REVIEW: BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee has been around for a while, and through his career he has been able to reach an iconic status.  He has been extremely prolific over the years and has created some classic films.  Like every director, not all of his movies have been successes.  His last commercial hit was in 2006 with Inside Man, and he is back as strong as ever with BlacKkKlansman, which has made just shy of $90 million world wide.

Personally, I think the reason why this film has been such a hit is because of the passion that he has poured into it.  This is Spike Lee at his best, pushing and poking the audience in many different ways to get a reaction.  Some people may be rubbed the wrong way by some of Lee's movies (as they may well be with BlacKkKlansman), but he isn't out to please with some of his films.  He is an instigator and he wants you to think both about what you are seeing as well as how you are reacting.

In this film, we follow Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) as he becomes the first black man to serve as a police officer in the town of Colorado Springs in the 1970s.  He does not have a glorious beginning to his career, but through his ambition he soon gets undercover work infiltrating a rally held by a black civil rights activist who preaches revolution.  For his next investigation he responds to a recruitment ad in the newspaper for Ku Klux Klan members.  Over the phone, Stallworth pretends to be a white supremacist, gaining a chance to meet the Klan in person.  Obviously because of his race he is unable to do that part, and relies on the help of fellow detective Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) to fill in for the face to face time.  As the investigation continues, Stallworth is on the over the phone persona, while Zimmerman does the in person work.

The process that the two detectives go through to gain membership into the KKK pushes both Zimmerman, who is Jewish, and Stallworth.  Spike Lee keeps us from seeing the personal effects that being in the orbit of such toxic people would create.  The two are professions, and, for the most part, able to keep the investigation all business.  There are a few times that we do see the characters crack slightly, and the power that those scenes bring is subtle yet powerful.

John David Washington's portrayal as Stallworth is exceptional.  A lot of the larger emotions that he goes through are all internal, so the audience relies on a nuanced performance to understand the protagonist.  Nearing the end of the film, we do see the emotional side to Stallworth, and Lee makes sure those moments have maximum impact.  Like the build up to a good final confrontation in an action film, the emotions of Stallworth are teased to lead towards the payoff.

Spike Lee uses this film to look at both black radicalism as well as white radicalism.  While he is investigating both, he is far from putting both on par with each other.  One was born from the other, its existence solely a reaction to the devastation and societal oppression formed through the idea of white power.  I did get a feeling in one scene that Lee was putting the two beside each other to show that in some regards they may actually have some similarities.  Was that actually what Spike Lee was getting at?  I don't know.  As I said, he is an instigator, and he wants his audience to think about his content in numerous different ways.

BlacKkKlansman is a powerful film, that delivers both tension and comedy while looking at a true story.  There are some obvious dramatic interpretations added to the tale of Ron Stallworth, but the fact that a black man won his way into the Ku Klux Klan is a tremendous story.  Lee takes the concept and adds some richness, bringing us through the journey of Stallworth from investigating his own race, to pretending to be the worst of another race.  Other than a few small directorial choices of style that didn't quite work for me, this is a strong film that sadly ties to the present.  Racism will always be in our landscape.  It's the sad truth of the world we inhabit, and we probably won't evolve past that.  As long as we continue having artist like Spike Lee digging into this topic in intelligent ways, the idea of combatting racism will be impossible to forget.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars

REVIEW - While We're Young

Have you ever felt that age is concrete?  That the years you have walked the earth dictate where you are to fit socially, fashionably, or economically?  I will admit that while I don't always feel that way, there is a pull from societal expectations regarding age that I know I have not lived up to.  I am in my mid thirties (although some would argue and say that I am technically in my late thirties) and currently unemployed.  My wife and I, due to medical reasons, do not have children.  We rent instead of owning a home or condo.

Each of the things that I listed are unwritten expectations for someone of my age to have.  I am not climbing any corporate ladder, or any ladder to be honest.  Not fulfilling these expectations does wonders when it comes to fuelling my already abundant anxiety and stress, letting me know that I am really a failure at my life.

But is that the reality?  On the good days I am able to remember that age is an empirical measure of time, and that is all.  Age need not be the yard line on the field of life to know how far downfield we have come.  Like a football game, it is just a reminder of how much time has elapsed.  The real measuring stick needs to be something more personal and intimate, such as happiness and contentment.

This, the very thing that I am many other people deal with (and why the midlife crisis exists) is explored in Noah Baumbach's film While We're Young.  It follows the characters of Josh and Cornelia, played by Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts respectively.  They are a married couple in their early forties who see constant reminders around them that they are not living the life that they believed they should have had.  Time has passed, and they must come to admit that their chances in life have come and gone.

That is until they meet the young and exciting couple of Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) who entice Josh and Cornelia with a life of spontaneity and energy.  The young couple's love for life reinvigorates Josh and Cornelia, making them forget their age while they act and feel younger.  As with life, reality does catch up eventually, and the older couple must make difficult decisions based on what they realize is truly important to them.

There is a lot that is relatable in this film, which is fresh, fun, and extremely funny.  Baumbach, who previously made the incredibly sincere and heartfelt Francis Ha, shows an understanding of the human nature and is unrepentant about the commentary he makes in regards to age and measures for success and happiness.

The film is anchored by the incredible acting talent that is involved in the four main roles.  Nobody feels out of place, and they completely embody the emotions and nuances that their characters demand from them.  It is another showcase for the up and coming Adam Driver who will be getting some main stage shine when The Force Awaken arrives in theatres next month.  He is capable of hitting the wide spectrum of skills needed, and can easily steal a scene, as he did in Inside Llewyn Davis in the Please Mr. Kennedy scene.

While We're Young is well paced, beautifully scripted, tightly edited, and with a great and flowing soundtrack.  Above and beyond being a technically solid film on all fronts, it is a wonderful reflection on just what age means, and if it should ever be tied to the idea of happiness and success.  It is a piece of work that allows both entertainment and contemplation that is relevant for a wide variety of audiences.

Rating - 3.5 out of 4 stars