#GeorgeC.Wolfe

[wherever-i-look-blog]

Rustin (2023) – Movie Review/Summary https://tinyurl.com/ytksly8m

[adamwatchesmovies]

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

On a different day, I would be thrilled to tell you about Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom but today, I’ve just seen too many movies that deal with the issues it highlights. I’m tired seeing Black people brutalized, raped, lynched, or otherwise treated like second-class citizens. But don’t let my frustration deter you from seeing the film. The performances from Chadwick Boseman (his last on-screen role) and Viola Davis are phenomenal and the story engrossing. Once it gets started, you’re gripped, wondering what will happen next.

On July 2, 1927, Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) is late for a recording session at Paramount's Chicago music studio. Her manager, Irvin (Jeremy Shamos), assures producer Mel Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne) she’s on her way. As musicians Toledo (Glynn Turman), Cutler (Colman Domingo), and Slow Drag (Michael Potts) try to convince Levee Green (Chadwick Boseman) to play the songs as Ma wants them to, things go from bad to worse.

Including the end credits, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom clocks at a mere 94 minutes but each feels packed. It's because of the leads. Each makes a huge impact upon arrival. You’re not quite sure how to feel about Levee. He’s a prodigious trumpeter but also arrogant and easily led astray. Beneath his smooth exterior is so much anger you alternate between siding with him whenever he speaks up and wondering if his decisions come from a clear head. The more you get to know him, the more complex your relationship with the man. With Chadwick Boseman’s charisma, you’re ready to side with him - until Ma (finally) appears at the recording studio.

Viola Davis matches Boseman beat-for-beat. Looking like she’s just come off a year-long bender and radiating “I don’t care what YOU think” energy with every step, you don’t necessarily like her… but you do respect her. Not doing so would be a fatal mistake. Levee tweaking the tempo of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and pushing his agenda is playing with fire.

With things constantly going wrong in the studio, the frustration builds until you're as sweaty as Ma. You can tell the white men overlooking the group just want this to be over with so they can move on. Levee keeps pushing. Everyone else - except for Dussie Mae (Taylor Page) - is just about fed up with the whole thing. Something’s going to blow. It's only a matter of time... but who, or what?

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is not a fun movie, which disappointed me. I wanted Boseman's final role to be one I'd revisit over and over but this is too raw, too painful, too powerful to watch casually - unless it's for the performances. Though it feels played out to me, the point it makes about society’s "hierarchy” is as relevant now as it was in 1927. For Chadwick Boseman alone, it would be worth seeing - if only the one time. This movie shows you how much more he could’ve offered us if his life hadn’t been cut short. (April 28, 2021)

[film-book]

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RUSTIN (2023): Background Actors Join Burgeoning Cast of Delayed Biopic https://film-book.com/rustin-2023-background-actors-join-burgeoning-cast-of-delayed-biopic/?feed_id=92794&_unique_id=62fbc12377a2e

[netflixcenter]

🎬 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom [TRAILER] Coming to Netflix December 18, 2020 FULL POST: 🔗 https://netflixcenter.com/ma-raineys-black-bottom-trailer/?feed_id=25&_unique_id=5f904e6a302e2 Original Netflix Drama / Music Film... Ma Rainey's Black Bottom   Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman), and the white management determined to control the legendary “Mother of the Blues.” Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play. ...

[wherever-i-look-blog]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Film) - Review/Summary (with Spoilers) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom gives you what you expect from Viola Davis, and in Chadwick Boseman's final film, he makes it clear he could excel in a role of someone not already an icon. https://wherever-i-look.com/movies/54123?feed_id=1577&_unique_id=5fde57000a8b5