Cabin in the Sky

Cabin in the Sky is a classic African American film. It came out back when we were still Negro’s and is a film about a man, Little Joe, who is killed while gambling. He is a borderline soul and is given a short amount of time to come back to Earth so that he can earn his way into either heaven or hell. An Angel and a devil both try and nudge his soul in their respective directon It’s a musical, that stars the likes of Lena Horne, and many other classic actors.

I watched this film quite often as a child, and never ceased to enjoy it. It shows the dedication and artistry of African American film makers during a time when their abilities were not respected. Besides being a great African American film, it is also a great American film.

I would recommend this as a buy for several reasons. It is well written, well filmed, and truly entertaining. It is a historical film that will allow you to see a glimpse of how the pre civil rights African Americans lived in their own communities and you’ll enjoy it.

Slumdog Millionaire

Wow. The film is about a poor kid from the slums, or a “slum dog” who is one question away from winning the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The film begins with the police torturing him to find out how he cheated because it is assumed that an impoverished product of the slums could not possibly have known the answers to such difficult questions as those asked on the show. As he explains to the police how he knows the answers, we are shown flashbacks of the significant moments of his life that are tied to his knowledge.

The film is in both English and an Indian language with subtitles. We are able to see the plight of the Muslim minority in India. The abuse of women, children, and the poor is also highlighted in the film. The industry and grit of the Indian people is displayed in every moment of Slumdog Millionaire. The lead actor Dev Patel, is brilliant in the film, making the audience feel happy when he is happy, and sad when he is as well. His brother, Selim, is played by three different actors throughout his life, all of whom make you both love and hate the character.

Slum Dog Millionaire is a movie that has won many awards and much critical acclaim. You have doubtlessly heard of it. I want to let you know that, besides being a darling of the critics, it is also a watchable and engrossing movie that you will enjoy. It’s a buy.

Mongol

Mongol is the story of how Genghis Khan came to power. It is a quite interesting portrayal of a man who is usually portrayed as a heartless and barbaric conqueror. It is a foreign film, so you have to read the subtitles, but it appears to be well funded and is quite interesting. The audience is afforded the opportunity to see inside Mongol culture and witness how cultural mores and values can be both harm and help the life of an individual.

Aside from the action and historical aspect, the focus on how culture tears apart the friendship of Genghis and his blood brother, how it leads to his fathers death and then saves his own life, is a fascinating part of the story. We do not get the opportunity to see Genghis conquer the kingdoms of Asia, but we do get an opportunity to see him conquer the many barriers cast in his way.

I would rate Mongol a buy. It may not be a film that you watch every other weekend, but it will be one that, when you do sit down and watch it, you will enjoy thoroughly.

Diary of a Tired Black Man

Diary of a Tired Black Man is high concept and low quality. It was written, shot, and produced by Tim Alexander. I don’t think it is because of any laziness on Tim Alexander’s part, I just simply think it’s hard to make a film. It’s a little bit documentary, a little bit feature film. It’s the story of a Black man who has divorced a Black woman and the personal and relationship issues that led to their separation.

The film has a good message; don’t carry your baggage from a former relationship into your present one. The issue of some Black women, and men to be honest, punishing their current partner for the mistakes of a past one is valid. Tim Alexander also focuses on how the problems between men and women while raising a child lead to generational problems in terms of relationships in the community. I was also very impressed by a portion of the film where the lead character, James, had to come to terms with his own role in choosing a woman with whom he was not a good match. I think that helped the film simply being a female bashing answer to men bashing films and books. For these reasons alone it’s worth giving a look. That’s the good.

The bad is abundant as well. The acting is not great throughout most of the film, although the lead actor Jimmy Jean-Louis does a good job. Tim, when interviewing people on the street came across as aggrieved at times. Sometimes messages in the film that could have been delivered with subtlety were delivered with way too much force. In other words he lays it on kind of thick. It also gets a little long near the end. However, over all the film had a worthwhile message and is worth watching. Despite some rough patches, the good moments are really excellent. I rate it a rent.

Born Rich

How does the other half live. Often when we focus on how one’s environment affects one’s life, we focus primarily on the impoverished. Born Rich is a film that does the exact opposite. It is a documentary by Jamie Johnson, an heir of the Johnson and Johnson fortune, who focuses on people who have inherited their wealth and what their lives are like.

What struck me about the film was the sincerity of the people who spoke with Jamie. The spoke of their advantages in life, how it feels to be born to so much privilege, and what their family lives are like. It was a very honest portrayal of human beings who have been lucky enough to inherit extreme wealth. Some of them were humble and hard working, others were arrogant and self centered, but they were all fascinating.

Born Rich would have probably benefited from a more professional production, and I would have liked subtitles for some of the harsher foreign accents, but all in all it was a fascinating and unique movie. I would recommend renting or purchasing this film.

