Da 5 Bloods

***In Memory of Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) Rest in Power***

Directed by Spike Lee and screenplay by Lee, Kevin Willmott, Danny Bilson, and Paul De Meo from a story by Bilson and De Meo, Da 5 Bloods is the story of four Vietnam War veterans who return to the country to find the remains of their fallen leader as well as treasure they buried during the war. The film is an adventure-action story of sorts where a group of men return to Vietnam as they reflect on their time in the war as well as what was gained and wasn’t gained in their service as well as deal with demons from the past. Starring Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Melanie Thierry, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Paakkonen, Jean Reno, and Chadwick Boseman as Norman Earl “Stormin’ Norman” Holloway. Da 5 Bloods is a gripping and evocative film from Spike Lee.

The film is the story of four men who served in the Vietnam War as they return to the country to retrieve the remains of their fallen leader as well as gold they had buried many years ago in the hopes of regaining it. It is a film with a simple premise as these four men who fought in the war as they are aware of the dark history of what African-American soldiers had endured as they hope to use the gold for something bigger than themselves. Yet, they return to Vietnam as older men who saw a country that has changed into something different but the past still looms in them. The film’s screenplay by Spike Lee, Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, and Kevin Willmott does follow a traditional narrative yet it does have elements of flashbacks and insight about the war and the many different perspectives from those who were involved as well as how the world saw it. At the center of the story are these four men in Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who return to Vietnam hoping to get the gold this time for themselves and whoever they felt need it.

Joining the four men is Paul’s son David (Jonathan Majors) who is concerned about his father’s state of mind since Paul suffers from PTSD as well as spouting rhetoric that his fellow Bloods don’t follow as they’re also disturbed by the fact that he wears a MAGA cap. Otis’ return to Vietnam is more personal as it relates to a former lover he has in Tien (Le Y Lan) who gives Otis connections on where the gold is with the aid of a French smuggler in Desroche (Jean Reno) who wants a cut of the gold as an offer to get it out of Vietnam. The second act is about the journey to the jungle with the aid of a guide named Vinh (Johnny Tri Nguyen) who stays behind at a rendezvous point once they finish their journey. Yet, things become complicated as it relates to Paul but also for Otis, Eddie, and Melvin as they’re aware that they’re getting older as the trip back would be even more difficult. Even as they meet a landmine clearing organization group who have put themselves in trouble leading to all sorts of chaos relating to Paul’s paranoia.

Spike Lee’s direction does bear element of style in not just its visuals but also in the way he presents modern-day Vietnam as well as Vietnam in the past. Shot on location in Ho Chi Minh City as well as locations in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Lee does present a world that has changed yet there is still some lingering resentment from the Vietnamese over the war such as a scene where a young man on a boat tries to sell some fruit only to upset Paul leading some harsh racial words and such. Even as Lee showcases that there are those who are trying to be respectful yet Paul is someone on the verge of going apeshit due to his PTSD as well as some harboring secrets he is carrying. Lee’s compositions are straightforward but also with some stylish compositions where he does use a lot of wide shots to not just establish the locations but also to get a scope of where the characters are at as the jungle itself is a character in the film as it is unforgiving and intense. Especially as there’s areas involving landmines where the people at LAMB come into play despite the fact that David had met them earlier.

Lee’s usage of close-ups and medium shots also play into the drama and exchanges between characters as much of the scenes in present-day Vietnam is shot on digital while the flashback scenes involving Stormin’ Norman is shot on 16mm film stock with a different aspect ratio that allows Lee to bring an air of realism as well as distinctive look of those times. Lee also uses stock footage and such about the Vietnam War including pictures of those who had fallen including African-American soldiers as it relates to the racial inequality that these men endured. Lee also doesn’t shy away from using film references where both Apocalypse Now and Treasure of the Sierra Madre are referenced as it does play into the story. Notably as things do intensify in its third act as it play into this showdown between Da Bloods and these Vietnamese gunmen over the gold the former had found though it the gold also has this history of why it played a part in the war in the first place. Even as it forces these four old veterans to deal with other forces as it all play into the fallacy of greed. Overall, Lee crafts a riveting and intoxicating film about four former Vietnam veterans returning to the country to find gold and the remains of their fallen leader.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Siegel does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lighting for some scenes set at night along with the usage of filters for the nighttime scenes in the jungle along with the stylish usage of grainy 16mm film stock for the flashback scenes. Editor Adam Gough does excellent work with the editing as it does have some stylish cuts while maintaining unique rhythms to play into the emotions as well as letting shots linger on for nearly a minute to play into the drama. Production designer Wynn Thomas, with set decorator Jeanette Scott plus art directors Truong Trung Dao, Anusorn “Sorn” Musicabutr, and Jeremy Woolsey, does amazing work with the look of a club where the Da Bloods go to upon their arrival in Ho Chi Minh City as well as a hotel the four men plus David stay where they meet the people from LAMB. Costume designer Donna Berwick does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward to play into the personality of the characters as well as the design of the uniforms the soldiers wore back in the 60s.

Special effects supervisor Herbert Blank and visual effects supervisor Richard Baker do fantastic work with some of the film’s action scenes as well as a few visual effects involving the flashbacks without the need to de-age the actors with the exception of a picture for the film’s ending. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the jungles as well as the sounds of gunfire and explosions that occur in some of the action scenes. The film’s music by Terence Blanchard is incredible for its orchestral based score filled with heavy string arrangements that play into the action and drama as well as low-key somber pieces for the emotional moments of the film while music supervisor Rochelle Claerbaut creates a soundtrack that largely features the music of Marvin Gaye including six songs from his 1971 album What’s Going On as the soundtrack also feature a famed classical piece from Richard Wagner and music by Curtis Mayfield, Freda Payne, the Spinners, and the Chamber Brothers.

The casting by Kim Coleman is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Veronica Ngo as the Vietcong radio broadcaster Hanoi Hannah, Sandy Huong Pham as Tien’s daughter Michon, Nguyen Ngoc Lam as a leader of a gang of gunmen wanting the gold, Le Y Tien as Otis’ former Vietnamese girlfriend Tien, Jasper Paakkonen as a member of LAMB in Seppo, and Paul Walter Hauser as an American member of LAMB in Simon. Jean Reno is superb as the slimy smuggler Desroche as a Frenchman who offers to help Da Bloods in getting the gold out with a price only to make things worse during its third act. Melanie Thierry is fantastic as Hedy Bouvier as a LAMB leader whom David meets as she is a woman who uses her own wealth to clear landmines and wants to do something good for the world. Johnny Tri Nguyen is excellent as the Vietnamese guide Vinh who helps Da Blood go through the country and into the jungle while also having to deal with the gunmen as he would prove his worth to the team. Jonathan Major is brilliant as Paul’s son David as a man who joins the Da Bloods in the journey as he is concerned for his father’s PTSD as well as doing what he can to help everyone else as he would have a near-death encounter with a landmine.

Chadwick Boseman is amazing as “Stormin’” Norman Earl Holloway as the leader of Da Bloods who was a warrior as he would get the men to try and do the right thing despite being killed in battle as he would also appear in a vision during a dramatically-intense moment in the film. Norm Lewis is incredible as Eddie as a car salesman who helps fund the whole thing to find Norman’s body while he copes with his own issues as he also laments over the journey involving the gold. Isiah Whitlock Jr. is remarkable as Melvin as the one former soldier who is trying get everyone on check while also trying to do what is right as he is kind of the conscience of the group. Clarke Peters is marvelous as Otis as a soldier who is close to everyone as well as David’s godfather where he is concerned for Paul but is also forced to defend himself as it relates to his relationship with Tien. Finally, there’s Delroy Lindo in a phenomenal as Paul as a war veteran with PTSD and lots of emotional baggage while wearing a MAGA hat as he spouts racial rhetoric that makes everyone uncomfortable as Lindo provides that air of anguish and torment into his character as a man that is lost in his guilt.

Da 5 Bloods is a spectacular film from Spike Lee. Featuring a phenomenal ensemble cast, sprawling visuals, a compelling story of greed, guilt, and loss, Terence Blanchard’s soaring music score, and strong commentary about African-Americans’ role in the Vietnam War. It is definitely a film that isn’t just this reflective war movie but also a film that explores four men dealing with loss and wanting to bring some good to the world despite the complications they endure with the world. In the end, Da 5 Bloods is a sensational film from Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) – (School Daze) – Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) – Crooklyn - (Clockers) – (Girl 6) – (Get on the Bus) – 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) – John Leguizamo's Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) – (Bamboozled) – (A Huey P. Newton Story) – 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) – (She Hate Me) – (Inside Man) – (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) – (Miracle at St. Anna) – (Kobe Doin’ Work) – (Passing Strange) – (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) – (Red Hook Summer) – Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) – (Da Blood of Jesus) – (Chiraq) – Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlackKklansman - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2020

BlacKkKlansman

Based on the autobiographical novel Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, BlacKkKlansman is the real-life story about detective Ron Stallworth who manages to infiltrate a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a white detective as its face. Directed by Spike Lee and screenplay by Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charles Wachtel, and Kevin Willmott, the film is a look into how an African-American detective in Colorado somehow infiltrated a local chapter of the white supremacist group and eventually be a head of one of its chapters with John David Washington starring in the role of Stallworth Also starring Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Robert John Burke, Harry Belafonte, and Alec Baldwin as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard. BlacKkKlansman is a rapturous and witty film from Spike Lee.

Set in 1972, the film is about the real-life story of rookie cop Ron Stallworth who becomes the first African-American officer to work for the local precinct at Colorado Springs, Colorado where he would move up to intelligence where he finds himself making contact with a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. It’s a film that play into this man who would find himself be part of the notorious white supremacist group as he and another undercover officer in Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) would both play this man wanting to join the KKK in Stallworth’s name. The film’s screenplay does take a few dramatic liberties as the real-life events took place in 1979 yet given the context of the times and the struggle for black identity in the early 1970s. The script does play into this tension that is looming with Stallworth in the middle as a man who just wants to be a good cop and protect all kinds of people.

While he would encounter some racism from a fellow cop who likes to bust other African-Americans in Colorado Springs, Stallworth knows when to not say anything as he is given an opportunity to make a difference in the local precinct. While he knows when to keep his mouth shut, Stallworth would eventually get some serious work as an undercover officer where he first attends a student rally where civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) was speaking to see if Ture is planning something that could cause trouble. Stallworth would get his first serious assignment when he answers an ad from the Ku Klux Klan where he talks in a Caucasian accent as he would fool several leaders but knows that he needs a white face to get in. Zimmerman does it despite the fact that he’s Jewish as he takes Stallworth’s name as he would meet the local chapter’s leader Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold) as well as the psychotic Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Paakkonen). Through their frequent contacts, Stallworth would eventually get to chat on the phone with KKK’s grand wizard in David Duke (Topher Grace).

Much of the film’s second and third act has Stallworth and Zimmerman play as the former to the meetings with the latter having to attend meetings and at shooting ranges as well as the ceremony during the film’s third act. The film does have elements of humor in some of the dialogue as the script doesn’t just play into this idea of how idiotic some of the people in the KKK are but also how it parallels with events that are happening in the 21st Century including this rhetoric of making America great again. It would play into a moment in the film as its climax involves Duke’s appearance at this event but also plans to disrupt an event nearby held by Colorado College’s black student union president Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier) whom Stallworth is embarking on a relationship with.

Spike Lee’s direction is gripping for the way he plays up this idea of white power as it opens with a scene of Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard making a scientific explanation about the dangers of racial integration while using images from films like Gone with the Wind and Birth of a Nation as examples as it would inspire these ideas of white supremacy with African-Americans, Jews, and other racial/ethnic groups as inferior. Shot on location in Ossining, New York as Colorado Springs with some exteriors shot at Colorado Springs, Colorado, the film does play into this small town that is like any other town in America but with this undercurrent of rampant racism that is emerging. Lee would use some wide shots for the locations but also create something that is also intimate with the medium shots and close-ups. Even in some striking compositions and stylistic shots in the way he play into people meeting with one another as well as some of the humor that is created in scenes that has Stallworth talking the KKK on the phone as if he wants to join.

Lee’s direction also play up into the idea of Blaxploitation as an idea of African-American identity as well as the fascination of African-American culture from a few of Stallworth’s colleagues including Zimmerman who is a big fan of Willie Mays. While the character of Dumas is someone who has legit reasons for her disdain for cops, she is forced to listen to reason from Stallworth as well as be aware that not all white cops are bad. Especially as someone like Zimmerman has to listen to anti-Semitic rhetoric from Kendrickson and take it though Zimmerman admits to not acting Jewish or practicing Judaism yet does feel the need to stand up to this idea of hate. The film’s climax is unique in the way Lee presents these two different meetings where one involves the KKK and the other meeting involving black students as there’s a great contrast to how they conduct themselves and such.

The film does have an epilogue as it relates to the KKK and how it’s managed to transform into something bigger and more dangerous where despite Stallworth’s effort to make fools out of them and reveal what they’re about. Little has changed with more now trying to stop this idea of hate and bigotry from a group of people who have nothing good to offer to the world. Overall, Lee creates an entertaining yet gripping film about an African-American police officer who would find his way into the Ku Klux Klan and discover the inner-workings of the hateful organization.

Cinematographer Chayse Irvin does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes on low-key colors for many of the film’s interior and exterior settings with much of the former using some stylish lights to play into the look that is similar to 1970s cinema. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and some split-screen cuts to play into Stallworth’s conversation with Duke on the phone as it help create some comic effects into their conversations. Production designer Curt Beech, with set decorator Cathy T. Marshall and art director Marci Mudd, does amazing work with the look of the police building interiors as well as some of the local places including the home of Kendrickson with his collection of guns and stuff including a lie detector machine as well as the look of the hall where Duke has his ceremony. Costume designer Marci Rodgers does fantastic work with the period costumes that is set in the 70s from the stylish look of Dumas and other students as well as the more ragged look that some of the KKK members wear aside from the KKK robes.

Hair stylist Shaun Perkins, along with makeup artists Janine JP Parrella and Yasmina Smith-Tyson, does wonderful work with the hairstyles and look of the characters as it play into the world of the 1970s including the look of David Duke in the 1970s with his mustache. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with the visual effects as it is appears on a few set pieces including in the montage of close-ups during Ture’s speech. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the meetings and rallies as well as some of the intense moments at Kendrickson’s home and in the film’s climax in how the meetings are presented. The film’s music by Terence Blanchard is incredible for its usage of jazz and funk with elements of soul as it help play into the times as it also includes an orchestral piece that play into the drama while music supervisor Rochelle Claerbaut provides a soundtrack that features an array of diverse music from Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Temptations, Looking Glass, and a traditional music piece performed by Prince.

