Smart about Race

So, on the way back from Chicago this summer, Julien, Becky and I were talking about The Help. The movie hadn't been released yet, but both Becky and I were skeptical. Julien asked about our skepticism. Do you think the movie will be racist?

The point, I said, was not that the movie would be racist. Most everything is racist. Hollywood itself, for that matter. But when I think about films, I told Julien that I think some films are smart about race and some films are stupid about race. I assumed from the trailer that The Help would be stupid about race.

I was right. The Help is actually extremely stupid about race. From its total ignorance about the state terror under which black people lived (and continue to live) in the South to its insistence on black women's love for the white children they're forced to raise to the almost total absence of black men in the film to the humorous way The Help deals with black women's fear of white men, The Help is just dumb about race.

Any film with a magic negro in it falls in the category dumb-about-race for me.

But all this got the three of us to thinking about what films are smart about race. I might need some feedback on this. I could not think of that many. These are the films I could think of:

Two films by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck: Sugar and Half Nelson. The first is about a baseball player from the Dominican Republic who comes to the U.S. and is transplanted to a midwest farm team. The second is about a teacher who is addicted to crack. Half Nelson in particular taught me about my own racist prejudices when I watch a film. That film stars Ryan Gosling and Anthony Mackie. So good.

I also recently watched the film Claudine from 1974 with Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones and found it funny and moving and extremely smart about race.

I always thought Monster's Ball was pretty smart about race, too, but it's been a while since I saw it, so I can't remember that all that well.

Of the films I've seen in the last ten years:
Precious.
The Class.
The Visitor.
The Last King of Scotland.
Caché.
Junebug.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.
Dirty Pretty Things.
Raising Victor Vargas.

There are probably a couple more that I am missing here. Anyhow, the point is: the list as such is not very long.

Thoughts?

Azucar

I know you haven't seen Sugar but you really must. Sugar was released in indie theatres in April or so and is the new film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the duo who made the brilliant Half Nelson.

Sugar follows a young pitcher from the Dominican Republic as he moves from a baseball training camp in the DR to Houston TX to playing Double-A baseball in the middle of Iowa. When Sugar moves to Iowa he boards in the home of an older midwestern couple, attends their church with them, and eats meatloaf.

This film is superb. It is a fascinating exploration of the globalization of baseball, but also a moving story of a young man who dreams of "America." It also is an interesting new perspective on ever-present USAmerican issues like race and poverty.

It's also a baseball movie, but light years away from a film like The Natural. Sugar is about how hard baseball can be. It is about growing up and leaving home and following your dreams. It is also is really smart about the Nationalist/Patriotic sentiments which inhere in baseball fandom and how those sentiments square with supporting players who are not only from other countries but speak only Spanish. The Great (Pan-)American Pastime indeed.

At any rate, you really must see this movie. You will remember that Half Nelson was a very high #3 on my list for 2006. I loved that film and I love this one.

The Nominees: Part V of VIII

THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

1 Nomination:

Best Actor: Forest Whitaker

Director: Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void, One Day in September)
Cast: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, David Oyelowo, Simon McBurney

This film is one of my favorites of the year and Whitaker has been the frontrunner in the Best Actor race for at least two months. This is another Jamie Foxx in Ray juggernaut for the Best Actor race. Unfortunately, this excellent film, which was written by The Queen's scribe, Peter Morgan, and boasts another superb lead actor performance (from James McAvoy), has been mostly ignored except for Whitaker's performance (which is, admittedly, a remarkable one). This film is the movie about Africa that should have been recognized by the Academy (have I mentioned how much I hate Blood Diamond?)At any rate, Whitaker will win his Oscar and the film will get seen because of him, so I can't complain too much.
Will Win: Best Actor
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #6 out of 69

VENUS

1 Nomination:

Best Actor: Peter O'Toole (My Favorite Year, The Stunt Man, The Ruling Class, Goodby, Mr. Chips, The Lion in Winter, Becket, Lawrence of Arabia)

Director: Roger Michell (Enduring Love, The Mother, Changing Lanes, Notting Hill, Persuasion)
Cast: Peter O'Toole, Jodie Whittaker, Leslie Phillips, Vanessa Redgrave

O'Toole, who, as you can see above, has received his eighth Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year was actually given an honorary Oscar two years ago for his contribution to "cinema history". When the Oscar is awarded to Forest Whitaker on February 25th, O'Toole will be the most frequently-nominated performer in history to never actually win an Oscar. In 1963, when he was first nominated (the performance that seems to stand out in most people's minds) he lost to Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. This seems a difficult decision with which to argue. His subsequent nominations are easier ones to argue in favor of O'Toole, but not that easy. For example: would you take away Brando's Oscar for The Godfather in order to give O'Toole one? What about De Niro's for Raging Bull? After I've said all of that, O'Toole is definitely Whitaker's fiercest competition for the trophy and though he got off to a late start, he has been campaigning like a champ. I recently heard an interview with him on Fresh Air, and he's also been appearing on Television. I think it would be a shame to rob Whitaker, but maybe O'Toole'll win one after all.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: Best Actor
My Rating: I haven't seen it. (Curse you, Tallahassee!)

