Is '12 Years A Slave' basically 'Gladiator'?

This blog, is really meant to provide reviews after something has had a chance to live in our collective culture for a while. Because hindsight is 20/20. Even if the main subjects have only been around for a few weeks. It seems effective to think about, process, digest things we see, and contemplate their impact from different angles before deciding on it's place. So I don't usually like to discuss things I haven't seen. I don't like to ''predict'' if it will be a hit, or a miss. That sort of critique often goes against the rules of ''The Common Sense School of Review'' (rules, totally made up by me lol). However, writing this afterward didn't seem prudent. I anticipate that I will have too many things to say. Which is why I haven't written the ''Fruitvale Station'' review yet. But I will share a few thoughts of the initial offerings from the film.

I had heard of the Solomon Northup story years before now. I think something in my sub-conscious kept me from reading it. If the system of slavery wasn't horrible enough, the dehumanization of blacks in the collective common mind, made it so, not even a person who was legally ''free'' could safely remain so. Certain circumstances could yank them from relative security to the pit of hell that was the deep south. That's an rigged game if I've ever heard of one. 

While viewing the trailer for the new film, directed by Steve McQueen (not the Bullitt/Thomas Crown McQueen the OTHER McQueen, with a slightly different melanin level), and starring Chiwitel Ejitfor, as Northup, I was struck by the epic language used in the promo spot. Amid scenes from the film, the narrator says something like ''to get back home, it'll take everything he has''...and it made me think of words I had heard before. Describing an unwitting hero, a person who may be a hero for their country, or their family, but also someone who must be a hero for themselves, despite insurmountable odds. That the whole premise being the story of the fictional film ''Gladiator'' with Russell Crowe, and Joaquin Phoenix. 

Basically Russell is a general, minding his business, being about the business of the king. The king dies, under dubious circumstances, and though Crowe's character Maximus received the blessing of the king to run the kingdom in his stead, the horrid son of the king isn't having it. Maximus is exiled, his family is ripped from him, and he is sold into the bowels of Roman slavery, to become, a gladiator. As such, he must fight for his life in public matches against other gladiators and animals. In the end he must rise above the pain and suffering he is routinely subjected to, to help Rome. Northup, a talented violinist, is similarly removed from his family, and thrown in to the pit of american chattel slavery, and must fight the fight of his life, to escape it. Seems like the same sort of tale about the triumph of the human spirit to me. What makes the Northup story different from the Gladiator story, is that it's true. It came from the word and testament of Northup himself. And compared to the other slave narratives of that genre, it is said to feature more detail of the harrowing violence, and dehumanization practices on those in that system. 

I did not want to see another ''slave movie''. I've seen them all, Roots, Glory, Django, and even some lessor known ones. Though I'm addicted to stories, I didn't want to see another movie about the gross injustice of the years of slavery, or the Jim Crow south (like Rosewood). For two reasons. The first being that, it seems Hollywood loves us best when we are thugs, derelicts  or degenerates or tokens (magical and ordinary). In media we only seem to be triumphant when we are slaves, or perpetually stuck in the lynching years, or the civil rights movement. These stories are necessary, because so many people either don't know, don't care, or don't believe the sordid history of how people of color are treated worldwide, but also how this mistreatment, this disenfranchisement is built into the foundation of our nation. So I tend to support these films, though they bring a heavy melancholy cloud to my life, or fill me with anger. Sometimes though, I just want a RomCom, with some people who look like me. You know?

That said, I'm glad to see this film. It's gotten amazing reviews for being powerful as well as historically accurate following closely to the original story Northup told. So I would encourage everyone who can to see it at least once, and let it's messages sink in. Let the story of the true horrors of slavery but also the ability to rise above resonate. Because Northup was one of the lucky ones, so many didn't make it, and had to find their redemption, their salvation and their peace after death, if at all. This story, as well as others like it, should help to change our understanding of just how sinister chattel slavery was to those who were victim of it, living outside of it's immediate gates, and those who were owners of the system itself. Oppression doesn't just give obvious wounds to the oppressed, if cripples the oppressors, in ways they are often unaware of. Racism, classism, sexism, etc, are like Benefiber roofies. You put it in the water, and stir it up until it's visibly undetectable, but if you start passing it out at parties, or start pouring the mixture in the groundwater, everyone is gonna get the bubbleguts, and not know why. They may even come to believe it's a normal natural part of life (if I may abuse the hell out of a metaphor).  

