Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (278)

Content

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated One Night in Miami (2020) in Movies

Apr 15, 2021

Keeps the audience at arms length

The issue when adapting a stage play to the screen is that, often times, the subject matter and style of the script does not lend itself to being “opened up”, what is powerful when sitting in a theater with the actors performing the piece in front of you can often times be seen as “flat” when it jumps to the screen.

Such is the case with ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI the Major Motion Picture Directorial debut of Oscar Winning Actress Regina King and based on the stage play by Kemp Powers. This film/play fictionalizes the true story of 4 powerful African American legends that meet up in a hotel room, one night in Miami.

And…this film feels like 4 people sitting in a hotel room talking - and that’s the problem with it. What should be powerful dialogue (and, I’m sure, IS powerful when seen live on stage) just doesn’t translate well enough on the screen, so the film just sits there demanding we pay attention, while not inviting us in to do so.

Since this is a story about 4 people sitting around talking, the acting needs to take center stage and hold our attention and, quite frankly, it just does not. Eli Goree as Cassius Clay, Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown and Leslie Odom, Jr. as Sam Cook are all “fine” in their roles, but they don’t rise above the script and direction. Odom gets an Oscar nod for his turn in this film, but I have to think that, maybe, it is as much for his turn in HAMILTON as it is in this film.

Only Kingsley Ben-Adir as Malcolm X shows a spark and draws an emotional response in this film and that might not be fair to the other actors for he has the flashier role with the most speeches.

The Direction by King and the Script by Kemp Powers (based on his stage play) has some moments, but never draws the audience in. It keeps everyone at arms length and doesn’t touch the soul.

The subject matter in this film is an important one, and depicts a pivotal time in American History, but other films do a better job of driving that point home by inviting the audience into the conversation.

Letter Grade: B-

6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

Kudos

The Sussex Devils: A True Story of the 1980s Satanic Panic

Marc Heal

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

"Heartbreaking and breathtaking." (Clive Barker, author of Hellraiser). In 2012 Marc Heal stumbled...

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Nine in Books

Jul 4, 2021

The Nine

Gwen Strauss | 2021 | Education, History & Politics

9.0

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

Gosh, that was powerful.

This is the true story about nine young women brought together under the most heinous of situations but who, together, show the power of friendship amongst the shadow of human depravity and the light of the kindness of strangers.

The book follows each of the nine before, during and after the WWII and whilst this ensured a complete picture was formed it did jump a bit between different times, people and different places which made it difficult to follow and, I think, detracted from the flow somewhat. Despite this, I got a real sense of the personalities and characters of each of the women and it was really interesting to read about the plight of political prisoners and captured resistance fighters during this time period.

By the very nature of this book and it's subject matter, it is not an easy read however the resilience, bravery and courage of these young women deserves to be told and should be told. I also feel that, done sensitively, this could work well on the big screen which would bring this amazing story to the masses.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK / Manilla Press and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.