Amazon American Fiction
- Thread starter Infamous114
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Lion_Heart
Active Member
Gonna try to catch it this weekend.
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neo2090
OG
Fiction & Facts
PRAISE : A couple of months ago my sister and I were talking about how bad the writing was on a sitcom that I barely watched and that her boyfriend was into so she watched along with him. We came up with the conclusion that some of the writers were just biding their time and putting up with the other writers because it was a stepping stone to something better or they just needed the money so they just made up anything to cater to a certain audience.
That's partially what American Fiction is about,the story about A novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright)
who's fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that will show up anyone that publishes it.
The movie definitely reflects what many have gone weary of as of late the profit off of black pain in cinema. Black people being put into a box and the aggravation of it. As Monk states in the film books and entertainment like this say ok this is all there is of the African American experience.
I think the film does a fine job with all of the aforementioned. But I was happy that's not all this film is about. It's also about family and familial dysfunction.
Sterling K. Brown gives a good performance as Monk’s younger, reckless, and gay brother. As Lisa Tracee Ellis Ross, her screen time, is shockingly brief but she provides a heartfelt and fun performance. As Coraline, Erika Alexander Monks girlfriend is that nice loving and supportive surprise in someone's life and I think she handles the role beautifully. As his mom, Agnes (Leslie Uggams gives a quiet but believable performance as a person in decline. There are also good turns from John Ortiz as Monks agent and as Lorraine the families live in home caretaker Myra Lucretia Taylor provides a sweet performance. Th moments between the family felt genuine and real.
The message of stereotyping is strong as it plays out in dramatic and humorous ways. The question of selling out because that's what is selling is always and interesting one,which takes me back to the beginning of my review. Can someone profit from the stereotypes,and black trauma to provide for family and themselves and not feel guilty about it?
PROBLEMS: Some predictable moments.
I wish the conversation between Monk and Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), a Black author with a middle-class upbringing whose novel centers on inner city Black women because their conflicting views were interesting. Although I found some of the closing moments humorous it did have that feel of well we don't really know how to end this. Plus there was that there and back again feeling with Monk that can either be chalked up to "catering to or selling out" and not really having a voice of your own.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½
PRAISE : A couple of months ago my sister and I were talking about how bad the writing was on a sitcom that I barely watched and that her boyfriend was into so she watched along with him. We came up with the conclusion that some of the writers were just biding their time and putting up with the other writers because it was a stepping stone to something better or they just needed the money so they just made up anything to cater to a certain audience.
That's partially what American Fiction is about,the story about A novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright)
who's fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that will show up anyone that publishes it.
The movie definitely reflects what many have gone weary of as of late the profit off of black pain in cinema. Black people being put into a box and the aggravation of it. As Monk states in the film books and entertainment like this say ok this is all there is of the African American experience.
I think the film does a fine job with all of the aforementioned. But I was happy that's not all this film is about. It's also about family and familial dysfunction.
Sterling K. Brown gives a good performance as Monk’s younger, reckless, and gay brother. As Lisa Tracee Ellis Ross, her screen time, is shockingly brief but she provides a heartfelt and fun performance. As Coraline, Erika Alexander Monks girlfriend is that nice loving and supportive surprise in someone's life and I think she handles the role beautifully. As his mom, Agnes (Leslie Uggams gives a quiet but believable performance as a person in decline. There are also good turns from John Ortiz as Monks agent and as Lorraine the families live in home caretaker Myra Lucretia Taylor provides a sweet performance. Th moments between the family felt genuine and real.
The message of stereotyping is strong as it plays out in dramatic and humorous ways. The question of selling out because that's what is selling is always and interesting one,which takes me back to the beginning of my review. Can someone profit from the stereotypes,and black trauma to provide for family and themselves and not feel guilty about it?
PROBLEMS: Some predictable moments.
I wish the conversation between Monk and Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), a Black author with a middle-class upbringing whose novel centers on inner city Black women because their conflicting views were interesting. Although I found some of the closing moments humorous it did have that feel of well we don't really know how to end this. Plus there was that there and back again feeling with Monk that can either be chalked up to "catering to or selling out" and not really having a voice of your own.
Scale of 1 to 10 a 7½
TTBF
OG
Any idea what the budget was? Probably would've faired better as a summer/fall release.
Can't find any info on it but I'm sure its nothing above 15 mill at best. Never understand these slow rollouts studios do
Director just confirmed during the acceptance speech that it cost less than 10 mill to make the movie
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Lion_Heart
Active Member
I saw it over the weekend. It was okay.