by Josh Sewell
One Night in Miami
(Rated R for language throughout. Available on Amazon Prime starting January 15.)
The cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge and Eli Goree.
What it’s about: Based on Kemp Powers’ acclaimed play, the film – which marks actress Regina King’s feature directorial debut – takes place in 1964 on the night Cassius Clay (Goree) won the world heavyweight boxing champion title. He celebrated with three of his closest friends: singer Sam Cooke (Odom), activist Malcolm X (Ben-Adir), and football star Jim Brown (Hodge). While the event actually happened, the details surrounding it are unclear, so Kemp and King imagine what that night would’ve been like, as well as why it led to Clay announcing he was a Muslim and changing his name to Muhammad Ali.
The good: Frequent movie and television viewers already know Regina King is one of the greatest actresses of her generation – she’s got an Oscar and four Emmys to prove it. Now it’s clear she has a bright future as a director ahead of her too. The premise of One Night in Miami is fascinating, to be sure. However, because the majority of the film is four men sitting around talking, there’s always the risk that the audience could lose interest.
Instead, the narrative momentum thrives because King keeps the conversations lively through lots of creative shot compositions and a constantly moving camera. Of course, it helps that Powers makes each historical figure a distinct, engaging character and gives them all plenty of engaging, intelligent dialogue. The men rotate through a constant cycle of joking around, monologuing and arguing, but it never feels tedious or performative. That’s because, in addition to the immense talents of King and Powers, the cast is absolutely phenomenal.
Anyone who plays civil rights leader Malcolm X has their work cut out for them. Not only must they believably portray one of the most complex, charismatic figures of the 20th century, they also have to compete with Denzel Washington’s masterful performance in Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic. Miraculously, British actor Ben-Adir pulls it off by showing the nuanced differences in his character’s public and private personas.
Odom is terrific as well, playing Cooke as an authentic guy who’s not always likable. He’s clearly a gifted singer and savvy businessman, but Odom isn’t afraid to lean into the character’s ego and stubbornness. Hodge and Goree are equally strong, providing a winning dynamic of stoicism and unending charisma. Playing the two athletes in the room, they work well together and it’s oddly thrilling when a turn in the conversation causes them to trade roles for a moment. The subdued Brown suddenly speaking his mind or the bombastic Clay realizing it’s time to be quiet packs the same emotional punch as an expensive CGI setpiece in a Marvel movie.
The not-so-good: Some viewers may not like the claustrophobic nature of One Night in Miami, but I love that the film stays closely connected to its origins on the stage. When you’ve got actors this great, I could watch them sit around and talk for even longer.
Grade: A
MLK/FBI
(Not rated, but contains strong thematic material and graphic images. Opens in limited release and available On Demand January 15.)
The cast: Archival footage of Martin Luther King Jr. and interviews with historians and FBI officials.
What it’s about: Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the United States government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of the country’s most cherished ideals.
The good: MLK/FBI is full of compelling info and rarely-seen interviews that allows director Sam Pollard to focus on King as a brilliant strategist and real person – flaws and all – rather than the perfect, blameless saint he’s often portrayed as. But it’s not some TMZ-style exposé; instead of feeling disrespectful, this perspective humanizes the civil rights leader. It helps viewers understand the immense pressure he was under and the toll that the constant threat of danger took on him.
Pollard’s film also showcases J. Edgar Hoover’s vile, frequently unconstitutional surveillance of civil rights leaders, who he viewed as more of a threat to American life than communism. Hearing that era’s government officials’ justification for their behavior, not to mention seeing it in writing via tons of official documents, proves that opponents of equality haven’t changed their tactics much. They’re still leveling the same accusations at Raphael Warnock, Stacey Abrams, Black Lives Matter activists, etc. they were using against King and his contemporaries in the 1960s.
The not-so-good: The documentary is a bit dry because of the unpolished, often monotonous delivery from its narrators. However, the astonishing archival footage and comments from King’s friends and colleagues help balance it out.
Grade: B
Book Review: Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused
I’m a big fan of oral histories related to pop culture, mainly because they show how our perspective of important events depends on who’s telling the story. The king of the genre remains Live From New York, James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ remarkable account of four decades of Saturday Night Live, but there have also been some other recent great ones on The Office, The Wire and the history of MTV.
Now, Melissa Maerz has contributed an outstanding addition to the genre with Alright, Alright, Alright, her incisive, thoroughly researched look at the cultural impact of Richard Linklater’s cult classic Dazed and Confused. She managed to talk to almost everyone involved in the groundbreaking 1993 comedy, which follows a bunch of 1976 Texas teenagers around on the last day of school, including Linklater and now-famous stars like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey and Renee Zellweger.
It’s an engaging, fast-paced read, one that doesn’t shy away from the film’s troubled production history. This isn’t some publicist-friendly, “we were all best friends and still hang out” nostalgia-fest. Only a few chapters in, I was in awe of Maerz’s interview skills. Linklater is brutally honest in his assessment of his most famous work and the author got some shockingly candid quotes from the cast and crew.
Fans of Dazed and Confused will delight in stories about McConaughey’s career-making performance (including the origin of his catchphrase that gives the book its title), which grew from a bit part into something more substantial once another actor alienated everyone on set with his diva antics. They may also be dismayed to learn that remarks from a couple of their favorite performers cause them to seem not-so-great.
As such, readers looking for a warm, fuzzy group hug should probably look elsewhere. However, those interested in a warts-and-all chronicle of how films get made (indie movies, in particular) will find plenty to appreciate in Alright, Alright, Alright.