If we can understand these dark times, we may save ourselves from the banality of repeating them. Let's be better. 


***Full disclosure, I never did watch the film. Because I wasn't ready, then Ferguson happened, and Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice, and #Pointergate, and most recently, the events in Madison, WI. *shrug* I still want to see the film, but I want to not be mad the next day. 

Why I Will Never Watch Precious Again.

The novel is dark, seedy but intensely compelling, so was the film. Each actor/actress filled their respective roles incredibly well, so I can't detract from it artistically. Nor will I say it's not essential to one's literary canon or film-viewing repertoire.  But it kinda makes you want to die after you watch it. 

I realize that when one views art, even when it is burdensome to consider, one should still be able to apply thankfulness and catharsis liberally to their own life. One should be able to thank the heavens, the stars, the universe, allah, buddha, god, jesus, and/or mary that the subject's life or fate is not your own. But after this film I didn't want to get out of bed the next day. The only other movie that made me feel like that was "Edward Scissorhands." In both the Tim Burton classic, and this adaptation of Sapphire's novel ''Push'' the protagonists do survive. Precious even finds some moments of triumph in her life, but you're just left with this empty heavy feeling. Because the world is cruel and you know they have a long road ahead. 

As discussed in another post, I choose what eyes to view a story with, so I don't have a fundamental problem with the messaging or the portrayal of black, urban, womanhood in this film. I wish we had more films to counter-balance the harshness of this story, the realities it's steeped in, and the erroneous idea that ''black life'' is some shade or degree of this story, but in general I'm not offended by it. However, watching it again is something I will not be able to do. 

When you read a book you can adjust the image that you see, it changes because the imagination is fluid. When that story is translated to film, it takes that fluidity and anchors it to your consciousness, to your perception, to your memory. The job of portraying Preciou's dismal existence was righteously done. So in a way, I'm paying the film a compliment. It was too dark for me to watch again, but having seen it, I don't regret taking the journey. 

The performances were excellent. This film, with Lee Daniels at the helm, really seemed to push these actors into a place their respective audiences haven't known them to be in before. Mariah Carey was stripped down to an nearly unrecognizable degree in her portrayal of an aid office worker, who sees Precious at a crossroads. Paula Patton's usual effervescence was channeled into this teacher who believed good things were possible for everyone, but that the hurdles, especially for her pupils were tougher than anything in the Illad or The Oddessey, and that their help would not come from the hand of Zeus, if any help came at all. She taught the girls to be their own help. Lenny Kravitz is always a delight to see on film, it's just that simple. His character also meets Precious at a crossroad and acts as a guide for her in someways. Gabby Sidibe who's background is NOTHING like this character, fell so hard into this role, and nailed it. But the performance from Monique is the one that made the film so bone-chilling and the story so tough to sit through. Her academy award was well deserved, because I think she may have murdered ''Nikki Parker'' and danced in her ashes to become that horrible, Carrie's Mom-like character. She was twisted, cruel, self-loathing, and self-righteous; a sadist who had been broken to the point where love for her child was a crime against herself. 

Without re-telling all the sordid details, the story from Push, or as we know it now Precious isn't just a black/urban story, but one that is due to a litany of systemic failures compounded in many severe and complex ways. It should be a catalyst that makes us question how we allow people to slip through the cracks. It happens to each of us who find ourselves at a disadvantage socially, politically, economically, by gender, by orientation, handicap, and in this whole concept of ''race'' as it's done. Precious should represent the failings of society, but also the personal choices of people to harm others. This happens all over. As seen with the mix of girls she meets in her classrooms, their stories were as diverse as their skin, their hair, their ethnic origins. This is a tale of a victim, who could not name or escape her captors (both human and systemic). But once she was taught to rally behind her thoughts and experiences, to speak to them, to be free to want more and to work for more, she begins to find strength and freedom. So in turn, this film should also serve as a meditation on the strength of the human spirit. Despite all, she survives. By the end of the story, she also seems to be rising, and having had her child, that child indeed represents hope for the future. 