The casting by Kim Coleman is great as it feature some notable small roles from Isiah Whitlock Jr. as an African-American official in Mr. Turrentine who works with the police to meet with Stallworth, Nicholas Turturro as a bomb maker named Walker, Frederick Weller as the racist cop Landers, Ashlie Atkinson as Kendrickson’s wife Connie who also hates African-Americans, Michael Buscemi as a cop in Jimmy Creek who helps out Stallworth and Zimmerman, Ken Garito as Sgt. Trapp whom Stallworth and Zimmerman report to as he gets a kick out of Stallworth’s conversations with Duke, and Robert John Burke as Chief Bridges as the Colorado Springs police chief who wants to ensure that Stallworth stays out of trouble as he wants to make sure things go well. The cameo appearances from Alec Baldwin and Harry Belafonte in their respective roles as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard and Jerome Turner are superb to play into some of the historical context in what is at stake as Baldwin’s performance is sort of played for laughs while Belafonte is more reserved in how he talks about what African-Americans endured after the Civil War with lynching being common in those days.

Ryan Eggold is terrific as Walter Breachway as the local chapter head of the KKK in Colorado Springs who would be the first to contact Stallworth unaware of his true identity as he’s a more level-headed person who wants nothing to go wrong. Paul Walter Hauser is fantastic as the dim-witted Ivanhoe as a KKK member who often says dumb things while always saying some unintentionally funny stuff. Jasper Paakkonen is excellent as Felix Kendrickson as a wildcard member of the KKK who is always suspicious of those who want to join the KKK as it’s a darkly comical performance that is full of energy and wit. Corey Hawkins is brilliant in his small role as civil rights activist Kwame Ture as a man who wants to help his community though he is aware of the police brutality that he and others are dealing with but also hoping to make some kind of change. Topher Grace is amazing as David Duke as the infamous Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who is trying to make the organization look friendlier but also has this dark idea of what he wants America to be like.

Laura Harrier is marvelous as Patrice Dumas as a student union president for Colorado College as she is trying to get people together to rally against some of the oppression other students face while starting to become less political upon meeting Stallworth as she shows a more human side. Adam Driver is incredible as Flip Zimmerman as a Jewish cop who becomes Stallworth’s face in his infiltration of the KKK where he gets a closer look to what he sees as well as be disturbed by its idea of hate. Finally, there’s John David Washington in a phenomenal breakthrough performance as Ron Stallworth as an African-American rookie cop who finds an ad from the KKK and ends up infiltrating the KKK via phone as it’s a charismatic and grounded performance where he provides some humor but also an idea of what is at stake for himself and everyone who just wants to bring good to the world.

BlacKkKlansman is a tremendous film from Spike Lee that features great performances from John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. Along with its ensemble cast, stylish visuals, compelling script, and an incredible music score and soundtrack. It’s a film that captures a moment in time when an African-American would find himself in an organization that provides hate and fear in the hope he can put a stop to them even if it’s something small despite the fact that it would escalate into something far worse. Notably as it’s a film that showcases what hate can bring and how a man is willing to put a stop to it for the good of the world. In the end, BlacKkKlansman is a magnificent film from Spike Lee.

Related: Birth of a Nation

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) – (School Daze) – Doing the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) – Crooklyn - (Clockers) – (Girl 6) – (Get on the Bus) – 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) – Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) – (Bamboozled) – (A Huey P. Newton Story) – 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) – (She Hate Me) – (Inside Man) – (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) – (Miracle at St. Anna) – (Kobe Doin’ Work) – (Passing Strange) – (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) – (Red Hook Summer) – Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) – (Da Blood of Jesus) – (Chiraq) – Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2018

Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall

Directed by Spike Lee, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall is a documentary film about the period in the life of Michael Jackson from his success as a child when he was singing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 to the first major solo release of his career with 1979’s Off the Wall where he would begin to break out on his own. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews from historians, musicians, artists, and those who knew Michael reveal the boy who was driven to become one of the greatest figures in the history of pop music. The result is an entertaining and exhilarating film from Spike Lee.

The film chronicles the period in the life and career of Michael Jackson from being this idol for children when he was singing in the Jackson 5 and then leaving Motown for Epic to find creative freedom with his brothers that would lead to wanting to make a solo album of his own. It is really the look of a someone who desires to make something of his own while studying everything around him from those he was inspired by to the legends of the past. It’s a film that showcases a prodigy growing up and finding his own identity as a man and an artist and how this album that would set the course in him becoming a legend would be this impact for many people including musicians, artists, actors, athletes, and everyone else.

With interviews with Michael’s brothers Jackie and Marlon as well as Motown founder Berry Gordy, producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, filmmakers Joel Schumacher and Rob Cohen, songwriters Valerie Simpson and Sediah Garrett, Stevie Wonder, and others that knew him. The people Spike Lee would talk to doesn’t just reveal Michael’s drive and persistence but also that desire to wanting to be more than just some bubblegum singer. Even as it comes to the music as he really did all that he could to make it great as he was known for being a perfectionist. The stories about him at Studio 54 reveal that he was there for the music and would spend much of his time either on the dance floor or in the DJ booth. The film also interviews musicians such as Questlove, Pharrell Williams, the Weekend, and David Byrne as well as producers Mark Ronson and Rodney Jerkins where they would dissect each of the songs on the album and reveal why it still holds up.

With the aid of cinematographer Kerwin DeVonish in filming many of the new interviews where actors like John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez talk about the impact of his music and what it meant to them in their adolescents and growing up into adulthood. Lee also brings his own personal experiences about Michael’s music and the impact it had on him and every African-American child growing up when the Jackson 5 were around. With the aid of editors Barry Alexander Brown and Ryan Denmark in compiling many of the footage of concerts including the ones the Jacksons did in the late 70s and early 80s as well as archival audio from many of Michael’s interviews by sound editor Philip Stockton. Even as some of the demos of the songs Michael made for Off the Wall and the stuff he did with his brothers reveal the work that went into those songs which plays into the importance of musicianship and taking the time to make these songs matter in this age of laptops and machines that doesn’t have the human capacity of what can be done.

Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall is an extraordinary film from Spike Lee. Not only is it a fascinating documentary about one of the finest albums in the history of popular music but also an intriguing look into the man that made it and what it took to make a statement from being this child prodigy to a genius that is nearly unparalleled with anyone else in the world of music. In the end, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall is a phenomenal film from Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - (Oldboy 2013 film)) - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi-Raq) - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2016

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Directed by Spike Lee, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth is a presentation of Mike Tyson’s Broadway one-man show as he talks about his life from the triumphs he had as the world heavyweight champion in boxing to all of the scandals and troubles he went through in his life. The result is a fascinating yet entertaining one-man show captured by Spike Lee.

The film is a presentation of Mike Tyson’s one-man Broadway show called Undisputed Truth as he tells his life story from the way he remembers it while commenting on things in his life that he isn’t proud of but also things he cherishes. Notably as he talks about his early life and his family as he admits to having no idea who his father is while finding a family and mentor in his trainer Cus d’Amato. Tyson also talks about various incidents in his life such as the 1991 rape accusation where he revealed a lot that went wrong in his defense due to Don King as well as why one of his early trainers Teddy Atlas left over the fact that Tyson did have sex with his 12-year old sister-in-law when he was only 15 which Tyson admitted was true but also downplayed some things.

Tyson proves to be a very engaging presence in the way he tells his story where he admits that he tends to ramble at times but manages to maintains his composure and be courteous to his audience. Their reaction definitely adds power to his performance where he reveals his pain in some of the most funny ways but also in some of the darker moments where it looked like he could breakdown but manages to keep his composure. Some of the funnier moments involves not just Tyson’s ill-fated marriage to Robin Givens where he shows clips from the infamous interview with Barbara Walters. He also made some revelations about what happened during the split where they were still having sex until he found out that she was sleeping with another actor who turned out to be a now-major film star.

Another funny moment that Tyson reveals that is one of the most comical moments of the show as well as one of the most sobering moments is his feud with boxer Mitch Green where Tyson got into a street fight with the guy. Through Spike Lee’s very simple direction, Tyson is able to create things with the help of movie screens in the back to help tell his story. Even as Lee uses some close-ups and medium shots to have Tyson tell his story with the help of cinematographer Matthew Libatique and sound editor Philip Stockton as well as editor Barry Alexander Brown to help capture the energy of Tyson’s performance.

The show opens with one of the most touching moments where Tyson is sitting on a stool all alone with just one light above him as Nat King Cole’s Nature Boy plays which showcases the vulnerability of Tyson where music supervisor Janet Lopez helps provide music from Nina Simone and other artists as well as opening music by DJ Clark Kent before the show begins to help set the mood. Overall, Lee creates a very lively and touching stage performance from the Baddest Man on the Planet making Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth one of Spike Lee’s superb gems as well a key addition to his revered work in the documentary platform.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2013

Bad 25

Directed by Spike Lee, Bad 25 is the story about the making of Michael Jackson’s 1987 album and its impact on the world of pop music where many artists past and present discuss Jackson’s legacy and the album that dared to follow-up his mega-selling 1982 album Thriller. The result is a fascinating and enjoyable documentary from Spike Lee.

The film is essentially the story of Michael Jackson’s goals for Bad and the making of the album and music videos that went along for the album. Through many associates of Michael Jackson including bodyguard/confidant Miko Brando and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, the people discuss about what Jackson wanted to do as well as the fact that he wanted to reach new standards for himself as an artist and performer. While a few songs from the album don’t get profiled like Speed Demon and Just Good Friends, the rest of the album does get talked about. Along with commentaries from other artists like Mariah Carey and Kanye West and journalist Nelson George, they all discuss the brilliance of each song as well as some of the music videos.

The film also features rare footage of the making of those videos including the title track that was directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker discuss the video as they’re remastering it for the upcoming Bad 25 DVD release. The footage also includes some rare making of footage that includes Wesley Snipes who was making his acting debut at the time. Other stories include the fact that the song I Just Can’t Stop Loving You was originally supposed to be a duet between Jackson and Whitney Houston. Yet, Houston’s label didn’t want her to do it in fear of overexposure where Siedah Garrett ended up co-singing it with Jackson based on the demo she was singing on.

Spike Lee brings a lot of moments where many of the people who are interviewed are relaxed and provide a few funny commentaries. Also included are voice-overs from Quincy Jones and rare interviews from Jackson during the promotional period for the album. Lee also reveals how many of the dances from those videos were made through the help of choreographer Jeffrey Daniel whom Jackson had known in the 70s as Daniel was a dancer for Soul Train. With some wonderful editing by Barry Alexander Brown who helps fuses a lot of the rare footage with the commentaries made by the people in the interview. It helps tell the story as Lee manages to keep things in tact. The only few flaws in the film do come late when Jackson’s death is discussed along with the appearance of Chris Brown whose immature and thuggish presence was just unnecessary for the film.

Bad 25 is an excellent TV documentary from Spike Lee about Michael Jackson’s Bad. It’s a documentary that not only captures the brilliance of the album but also indicate many of the reasons into why Jackson is so missed. Despite a few flaws in the documentary, it is still engaging for the way it reveal why people love Jackson and this album as well as the fact that it is still a timeless record 25 years since it was release. In the end, Bad 25 is a wonderful tribute to Michael Jackson from Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get On the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2012

2012 Cannes Marathon: Do the Right Thing

(Played in Competition for the Palme D’or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival)

Written, directed, and starring Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing is the story about one hot summer day in a Brooklyn neighborhood as racial tension starts to boil. The film explores an entire day where an Italian pizza owner has to deal with numerous characters including a highly-vocal young man, a big man carrying a boom box, and his new pizza delivery boy who just wants to get paid. Also starring Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Rosie Perez, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, Steve Park, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Joie Lee, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Samuel L. Jackson. Do the Right Thing is a provocative yet harrowing drama from Spike Lee.

It’s a hot summer day in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn as Mookie (Spike Lee) has to go to work at a pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello). Working with Sal’s two adult sons in Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edson), Mookie’s only concern is to get paid and see his girlfriend Tina (Rosie Perez) and son Hector whom he hasn’t seen in a week. Things get tense as the day goes on where Mookie’s friend Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) is eating pizza at Sal’s as he is upset over why Sal’s Wall of Fame features Italians and wants to know if Sal will put some African-Americans on the wall. Instead, Buggin’ Out gets kicked out as he tries to start a boycott on Sal’s Pizza as the day continues to heat up where an old drunk named Da Mayor (Ossie Davis) tries to win the affections of an old woman named Mother Sister (Ruby Dee) who keeps looking out at the neighborhood.

Things continue to intensify as a trio of men (Robin Harris, Frankie Faison, and Paul Benjamin) watch the neighborhood deal with the heat while making complaints about Korean grocery store owner named Sonny (Steve Park) who had taken over the corner across from Sal’s for more than a year. Though Mookie is doing his job, he still has to deal with the prejudiced Pino who is not happy about working at his father’s place and is sick of being in an environment that he feels is filled with animals. Though Sal wants to maintain that his place is here to stay, he has an uneasy encounter with Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) who likes to blast Public Enemy’s Fight the Power at a loud volume as he later joins Buggin’ Out in the boycott against Sal that would include a mentally-challenged man named Smiley (Roger Guenveur Smith) who meanders around the neighborhood trying to sell a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

With the day turning into night and closing time starts to emerge, the tension between Buggin’ Out and Radio Raheem towards Sal about wanting some African-Americans on the wall leads to a huge fight that culminates in an incident the neighborhood would never forget.

What happens on one hot summer day in a small section of Brooklyn where things become uneasy between an Italian-America pizzeria owner, his two sons, a young pizza delivery man, his friends, some teenagers, a trio of middle-aged men, two elderly people, a Korean grocery store owner, two cops, and a radio DJ that watches everything in his booth? Well, there’s a lot that happens in this film where it all centers around a pizzeria that has been around for 25 years and one guy is upset over the fact that there’s no brothers on Sal’s Wall of Fame filled with famous Italian-Americans. A lot of is from the perspective of a young man named Mookie who is just trying to get through this hot day while he delivers pizza by foot and deal with Sal and Pino for being late or just delivering the pizzas not on time. For Mookie, he could care less except for just getting paid and do what is right for his girlfriend and their young son.

There’s also subplots that is prevalent in the film’s screenplay as it includes this old drunk who wanders around the neighborhood trying to impress this old lady as both of them watch what is going on. Notably as the old man is trying to bring wisdom to a young group of teenagers who dismiss his wisdom while he would end up doing something noble. There’s also brief glimpses of a group of Puerto Ricans trying to get through the hot day where they would have an encounter with Radio Raheem along with a scene where Buggin’ Out gets upset at a guy (John Savage) for accidentally messing up his Air Jordans. It’s all part of what is happening in the course of a very hot day as things are starting to boil where a couple of cops (Rick Aiello and Miguel Sandoval) are looking around.