Grade: A
(Rated R for language throughout. Available on Amazon Prime starting January 15.)
The cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr., Aldis Hodge and Eli Goree.
What it’s about: Based on Kemp Powers’ acclaimed play, the film – which marks actress Regina King’s feature directorial debut – takes place in 1964 on the night Cassius Clay (Goree) won the world heavyweight boxing champion title. He celebrated with three of his closest friends: singer Sam Cooke (Odom), activist Malcolm X (Ben-Adir), and football star Jim Brown (Hodge). While the event actually happened, the details surrounding it are unclear, so Kemp and King imagine what that night would’ve been like, as well as why it led to Clay announcing he was a Muslim and changing his name to Muhammad Ali.
The good: Frequent movie and television viewers already know Regina King is one of the greatest actresses of her generation – she’s got an Oscar and four Emmys to prove it. Now it’s clear she has a bright future as a director ahead of her too. The premise of One Night in Miami is fascinating, to be sure. However, because the majority of the film is four men sitting around talking, there’s always the risk that the audience could lose interest.
Instead, the narrative momentum thrives because King keeps the conversations lively through lots of creative shot compositions and a constantly moving camera. Of course, it helps that Powers makes each historical figure a distinct, engaging character and gives them all plenty of engaging, intelligent dialogue. The men rotate through a constant cycle of joking around, monologuing and arguing, but it never feels tedious or performative. That’s because, in addition to the immense talents of King and Powers, the cast is absolutely phenomenal.
Anyone who plays civil rights leader Malcolm X has their work cut out for them. Not only must they believably portray one of the most complex, charismatic figures of the 20th century, they also have to compete with Denzel Washington’s masterful performance in Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic. Miraculously, British actor Ben-Adir pulls it off by showing the nuanced differences in his character’s public and private personas.
Odom is terrific as well, playing Cooke as an authentic guy who’s not always likable. He’s clearly a gifted singer and savvy businessman, but Odom isn’t afraid to lean into the character’s ego and stubbornness. Hodge and Goree are equally strong, providing a winning dynamic of stoicism and unending charisma. Playing the two athletes in the room, they work well together and it’s oddly thrilling when a turn in the conversation causes them to trade roles for a moment. The subdued Brown suddenly speaking his mind or the bombastic Clay realizing it’s time to be quiet packs the same emotional punch as an expensive CGI setpiece in a Marvel movie.
The not-so-good: Some viewers may not like the claustrophobic nature of One Night in Miami, but I love that the film stays closely connected to its origins on the stage. When you’ve got actors this great, I could watch them sit around and talk for even longer.
Grade: A
(Not rated, but contains strong thematic material and graphic images. Opens in limited release and available On Demand January 15.)
The cast: Archival footage of Martin Luther King Jr. and interviews with historians and FBI officials.
What it’s about: Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the United States government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of the country’s most cherished ideals.
The good: MLK/FBI is full of compelling info and rarely-seen interviews that allows director Sam Pollard to focus on King as a brilliant strategist and real person – flaws and all – rather than the perfect, blameless saint he’s often portrayed as. But it’s not some TMZ-style exposé; instead of feeling disrespectful, this perspective humanizes the civil rights leader. It helps viewers understand the immense pressure he was under and the toll that the constant threat of danger took on him.
Pollard’s film also showcases J. Edgar Hoover’s vile, frequently unconstitutional surveillance of civil rights leaders, who he viewed as more of a threat to American life than communism. Hearing that era’s government officials’ justification for their behavior, not to mention seeing it in writing via tons of official documents, proves that opponents of equality haven’t changed their tactics much. They’re still leveling the same accusations at Raphael Warnock, Stacey Abrams, Black Lives Matter activists, etc. they were using against King and his contemporaries in the 1960s.
The not-so-good: The documentary is a bit dry because of the unpolished, often monotonous delivery from its narrators. However, the astonishing archival footage and comments from King’s friends and colleagues help balance it out.
Grade: B
I’m a big fan of oral histories related to pop culture, mainly because they show how our perspective of important events depends on who’s telling the story. The king of the genre remains Live From New York, James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ remarkable account of four decades of Saturday Night Live, but there have also been some other recent great ones on The Office, The Wire and the history of MTV.
Now, Melissa Maerz has contributed an outstanding addition to the genre with Alright, Alright, Alright, her incisive, thoroughly researched look at the cultural impact of Richard Linklater’s cult classic Dazed and Confused. She managed to talk to almost everyone involved in the groundbreaking 1993 comedy, which follows a bunch of 1976 Texas teenagers around on the last day of school, including Linklater and now-famous stars like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey and Renee Zellweger.
It’s an engaging, fast-paced read, one that doesn’t shy away from the film’s troubled production history. This isn’t some publicist-friendly, “we were all best friends and still hang out” nostalgia-fest. Only a few chapters in, I was in awe of Maerz’s interview skills. Linklater is brutally honest in his assessment of his most famous work and the author got some shockingly candid quotes from the cast and crew.
Fans of Dazed and Confused will delight in stories about McConaughey’s career-making performance (including the origin of his catchphrase that gives the book its title), which grew from a bit part into something more substantial once another actor alienated everyone on set with his diva antics. They may also be dismayed to learn that remarks from a couple of their favorite performers cause them to seem not-so-great.
As such, readers looking for a warm, fuzzy group hug should probably look elsewhere. However, those interested in a warts-and-all chronicle of how films get made (indie movies, in particular) will find plenty to appreciate in Alright, Alright, Alright.
Grade: A
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