One Day in September

The Munich Olympics were one of the most tragic events in the games history. Israeli Olympians were killed by Palestinian terrorists as they attempted to compete for their country. One Day in September is a documentary that shows how German incompetence, Israeli intransigence, and Palestinian extremism led to the death of athletes who wanted to compete at the pinnacle of their sports.

One of the Palestinian terrorists, the only survivor of the events and Israeli reprisals, is interviewed and shares his point of view. Countless German officials give their perspective as they were trying to get the hostages free and redeem the image of their nation in the first German Olympics since Hitler’s Berlin propaganda games. Israeli’s who watched their loved ones and country men being held hostage and murdered shared their stories as well. It is a unique and heart wrenching portrait of the high costs of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

I would highly recommend viewing this film. It humanizes every actor in the conflict and shows us just how devastating and far reaching violence and oppression can be. Frank Herbert wrote that we cannot escape the violence of our ancestors. This film showed just how accurate that statement is.

Quilombo

When you think successful slave rebellion you probably think Nat Turner or Haiti. You should be thinking Palmares and Quilombo. Brazil received more African slaves than any other place in the New World. These slaves rebelled in many places, especially during a war between the Ducth and the Portuguese, and established a viable republic in the jungles of Brazil. Leaders like Ganga Zumba and Zumbi fought to protect runaway slaves, Amerindians, and poor whites from the deprivations of the entrenched wealthy classes in Brazil. This film is a must see if you want a better understanding of slaves in the New World and their ability to overcome horrific circumstances. Quilombo is a film that tells this story and will likely be most of our first exposure to the Brazilian struggle for freedom. Check This Film Out!!!

Life and Debt

I got a chance to go to Jamaica this year and it is a beautiful place. The people are nice and the Atlantic is wonderful. I was catered to in the resort where I stayed by locals which was a nice, if peculiar, experience for me. I also got a chance to see the poverty of that nation. I saw houses without electricity or plumbing. I bought curry goat from a place that could be described as a shack. And I knew before going that many people there aren’t able to enjoy the things I enjoyed on their island. Life and Debt explains why that is.

Jamaica is a nation whose climate allows for the production of vast quantities of food, its people are hard working, and it is close enough to other nations to have profitable trade with them, but it is also very poor. The film, Life and Debt, explores how the first world’s loans and economic theory have impoverished the nation. Jamaica is in debt to the IMF and the World Bank and these institutions have established policies that have only harmed the country. Jamaica is not allowed to give farm subsides to its agricultural sector but has to compete with nations, such as the United States, who heavily subsidize production.

Life and Debt does a brilliant analysis of this problem and explains how post-colonial Jamaica has been devastated by policies created to keep the first world empowered at their expense. It is a must see and I would recommend viewing this film to anyone who is interested in why the post-colonial world is suffering economically.

What Black Men Think

Wake Up!

Carter G. Woodson wrote a book called the Miseducation of the Negro about how African Americans were being taught to think in ways that were detrimental to the health of their communities and that blinded them to freedom. Harriett Tubman said if she could have convinced more slaves that they were enslaved she could have freed thousands. In the film What Black Men Think, Janks Morton says “Wake Up!”

The film was made on a budget around $8,000 dollars and was shot solely by Janks Morton. Despite this fact, or perhaps because of it, the film is of very high quality, moves at a brisk pace, and continuously awes the viewer as it destroys stereotypes that have been proliferated in the African American community. It then goes on to find out why the stereotypes have been created in the first place and why leadership in the Black community has failed to disprove them.

The film interviews African American political thinkers as well as brothers off the street and asks them their opinion of where the African American community has gone wrong and what we need to do to fix it. There are newsworthy names and intellectuals on the film such as NPR correspondent and author Juan Williams, Linguist and author John McWhorter, and author Shelby Steele who all make appearances throughout the film commenting on their hopes and concerns about the African American male.

What is probably the most powerful part of the film is the destruction of the myth of African American underachievement. Janks asks numerous people, including children, whether there are more African American men in jail or in college. Their answer is probably the same as yours if you haven’t seen the film or the PSA. He then destroys this myth and shows that our people, African Americans, are better educated then we believe.

Now I can’t say I agree with everything in the film. Janks is a little further to the right than I am, and my opinion of utilizing the government for advancement and his are very different. However, his passion for reuniting the African American family is awe inspiring. What he has created is a film that will help African Americans better understand one another and I commend him for that.

I was very moved by the film and would encourage anyone who is concerned with the African American Community to purchase the film at his website. Some of you movie critics out there might think that this review is a bit too glowing and that I might be trying to sell the film too hard, but this film opened my eyes to some facts about my people that have lifted a burden from my heart in many ways. Go check it out..

Wake Up!