Mr. Movie: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ mirrors today’s headlines
Movies are back!!!
Fairchild Cinemas Southgate 10 and Queensgate 12 are open. The Pasco theater remains closed. I tried several times to reach the AMC management and was unsuccessful so I am assuming they’re still closed.
Among those opening this week are the little-seen and very popular Tom Hanks’ flick, “News of the World” and the effects-packed “Wonder Woman 1984.” Some of us caught them through on-demand sources. Those who didn’t see the films, both are worth seeing.
Judas and the Black Messiah
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is an exceptional and thought-provoking movie based on real life events. The black messiah is Fred Hampton. In the late 1960s Hampton headed the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. He was a Marxist and founded the famed Rainbow Coalition. The goal of the coalition was to do away with racism, poverty for people black and white, substandard housing and schools, political corruption and police brutality.
Hampton’s reform preaching also included revolution, the use of violence and suggestions to kill cops.
So it is no surprise that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover — who saw conspiracy everywhere in those days — deemed Hampton a threat to national security. Considering the rhetoric Hampton pushed at his awed followers, and the content of that rhetoric, his philosophy was a definite threat to the status quo.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” tells Hampton’s story and that of the FBI informant whose reports from the inside proved to be the man’s undoing. It’s a riveting biopic brilliantly written by writer-director, Shaka King and acted by a cast that includes Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield.
Kaluuya was superb in “Get Out” and “Queen & Slim” and those films made him a star. This movie puts him on the map as one of his generation’s best actors. He is nothing short of hypnotic in the role of Hampton. It’s the style of oratory a lot of us thought David Oyelowo should have given when he starred as Martin Luther King in “Selma” in 2014.
His use of words and style of delivery is so eloquent, deep, and profound, and so right on about justice and hope for the people that you want to leap out of your seat and raise your arms and give the Black Panther salute.
To put it in a nutshell, Kaluuya is electrifying.
Bill O’Neal is a caught-in-the-act car thief. O’Neal is a shallow, conflicted man who is frightened of five years in the slammer. Coerced by the FBI, and to stay out of jail, he turns informant and becomes willing to rat out Hampton.
LaKeith Stanfield (“The Photograph”) plays O’Neal. Guilt punctuates his performance. O’Neal is pushed, prodded and manipulated by FBI agent, Roy Mitchell. Primetime Emmy nominated Jesse Plemons (“Black Mirror,” “Fargo,” “The Irishman”) does Mitchell.
At first he plays Mitchell as a man doing what he must do to protect the country. As the plot progresses, Mitchell is more unsure and Plemons gives his character a guilty edge.
Martin Sheen is excellent as J. Edgar Hoover and plays him as power hungry and paranoid. Mitchell isn’t quite sure of J. Edgar’s tactics and his reasoning for putting a halt to Hampton’s message — permanently. However, like others caught in the FBI director’s web, Mitchell does it anyway.
In contrast, O’Neal buys into Hampton’s philosophy. He sees the man as a savior and not a villain. At the same time, O’Neal is worried about jail. Caught between the proverbial rock and hard place, O’Neal takes the easy — but unforgivable — road.
That road and the decisions he makes are the wrong ones for the wrong purpose.
Stanfield’s troubled acting is as good as his co-star’s. The contrast in characters and the characteristics of those characters is the best part of King’s movie. He also does an incredible job of putting you into the 1960s and the troubles of the times.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” is also a fascinating view of events in the past that are relevant today. Some of today’s leaders are using the same social justice statements uttered by Hampton. I suspect that’s part of the purpose of King’s movie.
The movie subtly points out that not much has changed in the last 50-some years. Hampton’s message — as the Rainbow Coalition showed — was not just meant for the African American community. He included all.
Fred Hampton was 21 years old when he was — some say — assassinated by the FBI and the Chicago police. “Judas and the Black Messiah” makes you wonder what this young man might have accomplished for the poor and downtrodden had Hoover not interfered and ended his life.
▪ Rated R for language, violence and mature themes. It’s playing at the Fairchild Cinemas Queensgate 12 and Southgate 10.
▪ Rating: 5 out of 5
Nomadland
The book is “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.” It was written by Jessica Bruder who spent three years with nomads who travel the country full-time. These are displaced people who — for economic and other reasons — dumped their homes for campers and camping.
It’s a family of sorts. When they migrate they often go the same direction.
“Nomadland” is based on her story and stars Francis McDormand and some of the real nomads whose homes are vans and campers. McDormand is Fern. She is newly widowed and has just lost her job. Everything she holds near and dear is gone.
With few options, Fern fixes up a camper and hits the road. While on the road she connects with other nomads who teach her the ways of the road and how to survive. Also included in her story is an almost romance with a fellow nomad named Dave. He’s done by one of my all-time favorite character actors, David Strathairn.
Most of you will remember him for his Oscar and Golden Globe nominated performance as Edward R. Murrow in “Good Night and Good Luck.”
“Nomadland” is getting noticed. Director Chloe Zhao picked up two Golden Globe nominations for the movie. She’s up for awards for best screenplay and best director. The movie is nominated as the best film in the dramatic category and McDormand picked up a nod for best actress in a drama.
Oscar nominations are likely to follow.
Her acting is pretty good. So is that of her non-actor co-stars. They are very natural while offering interesting insights into the nomad lifestyle.
I’m baffled about the award attention the movie is getting. For sure the subject is interesting. Displaced people who set up their own underground society is fascinating. They survive by helping each other. Their community is strong and they have the pioneer spirit that people had in the 1800s and during the recession that hit this country in the 1930s.
Interesting, yes, but is it interesting enough for a feature movie. Some think so. I don’t. My problem was deciding what movie Zhao and McDormand — who produced — were making. At 1:45 it’s too slow to be an interesting drama and is too long to be an interesting documentary.
As it is, this movie about a woman wandering the nation wanders too much.
▪ Rated PG-13 for mature themes and some language. It’s playing at the Fairchild Cinemas Queensgate 12 and Southgate 10.
▪ Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ mirrors today’s headlines."