative. I thought that given how self aware the film was narratively to the issues it was tackling created a huge center of irony when you think about the film itself and then compare it to Cliff as a character and his subplot in the film. The film is literally deconstructing stereotypes about black people in publishing and media and yet Cliffs character comes off as almost an intended plot device and stereotype of gay subculture. I mean... Really? The married father now divorced, abandons his family to be a druggie, partying, overly promiscuous gay dude. Then you've got the seen where they all walk in on the dudes in speedos doing drugs... Then with almost no resolution to this subplot, his life and sexuality which is in utter ruin is used as a cliche plot device to make the main character realize he should live in the now and make better choices. I couldn't help but laugh watching that 😂. Youve got a grown man with a full on family in ruins, addicted to drugs among other horrendous things and our climax with him is to discuss how he didn't get to come out to Dad (like he's a 15 year old). A movie that so expertly breaks down stereotypes in on breath, plays into every single possible stereotype in the next with what appears to be no self awareness. Then for Sterling to be NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR for that performance creates literally a mirror of the exact same irony the film was tackling (stereotype black books up for an award). LOL what the heck happened with queer representation here? 😭.
You don't sound negative at all! I like how you broke this down and still pointed out some irony in the gay subculture stereotype! I thought it was a pretty poignant portrayal in that there isn't that happy fairybook ending to his story, no resolution because he hasn't had that growth arc yet.
but I'll be honest...I didn't understand the nomination for sterling for this role...at all. I kind of feel like Hollywood will just elevate the "Darkest" portrayals of human beings for Oscar nominations...a video for another day.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
WOWWWW I did not realize I had an issue with the sterling subplot until now lol
the Cliff storyline felt forced to me and his character arc deserved more
@@rayahlightchannel agreed. its hard to balance so many plot points tho-esp in a comedy
I can remember going to a poetry event at Wayne State University. I and another black girl were chosen becz of our grades. No one even expected us to have written anything. Detroit Public School events were always, "When is it? Tomorrow." Huh? No preparation.
We met Gwendolyn Brooks. I was excited to meet her in person. When there was an ask for writing examples, I read mine. I think it was about puppies becz my mom wouldnt let me have one, too allergic. Who negatively criticized it? A young yt woman. She said i should write more gritty. Lol. I didn't have a gritty life. There was a college aged Black woman who wrote about pimp, & crack-seriously. They applauded her. The girl that had accompanied me lived on a street with several abandoned houses. But she didnt have any writing ready. That evening i thought about it and wrote another poem about black women of the past speaking to me. So i read this new poem that i had written, the next day about. THIS time a yt girl said the poem wasn't cohesive. The fact that i remember these even 36 years after high school shows how much it bothered me. As Black people we can be multi facted but too Black. Multi talented but not Black enough. As an adult, i wished i couldve spoken up on behalf of my younger self and said,"Yt girl, stfu bcz you DON'T know what the fk youre talking about." . . Now that was cathartic. 😂
Don't forget my girl Erica Alexander. She was great in the movie. I have seen her since Living Single.
When they agreed to change the name of the book, the entire theatre roared with laughter. This is such a great film and Jeffrey Wright was absolutely perfect.
I’m glad you enjoyed American Fiction as much as I did. That movie hit so close to home in so many ways for me. As someone who looks for narratives outside of drug dealer TV shows and stereotypical reality shows on VH1, I saw a lot of my viewpoints in Monk’s portrayal. Nothing seemed excessively over the top, and every element is put under a different microscope that becomes food for thought. And the Monk vs. Sintara debate might have been the part of the movie that I’ve actually experienced in real life the most. American Fiction gives me hope for a broad change of narratives in Black media, pushing away from the formulaic stories that only fit one niche of Black America, and showing stories that represent the broad spectrum of our stories.
Sameeee I'm a new born 24 year old and i absolutely LOVE to see characters over the age of 30. I believe I'm finally over watching teenage characters
Me too, sis! Me too
I loved this movie! Intelligent, funny with a lot of heart. I'm Australian and we get a lot of the American stereotypes over here in the media, it was refreshing to see an African-American family that were all educated and affluent as the norm. There was no 'he's the first one in our family to graduate' trope. I understand in the film they had some financial struggles but having a large house AND a beach house! I'd like to have those kinds of struggles!
This movie is on my list. Thanks for reviewing this!
Rod, run, don't walk to see it! I'd love to know what you think of it.
I laughed, I cried and was horrified as well. This was a great movie.
Entertaining film, but it made a huge mistake re: Tracee Ellis Ross's character. Ross was doing her best work ever, and the character was an excellent side of a complex family triangle.
I definitely agree that Ross was amazing but that is what made her sudden death so powerful.
It caught me so off guard and I instantly realized, “oh no….Monk is in trouble. He has to make a decision.”
He can’t hide AND take care of his mom AND maintain his image of being a dignified responsible man at the same time.
Him resolving all of this would not have been as rewarding
if TLR was there as a foundation, making up for his unwillingness to grow.
finally a sister that reviews stuff i'm interested in!
I loved this movie. I was expecting an LOL movie and I ended up laughing and crying and thinking about life 😂
Extraordinary movie watching. I've seen it 3x and each time, another layer of nuance and depth is revealed. It's my favorite movie of all time now. I've never experienced anything like it.
I’ve seen very few movies in theaters more than twice. This is one of them. I saw it at a film festival, then twice bringing friends or partners to see it. It was one of my favorites last year, definitely my favorite of the movies nominated for Oscars, I was really glad it won something, especially for the writing.
