While 2014 provided audiences with vivid cinematic tales and true stories by and starring talent from the African/Black diaspora, 2015 is shaping up to continue doing so. Between last year’s best documentary Evolution of a Criminal (covered widely on here), Abderrahmane Sissako’s return to feature film with Timbuktu (also due for wide theatrical release this year – look for the review), as well as late year releases like Ava DuVernay’s ultimate civil rights movement feature film Selma and Chris Rock’s deservedly high-lauded Top Five, the following list will however have a lot to live up to.
While many of the films below are indeed slated for release this year, the hope is also must-see films that did not get a release in theaters in 2014, such as the compassionate Life Essential’s with Ruby Dee documentary and Josef Wladyka’s gripping Colombian drug drama Manos Sucias, will get the theater run, or at the least cable or public television runs, they rightly deserve. Also, as there are a number of independent films that are barely or unknown due for film festival or theatre release, this list may be updated as early as Spring.
So while this list is shorter than in years or seasons past, the other relevant factor is we are not just talking about films that have a faint or token aspect in their diasporic-ness, but ones in which the characters and surrounding characters have agency of what happens in their portrayals and in the actual diaspora. That said, no, there will be no coverage of Kevin Hart’s interracial buddy comedies like The Wedding Ringer, i.e., ‘his transcendance,’ (my words) or other films of that like.
GIRLHOOD
(Bande de Filles)
In this film festival circuit hit made in Paris, France, Marieme (newcomer Karidja Touré), a young Black girl, oppressed by her family setting, dead-end school prospects and the boys law in the neighborhood, starts a new life after meeting a group of three free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.
While I cringe at the somewhat realistic yet obvious look at gang culture, that Merieme uses this to find a new family for acceptance, is true to thousands of insecure young people (no matter their race) in world society. I also cringe when so many festivals (Cannes, London, Venice, AFI Fest, to name a few) are so readily acceptable of certain ‘black films’ so readily, making me think that something may be amiss of it. This is admittedly all conjecture as I have not seen one frame of Girlhood past the trailers, both of which are below. Variety says in their review that director Céline Sciamma (a white woman), “pushes past superficial anthropological study to deliver a vital, nonjudgmental character study.” While her young female character study track record is sound, as seen in her past films like Water Lillies (2007) and Tomboy (2010), historically things often change when it comes to portrayals of Black women and people in film.
The film makes its theatrical premiere here in the United States in NYC on January 30th.
Yet what fills me with some hope is that the first trailer does portray, as you can see directly below, what looks like a honest ‘physical’ look at young Black women in Paris. It shows what appears to be true camaraderie among these women in a city that often ignores its internal, not tourist, Black populace. While I also hope that what Variety stated is indeed true about being non-anthropological (as the French tend to do with African images as one can argue in the work of Jean Rouch or even Chris Marker – this needs to be restated) because audiences are gunning for this to be good.
Director: Céline Sciamma
Screenwriters: Céline Sciamma
Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Marietou Toure
Release Date: January 30 (NYC)
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
Authenticity is something truly lacking in many biopics, especially when it comes to controversial subjects. Films such as Malcolm X (1992) and Ray (2004) got it mostly right, while others like the Lifetime Network’s recent and universally panned “Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B” did not, and by far.
Yet legitimacy is what audiences are clamoring for in Straight Outta Compton, the film-based history of the original gangsta rap group N.W.A. (Niggas With Attitude). With founding members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, now known more for the respective acting and entrepreneurial careers instead of lyrics and demeanors that scare the hell out of white people (and, well, damn near many others), as producers of the film, the narrative that traces back how the group was formed from the streets of the notorious Compton, California, through their worldwide success and breakup has become one of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. And unlike the Aaliyah television film, and John Ridley’s Jimi Hendrix biopic All is by My Side, Compton will have all the original music you love (or hate) from the group, adding to its power.
Making the film extra-special is its casting. Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr. will portray his father in the movie that also stars Aldis Hodge (TV’s Leverage) as MC Ren, Jason Mitchell (Contraband, 2012) as lead rapper Eazy-E, Corey Hawkins (Non-Stop, 2014) as Dr. Dre, and Neil Brown Jr. (Battle Los Angeles, 2011) as DJ Yella. Additionally Alexandra Shipp, the young actress who played Aaliyah in the trice-mentioned biopic, also appears in the film.
Let’s just hope that N.W.A.’s antagonism toward the police will also remain, and perhaps even truly reflect, the conflicts that the youth of this time are fully facing. If so, director F. Gary Gray will have a fully-rounded film on his hands instead of the usual “this-happened, that happened” paint-by-numbers biopic that while potentially authentic in actual occurances, may just not reflect the spirit of these seminal musicians.
There is a faint trailer online taken at an overseas Ice Cube performance, but it’s not really worth showing yet.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenwriters: Andrea Berloff, Jonathan Herman, S. Leigh Savidge, Sheldon Turner, Alan Wenkus
Additional Cast: Paul Giamatti, Orlando Brown, Keith Stanfield
Release Date: August 14
THE AMERICAN CAN
Based on actual events, Will Smith plays John Keller, a New Orleans native and Gulf War veteran Marine, who risks his life in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to rescue and look after 244 people – mostly elderly or handicapped – trapped with him in the American Can apartment building in the post-Katrina flooding of New Orleans.