One of Spike Lee’s gifts as a storyteller is the way he creates characters who are truly interesting but also flawed. Notably individuals like Pino and Buggin’ Out who are both quite extreme in their views of the world. Pino can be called a racist since he often spouts racial slurs and is not enthused about working in a predominantly African-American area. In a conversation with Mookie, it is revealed that is favorite basketball star is Magic Johnson, his favorite movie star is Eddie Murphy, and his favorite musician is Prince. That revelation is quite strange as Pino tries to explain to Mookie that these guys he loves aren’t black or whatever. They’re just men as he tries to explain but it adds to the complications of who he is though Mookie doesn’t think he’s a total jerk.

Buggin’ Out is another character that is quite extreme though his intentions about having brothers on the Wall of Fame is noble. It’s just that his approach rubs people the wrong way as he’s often dismissed or has to get some lesson from people about what he should do. Still, Buggin’ Out is on a mission to boycott Sal where he ends up gaining the very intimidating Radio Raheem in the boycott and things eventually goes out of control. Especially when it finally makes this very old-school yet kind man like Sal get even more angrier where his own hatred is unveiled in an intense scene that is followed by violence and chaos. All of this is in the eyes of a DJ named Mister Senor Daddy Love (Samuel L. Jackson) who, along with the three men in the corner, would comment everything that is going on in his neighborhood.

Lee’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the compositions he creates as well as the mood he sets for these very simple yet tense dramatic scenes. Shot on location in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, Lee wanted to show a world that is vibrant and quite diverse but also a bit uneasy due to the heat wave that is happening. Scenes such as Mookie and Tina’s love scene with an ice cube along with some interior shots show the sweat and weariness of these characters. It would add to the boiling tension that occurs as Lee would always frame the actors a certain way to play up the drama.

Notably as there’s some montages such as a scene where characters spew out racial insults at someone to the camera only for Mister Senor Daddy Love to stop the montage so that everyone should just chill out. There’s a lot of intimate yet more simpler moments where Sal is flirting with Mookie’s sister Jade (Joie Lee) where there’s a camera panning to express the different feelings of both Mookie and Pino who feel uneasy about this relationship. There’s also some striking close-ups that add to the dramatic tension including shots where Lee takes advantage of using the crane to capture the neighborhood and the characters in this neighborhood.

For the film’s climatic moment where the tension boils in this pizzeria between Sal and Radio Raheem, Lee’s camera is always presented in a slanted composition where he’s waiting for the moment for things to finally just go out of control. There’s people in this crowd that is saying names of those who had died in these awful situations where its aftermath is one that will be frustrating because it ends up raising more questions than answers over what had happened. Did anyone in that film do the right thing? It’s not that easy to answer. Yet, Lee chooses to end the film with two very different quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X that each has different viewpoints about using violence as it is followed by the picture of the two that Smiley had been holding throughout the entirety of the film. Overall, Lee creates a truly mesmerizing yet very confrontational film that doesn’t take the easy road into exploring race relations nor does he want to imply something with an overbearing message.

Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson does an extraordinary job with the film‘s vibrant and colorful cinematography from the daytime exteriors to play up the heat to the interiors where the heat intensify where Dickerson creates some gorgeous lighting schemes to play up the tension. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does a brilliant job with the editing to play up the rhythm of the conversations to the racial-spewing montage that is wonderfully cut along with other stylish elements to help keep the film at a leisured pace. Production designer Wynn Thomas and set decorator Steve Rosse do excellent work with the set pieces such as Sal‘s pizzeria with its old-school Italian setting and its Wall of Fame along with the red wall that the old men in the corner sit at including other parts of the Bedford-Stuyvesant location.

Costume designer Ruth Carter does wonderful work with the costumes from the Brooklyn Dodgers shirt that Mookie wears in the film‘s first half to the more colorful clothing many of the characters wear. Sound designer Skip Lievsay does fantastic work with the film‘s sound from the way Radio Raheem‘s boom box blares Public Enemy‘s Fight the Power to varying degrees of volume to the chaos that occurs in the film‘s climatic moment. The film’s score by Bill Lee is superb for its mix of orchestral flourishes that features a soothing saxophone by Branford Marsalis and a trumpet from Terence Blanchard to play out the chaos and drama that occurs in the film. The film’s soundtrack a wonderful mix of music ranging from Ruben Blades’ salsa to the reggae of Steel Pulse. Yet, a lot of the film’s music is dominated by R&B and hip-hop from acts like Teddy Riley, Take 6, E.U., and Public Enemy.

The casting by Robi Reed-Humes is outstanding for the ensemble that is created as it includes notable appearances from John Savages as a man who accidentally runs over Buggin’ Out’s Air Jordans, Frank Vincent as a man with a vintage car, Richard Parnell Habersham as a kid named Eddie, Ginny Yang as the Korean store owner’s wife, Joie Lee as Mookie’s younger yet more responsible sister Jade, Steve Parks as the Korean grocery owner Sonny, and Luis Antonio Ramos as a Puerto Rican who battles Radio Raheem over who has the louder boom box. Other noteworthy small yet memorable performances include Frankie Faison, Robin Harris, and Paul Benjamin as the three men in the corner commenting about everything while Martin Lawrence, Steve White, Leonard L. Thomas, and Christa Rivers are very good as the four young people who play around at the neighborhood. Miguel Sandoval and Rick Aiello are also good as the two cops who try to maintain order despite the treatment they receive from the neighborhood.

In her film debut, Rosie Perez is superb as Mookie’s profanity-spouting girlfriend Tina who bitches about Mookie not being there while Perez has a great moment dancing to Public Enemy in the film’s opening title sequence. Roger Guenveur Smith is terrific as the mentally-challenged Smiley while Bill Nunn is excellent as the intimidating Radio Raheem who sports two different rings that says “love” on the right and “hate” on the left. Richard Edson is pretty good as Sal’s much friendlier son Vito who is good friends with Mookie while John Turturro is amazing as the very prejudiced Pino who often spouts racial slurs while feeling embarrassed about where he’s working at. Giancarlo Esposito is incredible as the very outspoken Buggin’ Out who is trying to boycott Sal’s pizzeria in order to just to have some brothers on the wall.

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee are wonderful in their respective roles of Da Mayor and Mother Sister as the two elderly individuals each provide insight into the surroundings around them with Davis trying to be the man of good despite wanting a beer. Samuel L. Jackson is great in a small role as Mister Senor Daddy Love who comments about everything that is happening as he even breaks the fourth wall by letting everyone chill. Spike Lee is great as the immature but determined Mookie who is keen on wanting to get paid while having to deal with some of the things in his life as he becomes more concerned for his family whom he hadn’t seen lately. Finally, there’s Danny Aiello in a phenomenal performance as Sal who is just trying to run his pizzeria in a hot day while dealing with Mookie’s attitude, Pino’s prejudice, and the tension that is happening as he finally loses it.