I recommend: Seeing the film once, if you haven't. But more than that reading the novel, because Sapphire can tell a great story. She's sort of like Toni Morrison in style, but her writing has a sharper tone to match her protagonist's concrete, mortar and brick environment. The novel is incredibly well done. 

Why I love the show 'Single Ladies'

Single Ladies, is usually a summer show, but due to whatever delays it's posed to make it's return this coming January. Season one featured two of the ladies above, and Stacey Dash, who was either let go, or left the show due to creative and personal differences supposedly with LisaRaye. Which is cool with me, considering Stacey Dash (the woman who didn't age for 30 years) has really made me question her legendary awesomeness in these recent times. With the hard-won series ''The Game'' falling off (last time I checked) and ''Being Mary Jane'' still on the horizon, let me tell you why this show is so good, IMO. 

1. It's imperfect

Single Ladies, is campy, overly dramatic, the lighting is dubious and the wigs are bad. So what? It has heart. 

I'm a stickler for quality, so I wouldn't typically be so lax in my critique. I don't mind a figurative typo here and there (this blog should be proof of that, can't catch them all). Everything can't be a big-budget masterpiece. But I'm not big on fundamental flaws, so I can be a little hard on things I watch. In this prime-time soap, the characters are like-able, interesting. The setting is different, and it has really good music. Despite all the things my senses tell me about the show, all the things that go against my preferences, I'm usually glued to the screen for each episode. 

2. It's funny

Not like roll on the floor, Kevin Hart funny. But still it's got clever jokes, and gags that pop up here and there for a good laugh. The best ones being of the ''common sense'' variety. Those reactions and thoughts that you know you would have in similar situations. 

3. I'm single, and young. So...

I'm the patron saint of singledom, and I'm cool with that. Haven't quite figured it out (the non-single thing). Neither have they, and they are older than I am. So, you know, there's hope..or whatever. But more than that, there is perspective. These women continue to live their lives, and strive and hope for the things that THEY want. Having someone to share it with is gravy, not the whole roast. 

4. LisaRaye

People like to hate on LisaRaye. I won't because I'm from Chicago, and since I have no. loyalty. whatsoever. to R. Kelly, I'll save it for her, and Kanye. She lives in her lane, but she always does it with a fair amount of grace, street smarts, and ambition. She's hardworking. I respect that. She wants to act, sometimes she manages to do that, sometimes not, either way she goes for it. We've been letting Tom Cruise act for years, with no complaint, is all I'm saying. 

5. Black People not in the hood

The hood is a magical place. When you look past the crumbling infrastructure  and lack resources, it really has a pulse not found anywhere else. Being from the hood, I'm well aware with the feeling of not having options. Not even knowing that you deserve options, or that you could travel to other places. Survival mode is a trip like that. Despite all of that, the hood produces geniuses, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs (of various kinds), music, culture that people seem to love (even if they don't love the people who created it). We have soul, dreams, goals, ambitions, and sometimes we actually get there. 

Kudos.

The hood may be where it seems like most colored folks come from, but the reality is, there is a diverse spectrum of black life which includes people from many levels and sections socio-economic life. Culturally however, because of historical situations we tend to have hood connects no matter what. The women in this show, illustrate that complexity, but they do it in wealthy neighborhoods, with a fair amount of economic power. These ladies have overcome obstacles presented to them by life, and are thriving for the most part. 

6. It's Fun.

Sometimes you just want to enjoy something, without too much motive or philosophical analytics  That's not to say that the show is mindless, because it's far from that, but it brings a certain abandon. The men are all muscle, the fancy cars, and clothes, the hi-jinks, all of it roll into one hour of fun. 

Not complicated.


7. The Music.

I love the songs they feature on the show. There's a wide range of artists, and tastes, and I've definitely been able to add some new songs to my collection because of this show. My favorite find was Lykke Li's ''Get Some''...you should check it out. 


Final Note* In a post ''Girlfriends'' world, it's good to see a show with people of color, doing stuff, even if what they are doing is full of soap-suds. 

