AMERICAN FICTION | Official Trailer Starring JEFFREY WRIGHT

[mastermind]

Like I said in the TLR thread, this is a great commentary on black art and who gets to say it, but it’s really a brilliant cover of an emotionally broken family trying to mend. Its a brilliant movie that people are sleeping on.

 

[Slimkid07]

This was posted on the CS discord and I thought this was a really good discussion about the film and had some valid criticisms.
The film for me was enjoyable but the black art that they satirized probably should have been more current.

 

[valet]

Saw this last night. Lots of thoughts and would love to talk with someone who saw it.

The movie caught me off guard, I was expecting a funnier, more satirical movie, along the lines of a more subdued Sorry To Bother You, or Bamboozled, or the funnier moments of a show like ATL, recalling the Spotify scenes, or Rap shyt

this is more like The Player. An intricate and nuanced family drama/comedy, that didn't feel predictable or formulaic, the movie felt so lived in to me. Like these were real people, and real houses, very naturalistic direction and the jazz soundtrack contributed to that. The earliest scenes with Wright and Tracee Ellis Ross were great. Set the tone for the rest of the movie. One of my favorite things to do with my own sister is drive around with her right when I get to her area, and just talk and rant to each other.

Sterling K Brown's performance was impeccable. Also, have to credit the writing, which allowed for him to be gay, without making it a central theme, or message movie, just about family, acceptance, and real life. Also, the fact he used oxy without making it again a central theme about drug addiction and redemption, just a guy who is a little fukked up in life at the moment. The scenes with him, Wright, and Coraline were beautiful.

The satire, when applied was razor sharp and very funny, but the movie doesn't really go for laugh lines, or cheap shots, though I laughed a lot more than most of the audience. Issa Rae was perfect. Her perspective intelligently drawn and delivered. The ending sequence was so good to me. The breaking the 4th wall aspect, the kind of examination of what people love about movies, white and black, but mostly white, the kind of obsession we have with making redemption movies or tear jerk message movies, and not just stories like this.

Small things Iliked:

Keith David, who is in Sugar Hill, in a great scene (actually Keith David is from Requiem For a Dream, not Sugar Hill, but easy mistake to make)

John Ortiz was great, he had a quote like "message movies with important themes"

The Hollywood producer scenes, with the soda, the whole "they smoked him", "I did a month for some interstate commerce shyt"

There's a quote in Collateral were Tom Cruise says about jazz:

It's off melody Behind the notes Not what's expected, Improvising like tonight (it's not a coincidence that American Fiction score is all jazz)

That's how this movie felt, off melody and behind the notes-- at times the tone shifts were rough and not as smooth as maybe they could be, you can feel the comedy momentum/satire building, only to be back in Boston, in a different movie, about family, the small moments in life, casual weddings and family reunions, and what's and whose family and what it means. But, I think it's pretty perfect. I can see white people and certain people disliking this. It has no easy answers. No real redemption. No degradation or slavery. No "we can all get along", but it's closer to real life. If this wins an Oscar, that would the ultimate kind of ironic reward.

Just saw this. My thoughts. Not mad at your comparisons in movies. To me, this was like CB4, mixed with going at white liberals like "Get Out". Agree that Sterling K was impeccible. Even though I'm not a fan of his (not a hater), it's "curious" he playing another queer closeted role (Honk for Jesus). I like his complexity as much as Jeff's character (even though I hated Jeff's character).

Love that ending and I love the other scene where his writing process "came to life". For me, the most interesting thing about this movie was it was a "white" feeling Black movie. This felt like a white directed film, the dialogue, etc. . But with Black characters. I know that goes against the message of the movie but that's how I felt.

Stuff I wasn't feeling. I get the message of acceptance, tolerance, unconditional love. I can agree in some aspects but not others (that's a whole nother topic) But this def felt panderish to queer community. Especially with the acceptance of his friends. That had my eyes rolling . Didn't like Jeffrey character. Don't like people like Jeffrey in real life. Not saying he wasn't "Black". But his types always look down on Black people and culture. And that Lorraine character was questionable. That fat, black maid type just didn't feel right.

But overall I like movies like this who got at white liberals like "Get Out". But the irony of course is they're not gonna do anything about the problem. White liberals are apart of the system even though they think they're not like more "conservative", racist white people.

 

[mastermind]

But his types always look down on Black people and culture. And that Lorraine character was questionable. That fat, black maid type just didn't feel right.

Ignoring your weird focus on sexuality (you are a weirdo for that, tbf) i have to call these two points out.

The Lorraine character was sexualized which is never seen in movies. She had a man who desired her, which made her a real person instead of a background maid. I think you missed that By only looking at her surface appearance.

As for the Monk character being a pretentious negro, yup! I feel that was the point the book writer and Jefferson were making. He looks down on black people and this New England, WASP-adjacent black family are 100% elitist.

 

[valet]

Ignoring your weird focus on sexuality (you are a weirdo for that, tbf) i have to call these two points out.

The Lorraine character was sexualized which is never seen in movies. She had a man who desired her, which made her a real person instead of a background maid. I think you missed that By only looking at her surface appearance.