Do the Right Thing is a remarkable yet powerful film from Spike Lee. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Lee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Ruby Dee, the late Ossie Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosie Perez, and Bill Nunn. It’s a film that is truly engrossing to watch for the way it plays out a lot of racial tension on one hot summer day. For those new to Spike Lee, this film is pretty much the best thing he did as well as a true landmark film for the way African-American life is depicted without playing down to stereotypes or with a message. In the end, Do the Right Thing is a magnificent film from Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - (Jim Brown: All-American) - 25th Hour - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2012

John Leguizamo's Freak

One of the premier Latin-American comedians in the world of comedy, John Leguizamo has been known for his crazy antics in his comedy acts. Notably playing various characters based on either his own life as a form of satire. While he’s also managed to have a successful career in films appearing in such films as Carlito’s Way as well as two collaborations with Australian director Baz Luhrmann for William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!. Leguizamo remains a comedy actor on-screen and on the stage while he also dabbles in drama. In the early 1990s, Leguizamo created two successful one-man stage performances entitled Mambo Mouth and Spic-O-Rama that allowed him to make fun of Latin stereotypes as well as members of his own family. In 1998, Leguizamo created his third one-man stage performance about his upbringing and tumultuous family life entitled Freak.

Freak is a semi-biographical one-man stage performance that has John Leguizamo talking about his own upbringing as he grew up in Jackson Height, Queens in New York City to a Puerto Rican father and a Columbian mother along with a younger brother. Leguizamo also reflects on the days he was growing up amidst the chaos of his own dysfunctional family along the moment he wanted to become an actor. Written by Leguizamo and David Bar Katz, the stage play is directed by Spike Lee whom he would work with Leguizamo for his 1999 film Summer of Sam. The result is a wonderful collaboration between John Leguizamo and Spike Lee.

For the first half of the show, Leguizamo discusses his childhood where he grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens after his family emigrated from Colombia. He also reflects on a theory claiming that every kid has a good and bad grandmother. The latter of which is a very religious woman who believes that John was the spawn of Satan. While his father was a man who had the dream of running a tenement building, he was also obsessed by the TV he had at the home where he cleaned everything but the screen. That leads to a skit about the broken antenna during a time John and his little brother that he called Poochie watched the TV and messed around with the antenna.

Leguizamo also discusses about the first time he got drunk with his dad but also his first discovery of sex along with his buddies. It was also around the time that his father finally achieved success running a tenement building while having different types of girlfriends. Yet, all of John’s ideas of his father would be shattered by a lie which ends the first half. The second half has John talking about his life as a teenager where he would fall for this gorgeous African-American girl while trying to impress her Muslim father. Instead, it becomes a disaster as Leguizamo and his family were forced to move to other neighborhoods that featured different ethnicities like the Irish and the Italians. Even as it led to John discussing the time he lost his virginity and how he suddenly got himself into an acting audition with Lee Strasberg.

Shot on location at the Cort Theater on Broadway, Spike Lee creates a document of John Leguizamo performing this one-man performance as he shoots it on various spots. Even as Lee shows the performance from various perspectives whether its from the audience sitting in front of the stage or from the side of the stage. Lee is always making sure that it’s about Leguizamo and how he is telling the story. Even where at one point, Leguizamo is attempting to do something and nearly collide with a cameraman where Leguizamo would do it over as a performance.

Leguizamo’s performance is truly magnificent to watch in how he tells a story without delving into gimmicks or saying lots of profanity. It’s all about who he is as he reveals a bit of his soul to the audience. In the performance, he is very engaging to the audience where he talks to them a bit. Still, he is commanding in making people laugh at something they shouldn’t be laughing at. Yet, he also brings some dramatic elements to his performance which chronicles not just the disappointment he had as a kid but also the turmoil in his parents’ marriage. Leguizamo is able to balance all of that while keeping the audience intrigued and having a laugh. Overall, John Leguizamo’s stage performance along with Spike Lee’s wondrous direction makes Freak a captivating yet entertaining viewing.

Helping Lee and Leguizamo in the presentation is cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed whose camera is always capturing the moment in Leguizamo‘s performance. Even as longtime Lee collaborator in editor Barry Alexander Brown helps maintain the rhythm of Leguizamo‘s performance and in Lee‘s direction. Production designer Wendell K. Harrington does a great job in the art direction by creating a screen for Leguizamo’s stage in the back along with props for the performance.

Freak is a wild yet fascinating stage performance from John Leguizamo that is captured with such energy by Spike Lee. Fans of Leguizamo will consider this to be his greatest stat performance of his career as he’s set to return in 2011 with his fifth stage performance called Ghetto Klown. While this film might not be up to some of Lee’s other documentaries, it’s his most entertaining as it proves what Lee can do in capturing a one-man stage performance. In the end, Freak is funny stage performance from John Leguizamo and Spike Lee.

John Leguizamo Stage Performances: (Mambo Mouth) - (Spic-O-Rama) - (Sexaholix: A Love Story) - (Ghetto Klown) - (Latin History for Morons)

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman -

© thevoid99 2011

25th Hour

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/23/04 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Spike Lee and written by David Benioff based on his book, 25th Hour tells the story of a man spending the last 25 hours of his life before going to prison.  Set in the post-9/11 world of New York City, the film follows the man with his friends, his girlfriend, and father while wondering where did it all go wrong as he is about to go to prison.  The film also marks a departure of sorts as Lee is directing a cast mostly filled with white actors as opposed to his usual African-American actors that he's worked with for a large portion of his career.  With a cast led by Edward Norton along with Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Tony Siragusa, and Brian Cox. 25th Hour is one of Spike Lee's enriching films to date.

The film begins when a young drug dealer named Montgomery "Monty" Brogan (Edward Norton) and his Ukranian accomplice Kostya (Tony Siragusa) find a battered dog in a highway in New York City as the kidnap him and Monty makes him his dog that he named Doyle. Years later, Monty is now facing a seven-year prison sentence after being busted by feds. On his final day of freedom, Monty decides to go some people for one final day. He decides to meet the first of his two childhood buddies, Jacob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is now an English teacher in a NYC school. Monty visits him during a class session one day just to tell him about tonight's final romp as he later calls his other buddy, Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) who is a commodities broker. Frank gets a call about the night as he does his usual swagger of making deals and slacking off. Jacob meanwhile, is having problems as one of his students named Mary D'Annunzio (Anna Paquin) wants to talk to him about a grade she got over one of her papers.

With the day looming, Monty goes home to his apartment where he meets with his Puerto Rican girlfriend Naturelle (Rosario Dawson) as he suspects her of being the one who ratted him out to the feds. Naturelle notices the quiet tone Monty has taken to her as he reflects on the day he got busted and how the feds told him it was her that ratted him out. With the day going by after having a meeting with Kostya about a final meeting with his uncle Nikolai (Levani Outchaneichvili), Monty reflects on what has happened to him. He goes back to thinking of his days dealing, the day he first met Naturelle when she was just 18 and still in school. He later has a final dinner with his father James (Brian Cox) as they talk about the last day. Monty goes to the bathroom where he sees himself insulting everything including himself. Monty goes back as he and his father talk about what went wrong with them as James felt, this was going to be the last time he would ever see his son.

Jacob meanwhile goes to Franks's apartment, which is nearby the area of what once was the World Trade Center. The two look at ground zero as they reflect on what has happened to Monty. Jacob insists he'll see him after he's out of jail but Frank meanwhile wants to but felt that Monty put himself into all of this and couldn't bring himself to give any sympathy. Later in the night, the two discuss about sex and how Frank is pretty good at flirting with women while the insecure Jacob admits to having troubles. They later see Monty and Naturelle as she joins Jacob and Frank for a drink knowing that they'll never see Monty again. They all decide to go to the club where Monty is supposed to meet Nikolai.