20/20 Experience.

Let us just take a moment to salute Justin Timberlake for being the most consistently successful member of the MMC (next to Ryan Gosling). Let us also recognize the craziness that is this man's talent. It's unfortunate that he doesn't get the R&B recognition he desires. But that's life. *Kanye Shrug* 

We didn't know what to expect post boy-band days from Justin. N'Sync undoubtedly had some culturally conflicted and confusing moments, for example, Justin with the cornrows, juxtaposed with heavy rotation on TRL. They had high urban/colored-people music sensibilities, more than the other boy bands, but they were still doing these heavy pop songs.Though when you take a look back at the MMC, many of the performances from the young cast had those mixed influences. It was the 90's, so urban america was being re-introduced to the other sectors of the country, and I guess people liked the extra flavor. 
Upon leaving the show, many of the cast members who became singers, went in a totally different direction. Gosling's singing style is unrecognizable from the pint-sized version of himself that tore up that Jodeci Cover. Spears, went all the way pop. Aguilera went, where she went, I guess we call that ''Dirty Pop'' (we can't stop). 

When we got JT's first solo project, it was steeped in the trends of music of the day (same urban fondue) not a lot of soul, but cute dance-ability, head-turning to a point, and solid. "Cry Me A River" was my personal ish. Rock Your Body, Senorita, were just a few of the standouts from that project. Justin's efforts were definitely faring better than JC Chasez,his former boy bandmate. He had a similar sound but people just weren't feeling it. Also, it should be noted that JC Chasez, thought not my cup of tea, is a highly underrated talent. But most of that is due to style choices. 

JT's next project came to us 4 years and few relationships later. FuturSex/LoveSounds should be considered a classic among classics. He and Timberland put in much work with this album. I remember pretty much everyone liking it, it was different, bold, entertaining, my Grandma was blasting it in the car. It was undeniable. He came into his own here. It didn't try too hard, it wasn't sloppy, it was just right. So afterwards when he was talking about retiring from music to focus on acting and William Rast or whatever, we were not having it. 7 years after a little FutureSex, we get the first installment of The 20/20 Experience, the second part to be released later this year.* 

It starts strong with PushaLoveGirl. JT always sounds so, interested. I appreciate that. He's not whining, begging, posturing, or holding his girl at arms length. He's enthusiastic  devoted, enamored without being a spaz. I listen to music with my body first, then with my critical hat on, I like when I can get lost in it, from the jump. That's my criteria for potential greatness. With this album, I'm welcomed into his falsetto laced land. 

And the water's fine. 

He goes on to the single ''Suit & Tie" which I was incredibly pleased with. The song is infectious, he's got his white dude slang in there (we don't use fatty anymore, but it's JT so it's cool). He's got Jay-Z, they are doing that grown up "game" spitting. All good. Next he's telling us to get up, dance, don't hold the wall. Put that arch in your back that he likes and let's get it (on the dance floor . Still all good. Then he goes back to that space LoveStoned put us in. This is the space where he excel's, this is the space where he set himself apart from most artists of any color in his time. He combines one idea and tells the story in a fluid, shifting way. Like a scarf blowing in the wind, but changing with the light. His, ''Strawberry Bubblegum'' is the crowning glory of the project. It's not the best song on the album, but it is the song that propels the listener to the next space. It's were we start getting to the heart of the sound. It's cheeky. It's fun, but purposeful. That's the thing with this album, it's fun but it knows it's self. It's a little calmer than it's predecessor, but he was in a different place personally, and thought this album may or may not have autobiographical elements, his personal space affects his overall tone. 

From that jumping off point we travel through his world. Through ''Tunnel Vision,'' ''That Girl,'' ''Let the Groove Get In,'' and on we are dancing, dreaming, thinking, and living. Don't listen for songs, in a rush, listen with a little time on your hands. You'll want the entire experience.