HALF NELSON

1 Nomination:

Best Actor: Ryan Gosling

Director: Ryan Fleck
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony Mackie, Monique Curnen, Deborah Rush, Jay O. Sanders, Karen Chilton, Tina Holmes

Another of my favorite films of the year that was all-but-ignored by the Academy. Shareeka Epps performance is an excellent one and the script is one of the smartest of the year. I've lauded the film before (you can get to that through the link down below if you are so inclined) so I won't rehash that, but I would like to celebrate Gosling's nomination, even if it meant that Sacha Baron Cohen was excluded from the category. Gosling's performance is an honest, powerful one that reveals layer upon layer. Everyone should be paying attention to this guy. He's at the top of his game and is doing excellent work.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #3 out of 69

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

1 Nomination:

Best Actor: Will Smith (Ali)

Director: Gabriele Muccino (Remember Me, My Love, The Last Kiss)
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta

This is a case of a giant movie star in a vehicle that is perfect for him. Smith's performance in the film is quite good for a movie star (in the way, say, Julia Roberts' performance was quite good in Erin Brockovich). The film is ridiculously sappy and at the same time, both relentlessly depressing and wildly triumphant. The Academy, understandably, has ignored everything but Smith's work. Should we even talk about the mis-spelling in the title? It makes sense in the context of the film, but everytime I type the title I want to write [sic] after it.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #46 out of 69

VOLVER

1 Nomination:

Best Actress: Penélope Cruz

Director: Pedro Almodóvar (Bad Education, Talk to Her, All About My Mother, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Cast: Penélope Cruz, Lola Dueñas, Carmen Maura, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, Chus Lampreave, Antonio de la Torre

How I love this film! and how I love this filmmaker! This film totally got robbed for a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. This hurts even more because frequently Spain has been electing not to submit Almodóvar's films for the category. The big snub is probably due to a male-dominated voting bloc in the category that would, understandably, not really connect with Almodóvar's stories about women and the men they have to overcome. Cruz's nomination is much-deserved, though, so I'll just be glad about that. It would've been really ridiculous if this film had received no nominations at all.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #5 out of 69

Film Update

I am a shitty film blogger.

The Fountain, new from Darren Aronofsky (his last film was 2000's Requiem for a Dream) is amazing. Aronofsky ought to never wait do long to make a movie again. I loved this movie. It's a visual stunner and the imagination of Aronofsky is front and center with the movie. I know some will have trouble with the movie, but I absolutely loved it. It's not terribly intelligent or new or anything, but the techniques he uses are so wonderful and it is easily the most beautiful film of the year. Hugh Jackman is absolutely wonderful in the lead role(s). And there is a totally hot, wonderfully filmed sex scene in a bathtub. Did I mention the movie is breathtakingly gorgeous?

Ask the Dust is a competent, slow-paced movie from legendary screenwriter-turned-director Robert Towne (you know who he is. He wrote Chinatown.) It's okay. No great shakes. An Italian immigrant and a Mexican woman fall in love in 1933 Los Angeles. Some of the movie is done really, really well. Colin Farrell is very good (if far too good looking for the part) and so is Salma Hayek. The plot is rather conventional, though, and it doesn't really have much new to say. Shrug. It was good.

Half Nelson is one of myn ew favorite films from this year. I loved it. It's about a drug addicted high school teacher in an inner city neighborhood. It's a movie with very few answers and a lot of really intriguing, honest questions. The two main performances, from Ryan Gosling as the teacher and Shareeka Epps as his young student are absolutely extraordinary. Epps is a total puzzle. She is the toughest little girl you've ever seen and yet she has a smile that can make you feel like you've never seen anyone smile before. Gosling is superb, haunted. The movie is about so many things: mostly addiction, race relations and teacher-student relations. I cannot recommend it enough. I think it's the smartest movie I've seen this year. Go see it!

Blood Diamond is retarded. Skip this bullshit. It's an Edward Zwick party and it's idiotic as all Hell. I think I disliked it more than last year's Munich. Spielberg's movie was at least well-made.

Happy Feet is a total mess too, but also totally fucking fun. Penguins that dance like Savion Glover. You can't really screw that up. It's also a movie about religious fanaticism and environmental protection in the Antarctic and growing up different (gay?--I think so). I liked it quite a bit. It's very silly but totally ridiculous and therefore fun. There are even these little tiny Adélie penguins that all speak Spanish. It's hilarious.