They go to the club where trying to get in was Mary as she sees Jacob and he's in shock that she's out on a school night. Monty decides that she can go in as she joins the gang for the party. Naturelle and Mary dance the night away to Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's classic White Lines as Monty decides to give Doyle to Jacob since Doyle always liked him. Monty also has a meeting with Frank as Monty wonders what will happen to him after he's in jail. He feels all those years of dealing cost him not just his freedom but a chance at a future as Frank is trying to figure out how to help him. Mary meanwhile tries to seduce Jacob as they engage in a kiss while Frank and Naturelle have a talk where Frank finally lets out all of his frustrations on her since he felt she was the one who ratted him out.

With the night looming, Monty sees Nikolai and Kostya as Monty is now officially out of Nikolai's business as he learns the truth about the bust. For Monty, it was a strange night as he feels more down in the dumps as he ponders all that is left for any sense of hope.

While 25th Hour isn't up to par with classics like Do the Right Thing or Malcolm X, it is still one of Spike Lee's finer efforts. Being a master of drama Lee brings in a structure of emotional, cerebral moments for the film's central protagonist. Using David Benioff's script as a guideline, Lee definitely uses the elements of humanist drama to portray the complexity of the characters while displaying its flaws, notably the backdrop of post 9/11 NYC that still shows its prejudices and despair while showing the vibrant American spirit that is prevalent throughout. For Spike Lee, it's another endearing tribute to New York City while showing the spirit of the city's residents and the characters in the film.

Capturing a colorful, grainy look to New York City wonderfully is cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, who definitely gives a dark, classical look to the film, especially showing only blue colors in the dance club scenes and the dark, wooden tone for the bar and outer club scenes. Prieto's work is truly one of the film's technical highlights thanks to eerie cinematography.  Another amazing element to the film is the score by longtime Lee contributor Terence Blanchard, who brings in a haunting, grandiose score with a sprawling orchestra arrangement and an ominous Arabian chant in the background while using the music of Grandmaster Flash and Bruce Springsteen for the film's emotional and fun moments.

With many of Lee's past films, there's always a great cast and here, it's no exception. Edward Norton is excellent as the troubled Monty by showing a sense of intelligence and sympathy of a man gone wrong and seeking any sort of redemption. Since breaking through with his Oscar-nominated performance in Primal Fear, Norton has been one of those actors who can instill a sense of compassion, fear, and intelligence and as Monty Brogan, he brings in a stellar performance. Topping Norton in performance is Barry Pepper as Frank by bringing in a swagger and cynicism that is relevant but also showing signs of sympathy and pain, especially in the film's final moments. Philip Seymour Hoffman is always great as the often-insecure characters and in 25th Hour, he still pulls off another amazing performance by displaying elements of self-loathing as well as compassion as he insists, he will see Monty again.

Rosario Dawson delivers her best performance to date as Naturelle by not just bringing an element of classical sexiness but a display of street smarts and intelligence to her character. She does more than just play Norton's girlfriend by adding her own sense of individuality, especially in a scene with Pepper as the two start a conflict with each other. While Anna Paquin does a good job as a Lolita-like role to Hoffman's character, she still at times has trouble delivering a NYC accent, notably in the club scenes. While this role is miles away from her Oscar-winning breakthrough in The Piano where she looked great in a sweating glow, she still needs to perfect her American accent while try to find more ways to break away from ingenue type roles as it was recently perfected by fellow young-acting peer Scarlett Johansson.

While the roles of DEA agents by Tony Devon and Isiah Whitlock Jr. are hilarious in the bust and interrogation scenes, the film's funnier moments come from Tony Siragusa. While he tries not to play the stereotypical Soviet fat man, Siragusa definitely brings some funny moments that annoy Norton's character while displaying elements of smarts as far as business is concerned. Levani Outchaneichvili as Nikolai is menacing but also noteworthy as he tells Norton's character to watch his back when he's prison as he strays away from a typical mob role. Finally, there's the always-amazing Brian Cox as Edward Norton's father. In a year where he played a screenwriting guru in Adaptation and a tough highway patrol captain in Super Troopers, Cox delivers a stellar performance as Norton's guilt-ridden father as he brings in a performance that I think the Academy has overlooked, especially in the film's final moments where he brings in moments of clarity and moral convictions that was needed. For the versatile Cox, this is one of his best performances to date.

While 25th Hour has a few predictable moments and some flaws, it's still a stellar, enduring film from Spike Lee. Fans of the filmmaker will love Lee's masterful approach to dramatic structure and emotionally intense scenes. Newer fans will find the performances of the actors more appealing while giving a nice introduction to Lee's masterful direction. With amazing performances from Norton, Pepper, and Cox that leads the cast, 25th Hour works not just as a great tribute to NYC but also showing the struggle of a human being regardless of color, which is what Lee wanted to show. In the end, 25th Hour is one of the best films of 2002 coming from one of the most seminal African-American filmmakers in the past 20 years.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2011

Summer of Sam

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/3/07.

The summer of 1977 in New York City was definitely the hottest and chaotic summers the city has known for. It was a year the New York Yankees were being led by Reggie Jackson. The year were a black-out ensued leading to riots in the poorer parts of the city. Meanwhile further downtown in Manhattan, two clubs were re-defining pop culture. There was the chic, glamorous world of Studio 54 with its disco music, anything goes behavior, and debauchery that was exclusive to those who wanted to be part of the in-crowd. The other club was down in the Bowery at CBGB's were it was the epic-center of the punk rock movement where it was the antithesis of everything Studio 54 stood for. That summer was also known for something far darker as many people were scared to go outside because of a serial killer named the Son of Sam who shoot people at night and sometimes, in their car. Fortunately, the Son of Sam whose real identity was David Berkowitz was captured. In 1999, Spike Lee directed a film chronicling that troubling summer for his film Summer of Sam.

Written by Spike Lee with Victor Colicchio, and The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli, Summer of Sam tells the story of an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx in danger of the killer known as the Son of Sam. Revolving around a womanizing hairdresser and his punk-rock loving friend, everyone in the neighborhood tries to find out who the killer is while dealing with the hot summer, blackouts, and the Yankees trying to win another season. Starring John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Rispoli, Brian Tarantina, Ben Gazzara, Arthur J. Nascarella, Anthony LaPaglia, Roger Guenveur Smith, Patti Lupone, Mike Starr, Bebe Neuwirth, Jimmy Breslin, with Michael Badalucco, and the voice of Lee regular John Turturro. Summer of Sam is an excellent, stylish portrait of the dark summer of 1977.

It's 1977 in the Bronx at a disco where Vinny (John Leguizamo) and his wife Dionna (Mira Sorvino) are hanging out a disco with their friends including bartender Joey T. (Michael Rispoli). When Dionna's Italian cousin Chiara (Lucia Grillo) wants to go home, Vinny was asked to take her home. Vinny and Chiara have sex in a car where another car was behind them. Returning to the disco, Vinny thinks nothing is going wrong until on his way home, he sees the same car he saw earlier where a couple was dead with gunshot wounds. Vinny realized that the Son of Sam might've seen him. Filled with guilt and paranoia, Vinny turns to Joey T. and the rest of their Italian buddies Brian (Ken Garito) and Anthony (Al Palagonia) are hanging out in their spot. Arriving onto their spot with a new look is Vinny's old childhood friend Richie (Adrien Brody) sporting a punk-rock look that's freaked out the rest of the gang. Brian's half-sister Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) notices Richie's new look which brings her some new excitement.