As for the Monk character being a pretentious negro, yup! I feel that was the point the book writer and Jefferson were making. He looks down on black people and this New England, WASP-adjacent black family are 100% elitist.

Sure, Lorraine wasn't a mammy per say. She was intelligent woman, sexualized. But I still felt uneasy about it. That's why I use the term questionable. Gotcha on Monk. And yes we will always disagree on sexuality issue but it is what it is.

 

[mastermind]

But I still felt uneasy about it.

Is that because you wanted her to be a mammy?

 

[valet]

Is that because you wanted her to be a mammy?

Maybe subconsciously I don't know. It just when I see a big woman who is a maid, I'm conditioned to think a certain way.

 

[re'up]

Just saw this. My thoughts. Not mad at your comparisons in movies. To me, this was like CB4, mixed with going at white liberals like "Get Out". Agree that Sterling K was impeccible. Even though I'm not a fan of his (not a hater), it's "curious" he playing another queer closeted role (Honk for Jesus). I like his complexity as much as Jeff's character (even though I hated Jeff's character).

Love that ending and I love the other scene where his writing process "came to life". For me, the most interesting thing about this movie was it was a "white" feeling Black movie. This felt like a white directed film, the dialogue, etc. . But with Black characters. I know that goes against the message of the movie but that's how I felt.

Stuff I wasn't feeling. I get the message of acceptance, tolerance, unconditional love. I can agree in some aspects but not others (that's a whole nother topic) But this def felt panderish to queer community. Especially with the acceptance of his friends. That had my eyes rolling . Didn't like Jeffrey character. Don't like people like Jeffrey in real life. Not saying he wasn't "Black". But his types always look down on Black people and culture. And that Lorraine character was questionable. That fat, black maid type just didn't feel right.

But overall I like movies like this who got at white liberals like "Get Out". But the irony of course is they're not gonna do anything about the problem. White liberals are apart of the system even though they think they're not like more "conservative", racist white people.

Part of Wright's arc was the nod at the end to extra/actor, as he had changed his perspective somewhat on some things.. Or had more insight where now he had less. Have you seen him in Waves? That was the only other performance I have seen him in, I think.

The gay thing is to me, may feel pandering, but his sexuality wasn't really championed or attacked, it was just kind of allowed to breathe. His brother wasn't all that accepting either. But he kind of lives with it.

Almost grabbed this in a bookstore last week, but, a lot of the novel seemed to be the parody actually written out in chapters, and that just didn't grab me.

 

[valet]

Part of Wright's arc was the nod at the end to extra/actor, as he had changed his perspective somewhat on some things.. Or had more insight where now he had less. Have you seen him in Waves? That was the only other performance I have seen him in, I think.

The gay thing is to me, may feel pandering, but his sexuality wasn't really championed or attacked, it was just kind of allowed to breathe. His brother wasn't all that accepting either. But he kind of lives with it.

Almost grabbed this in a bookstore last week, but, a lot of the novel seemed to be the parody actually written out in chapters, and that just didn't grab me.

Did you interpret that nod at the end that they were basically the same level. Like he no longer looked down on that type or something? Yeah, I saw him in Waves (1st hour of the movie was dope, 2nd hour sucked to me). Ok, on gay thing. Ah, ok on the book.

 

[re'up]

Did you interpret that nod at the end that they were basically the same level. Like he no longer looked down on that type or something? Yeah, I saw him in Waves (1st hour of the movie was dope, 2nd hour sucked to me). Ok, on gay thing. Ah, ok on the book.

The nod felt like some kind of new awareness/acknowledgement of a whole system. That it wasn't just unfair to HIM that his weird nerdy books in Greek culture were overlooked. That the extra/actor sitting down may have his own version of the academic books, but that he had to do the movie part. Or that also the movies were more valid than he realized, more aligned with how Issa Rae talked about them and her work. They also supported and paid all the people who worked on them.

Not like he needed a lesson on racism. Just more humanity? Academics can be really insular.

so, the nod, plus he gets in the old school drop top BMW with his wild ass gay brother and just rolls out onto Sunset. He's kind of a new guy and with a new perspective. Storytelling 101, is the arch/the change the character goes through. That was my read.

 

[mastermind]

Maybe subconsciously I don't know. It just when I see a big woman who is a maid, I'm conditioned to think a certain way.

Sexualizing her was fighting that conditioning

 

[null]

looks good. just found out about this.

 

[Left.A1]

Just watched this finally, just fukking brilliant. I love satire and this was one of better ones I've seen in some time. Great exploration on capaitalism fueling white supremacy and really a great critique on self righteousness.... Monk was a fraud not just in the sense he was hiding behind this pseudonym but because he happily "corrupted" when he was finally allowed a seat at the mainstream table... He rabidly criticized his GF for being one of the types that would like the book while he himself was profiting off of it financially...and also forgetting that she had enough depth to be one of the few people who bought and liked his original material as well....dude was completely lacking in self awareness and actual morality in the way he fashions himself to.

Great shyt.