Fav. Songs: Almost the entire album, but particularly, Spaceship Coupe, Don't Hold The Wall, Blue Ocean Floor
Best 'would you like dance' song: Let The Groove Get In
Best Overall Experience Song: Strawberry Bubblegum

*Addendum: Part one was this uber like-able journey or music and sound that I was happy to ride with. PART 2 HOWEVER, is a mess. I literally had to stop in the middle and go listen to Ne-Yo's pre-fall-off album ''All Because of You',' because most of the things that were attempting to go on on 20/20 Part 2, were already done better on Ne-Yo's second album. To be fair, I haven't finished it yet, I'm hoping there are some gems in the remaining tracks, because it would be a waste to have Part 2 suck for me as much as it does. I don't like to skip songs when giving a project a listen, but some of these tracks were completely unbearable. Marketable, danceable, but equally unbearable. I just wanted them to stop. But, as I understand it, the songs from this installment, were actually done first. So, and yes I'm going to say it, with regard to Part 1, hindsight is 20/20. *shrug* And for good reason, because if I had heard Part 2 first, I wouldn't have stuck around for the second act. 

Control

Let me just say, first and foremost that nobody and I do mean nobody does a better breakdown of "Good Kid M.A.A.D. City," of Kendrick Lamar, and of the rap game in general and Kendrick's place in it than Ghostface. Yes! The Ghostface Killah, man of a thousand aliases. When you have a second, go to read his Ghostface review of the album. 

Right now though, let's discuss Control. I'm not talking about Janet Jackson breaking out of her shell. I'm talking about the best verse hip hop has heard in a decade, easily. Big Sean was coming out with an album a few weeks ago. In preparation for this album he released singles and other promotional materials to drum up buzz for his project. Pretty, standard. Fast forward to a few days before the album comes out. Due to licensing issues he wasn't able to clear a sample for certain song. Being the benevolent artist that he is, or whatever, he released a song over the internet for the public. What happened after was magic. 

I know a lot of people who make music, some are professional, some are aspiring, some live in between the world of making it not quite there. What I also know is: rappers, do features. It's not an uncommon practice for artists to collaborate. But it is also a strategic choice. Artists buoy their fame to each other. On a feature the goal is keep up with their peers, and out shine them when possible. Sometimes when trying for either, an artist manages to do both. 

And that cross section, in the Venn diagram of rap, is where we get "Control." 

I don't know everything about music history, but there have been quite a few instances where one artist, blows their compadres out of the water. This was most true in recent years with Nicki Minaj's verse on Kanye West's "Monster." She, was able to get on a track with two of the biggest names in Hip Hop and one of the hottest artists of that moment. She could have done a decent verse, and everyone would have been happy. But what she did was change the conversation. People will dispute this, but that was the verse that everybody was talking about the next day. For weeks even. 

Kendrick Lamar took that multiplied it by 10, churned it with mortar and spit, threw it in a concrete mixer, and poured it on top of the heads of everyone in the rap game. The song starts out with a solid verse from Big Sean. Then Kendrick comes on, using that magical Black Hippy sprite flow that he loves. Is lyrical. It's melodic. It comes out of left field and welcomes you to yet again to his universe. Then the second part of his verse starts and he proceeds to smack everyone with lyrical brick. He starts naming names. He calls out all his peers. He proclaimed himself "The King of New York" as a reference to something 'Pac used to say. He inserted himself into rap's Mount Rushmore and let all the young guys know, that even though they were pals, even though they have mad respect for each other, he wanted obliterate them. To make sure that they were never seen or heard from again. Because that was the only way to to prove that he was indeed the best. To rip the core fans from underneath them would solidify his legacy. 

With all that he singlehandedly re-injected the art of competition, through the art of rhyme. By the time we finish that verse we had to go back and make sure that we hadn't heard wrong, lest all this excitement be in vain.

People did say that the verse wasn't all that, they've heard better lyrics. If we start with the first of all the verses to ever be done in history of verses and end with someone's bathroom rap, or the last bar from ''Nothing Was The Same," I'm sure we can find plenty of arguments for who has better cannon fodder for the ear. But what he achieved was a rare moment of having the most effective verse on a song. What makes this verse so impactful, what makes it so exciting, what makes it legendary and what makes it worthy of being remembered, discussed, and praised: is the fact that he has the audacity to say what he said,  how he said it and where he said it. He overshadowed people with bigger reps and resumes than him, and that is greatness wrapped in a few expertly positioned bars.