If the Academy feels like giving a sympathy Best Picture vote to a black movie this year, it'll probably be to Theodore Melfi's Hidden Figures. Not because it's by any means the best black movie of the year. It's because it's the perfect balance of crowd-pleasing mediocrity. It doesn't try anything new, doesn't try to say anything original other than bringing to light the lives of a number of extraordinary black women--a noble feat, indeed, but not one that necessarily breaks any kind of ground. (Although it's worth pointing out that the film does a poor job giving its three lead characters equal screen-time. Poor Janelle Monáe practically gets left by the roadside where she begins the film.) It's the kind of film about overcoming racism that I doubt will make very many white people feel uncomfortable or want to reexamine their own potential prejudices. It's pleasant and enjoyable. And that's okay. But Best Picture material? I don't think so. But I've been proven wrong before.
7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment