Middle of Nowhere

Even though "Middle of Nowhere" is only the second feature film I have seen by Duvernay, I have grown very accustomed and fond not only of her signature directorial and cinematic pacimg since "I Will Follow" but also of the quality of compelling emotion and depiction of reality that she is able to get from her actors and actresses. She gets performances from actors that are subtle, complex, personal, intelligent and never alienating. In fact they pull you in deep to very familiar places in a way that makes you feel there is an understanding about this particular journey which is not merely a way to create sensation but that is a very personal endeavor to connect mainstream audiences with cinematic experiences they might generally shy away from.

I also really enjoy "Middle of Nowhere's" film scoring. Duvernay's use of music is so spot on. It never feels heavy handed or intrusive.  For the most part it avoids feeling like a mere device and feels more like an integral piece of the films story and pacing, an indelible emotional link.

I will be seeing this film again next week and maybe even once more. The extended length of it's play in NYC depends primarily on the amount of people who go and see it everyday so I highly recommend that you plan to go see it immediately. Take your friends, family and partners. You will not be disappointed.

Trailer Fan

One of my favorite things to do at night in bed or sometimes even early in the morning before I get up is watch movie trailers on the Trailers app on my iphone. It gives me the illusion that I'm on the inside track of new upcoming movies, and I love that feeling!

For me, a good movie trailer can tell you all you need to know about whether the film is going to be good and whether it's worth seeing. I've been wrong about that before but I'm not usually. There are a couple of trailers I saw last night for movies I definitely plan on seeing.

First up is "Loopers" starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, a young man whom no one ever expected to survive past his childhood role in "3rd Rock from the Sun." But somehow he has resurfaced in the last couple of years in a range of films and has been kicking some serious ass while no one was looking. He is a man of many talents and I mean many. I find him intriguing to watch because I can't really pin him down.

"Loopers" also stars Bruce Willis doing what he does best, being the stereotypical, macho, tough guy, with enigmatic vulnerability, which is what I believe has kept Willis in the game for so long. I can't be objective about Willis though. I have loved him since "Moonlighting" (yeah I said it) and despite what I believe are some seriously odd choices in his personal life as well as some annoying rumors of vague right wing activity, I just have never really stopped watching him ever. He's one of a kind.

Anyway, "Loopers" is right up my alley. Time travel, action, violence,  identity conundrum, Bruce.  Plus Emily Blunt is in it. I love her. Check it out.



Next up is a film with several unknown black performers in it, which I'm always excited about. Plus I'm proud to say that my girl, the talented producer/director/film maker Ava Duvernay is behind it. I really enjoyed her directorial debut film "I Will Follow". I think I remember hearing about this new film coming up the pipeline on her FB page. It's called "The Middle of Nowhere."



The only actor in "The Middle of Nowhere" I'm familiar with is Omari who also starred in "I Will Follow."
The lead actress, Emayatzy Corinealdi and other supporting actors including David Oyelowo are new to me but their work looks substantially compelling so far. There is something in the pacing of the trailer that draws me to it. There is a mood and a lighting to it that I'm unaccustomed to in the promotion of the usual studio packaged "Black" movies, and what seems to me to be a unique telling of a story audiences may be familiar with but from a slightly different angle. I can see Ava Duvernay's signature touches all over it, which may make all the difference in ushering in new genres of Black Films. I'm excited about it.

Somthing from Nothing: The Art of Rap

My favorite of all the answers to Ice-T's question about why rappers felt rap was not respected as an art form the way jazz is came from Nas. I've never really gotten into his music but I consider him to be one of the most intelligent rappers around and his answer was basically that "they" don't like "you." Rap is a revolution. It's something that I don't think was supposed to happen and as it was said in the very beginning of Ice T's documentary (forgive me for not remembering the name of the rapper) rap really was something that came from nothing. But as we know, there's never really nothing. I guess it just all depends on how you look at it and who is looking at it.

If we continually look to people who don't look to us for honors, rap will never be given it's due respect. As Nas says, "they" want to know why rappers getting away with looking and talking and being how they are and get famous from it. Young white males make up a larger percentage of consumers of rap music than anyone.  Many white adults have never been happy about that. They remain fearful of the raw, powerful, unstoppable force of truth, art and nature that comes from Black males in particular through rap. It still presents to them what they perceive to be such an enormous threat to their system that there is no way they would ever honor rap as an art form. And it most indisputably is.

I really enjoyed the format Ice set up where he asked each of the rappers he interviewed to either kick a free style off their heads or to recite one that has stayed with them over the years. Grand Master Caz was one of my favorites. I liked watching him work, hearing what he had to say and I was in awe of his free style skill. Mouth wide open. He is an OG. For him it's from the heart. I was also amazed by Eminem, Kanye and Mos Def. I wouldn't want to be alone in an elevator with Eminem but he is technically sick. I really appreciate the way his mind works. He's all about deconstructing and reinventing and I really love that.

Kanye is one of the few rappers I know who can be both deeply offensive, clearly pro Black, totally superficial, genuinely concerned, insecure and lyrically dope all at the same time. So much of his drive seems to come from a ferocious need to both prove himself and at the same time prove himself just enough to say FUCK YOU! I DON'T GOTTA PROVE SHIT! I guess that's a Gemini for you.

Mod Def just hypnotizes me. He can come from a hard place, a soft place, a ignorant place, a funny place and a very conscious and informative place. He wears a lot of hats but what I love the most is how seemingly effortless he rhymes. It just seems to pour out of him. Plus I personally just love his style. He's got Brooklyn Boy written all over him. I can feel Brooklyn in his voice, see it is his beautiful face. Brooklyn will always live in my heart and when I hear Mos, I hear that Brooklyn that I love.