Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
2020
Directed by George Wolfe
This is one of those films that makes you feel guilty for not praising it. Sure the performances were outstanding, but I spent most of the movie wading through monologues, hoping something would happen soon.
Ma Rainey is a blues singer/diva. I don't blame her, if I had star power I would make similar demands about Diet Dr. Pepper as she does about Coke. Levee Green is the band's trumpeter, and his personality immediately clashes with the rest of the group.
Viola Davis convincingly became Ma Rainey, but Chadwick Boseman stole the show, he had much more interesting things to do. It felt very staged and trapped to me, but that's adaptations of plays for you.
Good ending though, even if the climax was melodramatic.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
The black bottom refers to a dance craze popular among African Americans during the time in the rural South.
Filmed in Pittsburgh. Well, it's interesting to me, because I live there.
With this film, Davis became the most Oscar nominated actress of African-American descent.
I haven't seen this, but Viola Davis is always amazing. Too bad her skill wasn't put to better use.
ReplyDeleteWell ... it was OK ...
ReplyDeleteI get your point about it 'wading through monologues' ... which, I guess comes from it being a stage play ... and it still had that feel...
It passed pleasantly, but not one I'd bother seeing again
Which feels like a comment I could be making a lot for the medium future ...
(Really liked 'power of the dog', ready for next years up date)