34:08
The argument I hear often is that people don't want to think. But my question is why. Why are people at a point where they don't want to think? What thoughts are afraid of. Eye candy is fun but we need 'eye-protein' too.
I think all art is valid and it sucks that we live in a world where art has compete with other pieces of art. Shit-post Memes can be very thought provoking while multi-billion dollar movies can be trash.
Also, yes, all art is subjective but craft is not. You can find meaning in a mustard stain but that does not make it the same the same a work created with intent with a thought and meaning behind it. Art are stories and stories are communication. You can either only talk to people who say pointless things like "looks like it's raining" or words that only cater to you or you can choose to listen to a person who has something new to tell that expand your mental horizons.
I loved this movie. I loved how the movie was shot and I really liked how people were so diverse in character. It was so interesting and especially the dialogue between Sentera and Monk.
Interesting analysis..I luved the film. ...impassioned acting, surprise ending. & Sista, your hair is beautiful.
I enjoyed this film, understood why it deserved its Oscar, and had a few thoughts. I’ll save the thesis, but I’ll say that it was genius to cast Issa Rae as Sintara, because her work has been criticised by black commentators for being too bougie, rather than ghetto. In any case, she’d definitely have been in a real life situation questioning what her work contributes to the larger discourse about black American life (ADOS and otherwise, working and middle class).
Also, while it was extremely smart and well-written overall, the ending landed like a lead balloon for me. The twist - that the producer (and presumably the publishers) overlooked Monk’s deception and now he’s back to being himself, not catfishing as the fake author, then the multiple endings, didn’t ring quite right. What did I miss??
That all said: more of this please, Hollywood!
Had to pause your vid to find and watch the movie. I'll be back...
okay... I'm glad to have come across this channel and for it having introduced me to the movie. I can see why it received praise.
I found myself in agreement with Monk's general sentiments which lead to a sharp bit of self-checking when his summation of Sintara's book came under scrutiny. As you pointed out, the fact is there are some folks who do be livin' they life like dey ain't nev'ah thot bout duh way duh earf move... but, why is that the go-to narrative whenever our stories are told?
I'm not as old as the majority of the characters but I certainly identify with taking care of family (grandchild, elderly parent, and uncle), worrying about the direction of our populations, and being frustrated at how we're represented.
although it seemed the movie took pains to avoid the political nature of this subject, I'm often disgusted with how my fellow Liberals rejoice in the most ignorant, self-destructive, aspects of my population's stereotype; as if THAT is an apt expectation of what every single one of us should be. I detest the fact that our populations are so willing to employ a cry of "respectability politics" as a thought terminating rebuff; as if we could never have our own standards of honorable conduct, cleanliness, or intellectualism -- those are obviously European traits, not African -- with the confrontation scene where Thelonious tells Sintara that her book is offensive it felt as if the movie was attempting to say playing Stepin Fetchit for the enjoyment of Europeans is a good thing.
I'm going to have at least one more friend watch it so I can get a second opinion on the matter, but I'm very glad to see a person who can articulate some of these nuanced thoughts in both a theatrical performance and in a review of such.
nice job.
I love American Fiction. Cord Jefferson has given us the Woody Allen movie we need right now.
Shout out to Paul Beatty & Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah‼
Sintara saying that Monk's problem should be with "white" people... in other words, the idea that either Monk or Sintara's point of view should have to triumph over the other is reductive.
She accepts that the "monies" that move the markets are mostly concerned with what is currently proven... so ina way Sintara's point of view will have to be monetized until the market craves something else.. Monk.
I like to think the movie itself is the real "Monk's" response to those markets. Pretty successful outing too.
beautifully written!!
I've not seen the movie. But inspired by its Oscar™ win, I'm currently reading _Erasure_ , I'm enjoying it. But I didn't need all 10 chapters of "My Pafology" stuck in the middle of it.
Hi, please do share how you got the book. As well as any sites where one get these as e-books, as a broke lover of books, I am DYINGGG in this inflation 🤣😭
Very intelligent review 👌🏿 much appreciated 👏. I agree; it would be nice to see more elderly representation in movies ( Ozzie Davis, Grumpy old men, Cocoon). Getting old is a part of life. The market wants what the market wants...but who told us what we want? We need more movies that challenge.
I’ve just watched it. I liked the movie. A couple things that kind of bothered me though. I felt both Monk’s and Sintarra’s book were equally cartoonish in how black vernacular was used. So much so that their debate around the difference between their books felt disingenuous. IMO Issa’s character wasn’t fleshed out enough to let her get away with using “I did the research” to justify her writing approach. When you juxtapose the books with the characters real life, the cartoonish nature of the books (for comedy) don’t match the great dramatic acting from most of the cast. In fact only the male and female publishing duo come off slightly as caricatures for comedic effect. But I will say the little twist at the end actually made me feel better about the cartoonish books. But I really wish the conversation around these types of books included the Black fan’s voice of Sintarra’s book. I feel like they missed an opportunity to include a Black female comedian to add more nuance.
And this is just a minor observation: Sterling K. Brown might have played the most unintentionally straightest openly gay man in a role I’ve ever seen. 😂
I absolutely loved this movie and your review. I was surprised by the range of emotions I felt watching it. I laughed, cried and most of all related to the story. It was beautifully written and told 🎉
I’m intentional about going to see movies featuring older leads (specifically women) in theaters. I love what Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have carved out.
they used the house really well, the bathtub is actually in the room on the left but obviously changed it, also funny seeing sterling trying to play the completely broken piano