According to a 2013 article on the film from the Times-Picayune website NOLA.com, “For five days after the storm, Keller fended off looters, arranged food drops and — for those hundreds of his neighbors — acted as de facto mayor and caretaker. “What made me stay was the old people,” Keller told former Times-Picayune writer Elizabeth Mullener in a 2007 interview. “I just realized that nobody else in here could have gotten those people out. They would have sat in here for five more days. And they didn’t have five more days.”
Also acting as producer on the film with his company Overbrook Entertainment, Smith has been working to get this film made for close to seven years. There was even recent talk of Denzel Washington playing Keller. But indeed Smith will star in a script from John Lee Hancock (The Blindside, 2009) and co-producer Adetero Makinde, also known from her work on critical hits such as A Good Day to be Black and Sexy (2008) and the short film In Time (2005), and directed by Edward ‘Ed’ Zwick, known for helming other reluctant hero-based films like Glory (1989) and Defiance (2008).
With no trailer there is little indication whether this film will be soppy or subversive, but as there haven’t been much in Hollywood showing us an authentic Hurricane Katrina experience, there is optimism that The American Can will deliver.
Director: Edward Zwick
Screenwriters: Adetoro Makinde, John Lee Hancock
Cast: Will Smith
Release Date: TBD
SUPREMACY
When a newly paroled white supremacist and his ruthless girlfriend kill a cop, they hide out in the home of an African-American family and take them hostage. Meanwhile, Sobecki, the heavily-tattooed supremacist leader who oversees his criminal empire from behind bars, is not thrilled when he learns of his charge’s screw-up. The patriarch of the family, an ornery ex-con himself, must rely on his wit and understanding of the racist mind to find a plan to free his family, but not before confronting his own brand of bigotry and anger.
Danny Glover (Beyond The Lights, 2014…and so much more) stars as family patriarch with Joe Anderson (Hercules, 2014) starring as the white supremacist ex-con, Mahershala Ali (Go For Sisters, 2013) as the cop who gets shot, Derek Luke (Sparkle, 2102) as another police officer, with Evan Ross, Robin Bobeau, Dawn Olivieri, and Lela Rochon rounding out the cast.
Black victimization-seeming movies are not usually attractive features but the psychological play, and even what seems like the potential (or perhaps even direct) play on actual racial thought-processes, makes this very compelling. Supremacy is said to be based on an actual true event.
The film is set for release this year through Well Go USA Entertainment, who recently released the critically-acclaimed The Zero Theorem, and the 2010 international hit Ip Man.
Director: Deon Taylor
Screenwriters: Eric J. Adams
Release Date: TBD
THE FANTASTIC FOUR
In this re-boot of the comic-book movie franchise in which a group of scientists are mutated into super-powered beings and must become heroes to save the world, the main controversy should be that it has no exact plot or direction that no one can truly confirm. Yet the prevalent issue, in particular with genre fanboys, is that the character Johnny Storm/The Human Torch has been cast as actor Michael B. Jordan, star of 2013 hit film Fruitvale – who is a Black man as opposed the blond-haired, blue-eyed classic look of the character. While the movie is already filmed and due for a late Summer release, this will not diminish the controversy – and it will be both fun and compelling to see what comes of it.
At least its not another biopic.
Director: Josh Trank
Screenwriters: Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, Josh Trank
Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Tim Blake Nelson
Release Date: August 7
STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS
With John Boyega (Attack the Block, 2011) cast as one of the lead characters Finn and, presumably, as the trailer shows, fleeing the Dark Side dressed as an Imperial Force (aka, “the bad guys”) stormtrooper, and an appearance in the film by Oscar winner Lupita N’yongo (12 Years a Slave), hopefully these African diaspora casting additions are key to the film and not just throwaway or even ones. Yet a question I have not seen asked remains: With characters Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo making apperances in the film, why isn’t Lando Calrissian, played by our favorite 1970’s mustached sexy-man Billy D. Williams included?
Director: J.J. Abrams
Screenwriters: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan
Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Max von Sydow
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Release Date: December 18
SPARE PARTS
I spoke too soon, but this biopic seems to have a lot of merit, especially based on the latest trailer.
Spare Parts is based on the incredible true story of four underprivileged Latino students from Phoenix, Arizona who took on MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), the country’s reigning robotics champion, in a national underwater robotics competition. Starring funnyman George Lopez (TV’s George Lopez sitcom) in his first cinematic dramatic role as the student’s teacher, this fish-out-of-water (pun not intended) film also stars Alexa PenaVega (Spy Kids movie franchise), her husband Carlos PenaVega (Big Time Movie, 2012), and JR Villarreal (Akeelah and the Bee, 2006), as well as Esai Morales (Gun Hill Road, 2011).
Spare Parts hits theaters on January 16th.
Director: Sean McNamara
Screenwriter: Elissa Matsueda
Additional Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Marisa Tomei
Release Date: January 16
Also of note for 2015
HANDS OF STONE
The legendary boxer Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.
Singer/actor Usher Raymond (Killers, 2010) co-stars as Sugar Ray Leonard, which for multiple reasons we all have to see. See a picture of him in character below.
Director: Jonathan Jakubowicz
Screenwriter: Jonathan Jakubowicz
Cast: Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Usher Raymond
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama
Distributor: TBD
Release Date: December 11
CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: THE GREEN LEGEND
A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword, and one last opportunity at redemption. A sequel of sorts to the landmark original Crouching Tiger, the same day release on Netflix has already made this film controversial. Yet if its even close to the original, the theater experience is more worth it.
Director: Woo-ping Yuen
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Release Date: August 28
