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.

I Will Follow "I Will Follow"

So when I dragged my butt out of my apt on Saturday afternoon to meet my friend who invited me to see this film at BAM, I thought we were just going to see a movie. I was tired, period just started, the weather as you know was awful, but I went anyway and I'm so glad I did because this was more than a movie. It was a Black People's Brooklyn event! I was born in Brooklyn so, I was clearly supposed to be there. LOL!

My friend went to UCLA with the director of "I Will Follow," Ava DuVerny and was coming out to support her film which screened at BAM late that afternoon as part of the "BAM Cinematek" series. The audience was predominantly black and female and there were press and presenters and a Q&A afterward. I had no idea.

The film, which follows the journey of a middle aged woman who has just lost her Aunt to breast cancer and was a powerful motivation in her life takes place in Topenga California. When DuVernay came on to introduce it, she stated plainly that it was neither edgy or avant garde but just a straight forward semi-autobiographical narrative.

From the opening ten minutes I was hooked. Not only was it wonderfully shot and gorgeously lit, but the characters were refreshingly genuine and engaging in way I was so happy to see for the first time in a long while in a movie featuring people of color predominantly. Women taking care of loved ones in their lives is something that as woman we all know a little about. This film is about one day in the life of a woman, played by Salli Richardson Whitfield who loses a relative that she has sacrificed a large part of life to care for. Now she is struggling with picking up the pieces of that life to start over again and throughout the day she will engage with and fight with and talk and love with family, strangers, lovers and memories alike.

The famous aunt, Amanda Fisher who has passed was a sessions drum player for famous black musicians in the 70s. Throughout the film DuVernay cleverly strings together the theme of music in the relationship between her and her niece. "I Will Follow" comes not only from the Biblical verse in the story of Ruth but also from the U2 song, "I Will Follow." Her aunt makes no small show of her love for U2 and Bono when she struts over to her CD collection and calls out a stream of favorite song titles challenging her niece to see what she "knows about that." I know a lot about that myself and I was thrilled!

The performances by all the actors, even the smallest parts are thoughtful, well rounded and compelling. In particular, I was very moved by the sensitive performances of Omari Hartwick, (I first saw him as Janet Jackson's husband in "For colored Girls"), Blair Underwood, Michole white, who plays the Aunt's Daughter and Dijon Talton who plays her son.

It was wonderful to see black people in life situations that were not indicative only of the disproportionately stereotypical dramas with which Hollywood seems to release the majority of "Black films" on the subject of drugs, single parent families, "baby mama drama" violence and black on black crime. I would urge anyone and everyone to go see this movie but particularly people of color for whom DuVernay asks for the majority of it's support because these are the people for whom the film was made. I was honored to be able to meet and be introduced to her by my friend shortly after the film and the Q&A. It was a great pleasure to stand and chat with her briefly and observe the bright glow of deservedly positive reception her film received.

"I Will Follow" will be released in theaters through limited engagement in March and I urge you to show your support and see this sensitive, moving, down to earth and touching portrait with friends.