It's been a year that the Son of Sam has been killing people as Detective Lou Petrocelli (Anthony LaPaglia) and his partner Curt Atwater (Roger Guenveur Smith) turn to local mob organizer Luigi (Ben Gazzara) for help into catching the killer. Luigi, at first, doesn't but because of the letter Lou found, he decides to help out. Vinny meanwhile, wants to do right by not having affairs though he still has a fling with salon boss Gloria (Bebe Neuwirth). After getting kicked out in his mother's home and forced to live in the garage, Richie gets some surprising support from Ruby, who wants to ditch her disco look for the new punk look. Especially since she knows the Son of Sam is going after women with brunette hair. Dionna begins to wonder on how to satisfy Vinny sexually thinking he's cheating on her. Vinny professes his love to her while becoming paranoid over the Son of Sam. With Ruby's help, Richie gets a job dancing in gay clubs run by Midnite (Michael Imperioli) and doing porno films as the two hope to start a punk band.

Things only get worse as a heat wave arrives on New York City causing blackouts as a riot ensued in Harlem where John Jeffries (Spike Lee) is reporting on the riots while Luigi believes that the Son of Sam is trying to attack on that night during the blackout. Fortunately, he didn't while Joey T. with Brian, Anthony, and Woodstock (Saverio Guerra) make a list of suspects where Woodstock claims the killer is Reggie Jackson. During a night out in which, Dionna wears a blond wig, she and Vinny stop to see the club CBGB's at the Bowery which disgusts both of them because Ruby and Richie are there. Instead, they go to Studio 54 hoping to get in where they meet a photographer named Simon (John Savage) where they take part in an orgy that causes some repercussions.

Richie's appearance in the neighborhood including diners have made the locals uncomfortable. Though Ruby, his mother (Patti Lupone), and stepfather (Mike Starr) disagree, the neighborhood thinks Richie is a suspect where Joey T. thinks he's the Son of Sam. Especially after receiving a tip from their gay, transvestite friend Bobby (Brian Tarantina) who saw him at the gay club. With Vinny's life falling apart, he turns to drugs where he begins to think that his best friend could be the Son of Sam when really, a mailman named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) is revealed to be the killer with .44 caliber pistol.

Spike Lee, like another New York director Martin Scorsese, knows full well of what it was like being in New York City in all of its different cultures and locations. Since he’s going back in time to 1977, Lee chooses to explore a different world than his typical world of African-American life in previous films. While there’s a few admitted stereotypes in the Italian-American characters that are known to be idiotic at times and maybe carried away. Lee and his writers do present some positive aspects of the characters since it's all about community and how they badly react to outsiders. More importantly, Lee and his writers do excellent work in creating the atmosphere of what it was like back in the summer of 1977 with brief insight into his own Bedford-Stuy neighborhood where a murder from the Son of Sam occurred.

While Lee's direction is filled with some great moments including the close-ups and moving platform shots that's a trademark of Lee. There's even some great scenery with a few music sequences as it plays well to the time. One sequence that is notable in all of its grittiness is the stuff involving David Berkowitz who claims he was ordered by a dog named Harvey (voiced by John Turturro). The film adds a bit of horror and black-humor while the scenes of murder are horrifying to watch, particularly a sequence with the voice of Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto doing play-by-play as Berkowitz hits his target. The only thing that Lee and his writers don't get right is the punk rock scene and references. While the Who are considered to be one of the influences of punk, especially through the mind of Richie. In 1977, the Who were regarded as dinosaurs in the punk community. Plus, those in the punk rock scene didn't wear nose rings or had spiky hair at that time. That's the film's only real flaw was its inaccurate depiction to the punk rock movement since it's a place that not many people, including those in that scene, want to exploit.

Helping Lee in his visual presentation is cinematographer Ellen Kuras whose stylish, colorful camera work adds an arty feel to the film. Where most of the film's exterior, Bronx scenes are wonderfully colored; the sequences with Berkowitz, including a disco orgy scene, are shot with grainy camera work to play to the film's emotions and intensity. Kuras' lighting on some of the interior scenes and sequences are superb as she is truly one of the best cinematographers out there. Production designer Therese DePrez and art director Nicholas Lundy do great work in capturing the look of the disco scenes and clubs as well as the authentic look of Italian Bronx 1977. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter also does great work with the film's 70s clothing while the punk look was outrageous despite its inaccuracies. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does excellent work with the film's editing giving the film a sense of rhythm with its jump-cuts and perspective cuts where it adds to the style that Lee wants. Sound editor Ken Lee also does great work in bringing the tense atmosphere of the times with the layers of gunshots to create suspense.

Longtime Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard brings a wonderfully symphonic film score to play to the film's drama and the suspense towards the times. The film's soundtrack is filled with a large array of disco classics from ABBA, Thelma Houston, Marvin Gaye, the Emotions, Barry White, Chic and MFSB. Also included are cuts from the Who, Elvin Bishop, Elton John, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, and a very appropriate cut from the Talking Heads.

The cast is wonderfully assembled with memorable small performances from Brian Tarantina, Ken Garito, Saverio Guerra, Al Palagonia, and Lucia Grillo despite the stereotypes they play. Other small roles from Mike Starr, Michael Imperioli John Savage, Patti Lupone, Bebe Neuwirth, and Arthur J. Nascarella as Dionna's father Luigi are better with Anthony LaPaglia and Roger Guenveur Smith as the cops bringing excellent support. Ben Gazzara is excellent and subdued as the wise mob boss Mario while the film also features some notable cameos from Spike Lee as a reporter, his sister Joie as a resident of Bedford-Stuy, Evander Holyfield as a person in the riots, John Turturro as the voice of a dog, and Jimmy Breslin who opens and closes the film with some narration on that dreadful summer. Michael Rispoli is excellent as the tough but cautious Joey T. despite the fact that he's an idiot at times while he's just wanting to do what's right though his intentions are wrong.

Though he's only in the film briefly and playing the role of the Son of Sam/David Berkowitz, Michael Badalucco does great work in bringing the insanity of Berkowitz while trying to hide his face and identity throughout the film. Jennifer Esposito is excellent as the lush, vibrant Ruby whose newfound sense of individuality brings energy to the film as she is one of the female character who try something new while having some great chemistry with Adrien Brody. Mira Sorvino is in excellent form as the scorned wife who wonders what she wants from her husband only to develop into a woman who realizes that she had done nothing wrong at all. Sorvino, who hasn't done a lot of great work since winning the Oscar for Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, remains to be an underrated actress.

John Leguizamo is also in excellent form as the cheating, pill-popping, paranoid Vinny whose sense of morality is question as he becomes the most easily manipulated character in the film through his friends (except Richie) and his own penis. Finally, there's Adrien Brody in a fantastic role as Richie. The misunderstood punk kid who is trying to do his own thing despite what people think he is. Though his affiliation with punk is a bit mis-guided, Brody owns the role with his wit and charm while doing some cool dances at the gay club sequences.

Though Summer of Sam isn't a perfect film, it is still an excellent chronicle of that infamous summer by the always-brilliant Spike Lee. With an excellent cast led by Adrien Brody, John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, and Jennifer Esposito, it's a film that is part nostalgia, part suspense. While it's not one of Spike Lee's classic films, it's still notable for the fact that it's a change of pace from his study of African-American life as he reveals to be a humanist director despite some of his cynical views. In the end, Summer of Sam is an excellent portrait of the infamous summer of '77 from one of NYC's finest, Spike Lee.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - Crooklyn - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2011