Fences

Fences is Denzel Washington's passion project and the love he has for the story is clearly evident on the screen. It's Denzel's fourth time behind the camera and he's gotten better every time he's sat in the director's chair and Fences is his best by far. I think that may be due to his overwhelming familiarity with the source material since Denzel played Troy Maxson on Broadway. Originally a play by the genius that is August Wilson, I will be forever grateful to Denzel for putting this in a format I can keep and watch whenever I like once it becomes available because Fences may just be the best film of the year.

As stated earlier, Denzel played the titular role on stage and he wears Troy Maxson as if the character were a comfortable pair of shoes that have been broken in just right. He stomps through the chief set in the film, his house as if he were a giant. Everything about Troy seems larger than life and everything around him appears small and insignificant and that includes his wife, sons, and friends. Troy is a bitter ex-ballplayer who feels he never caught a fair shake because of the color of his skin. His wife Rose Maxson, played by the phenomenally talented Viola Davis, does her best to cut through Troy's anger with compassion and humor but it's not enough to keep Troy from trying to drink his pain away.

Fences is a beautifully shot film by Charlotte Bruus Christensen and with the talented cast assembled she had a lot to work with. Outside of Denzel and Viola the cast also included Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Saniyya Sydney, and Mykelti Williamson who does his best to steal every scene he's in. Most will see this film and not get it, I understand that but the clarity this movie offers regarding what Black men deal with in this country is astounding. Fences a film I feel every Black man should see because it just may start the inward and outward healing process we so desperately need and deserve.  That being said I give Fences four and a half buckets of Killer Korn and I'll see you at the theater.

Rogue One (non spoiler review)

This is a spoiler free review for all of you that haven't seen the movie yet. Far be it for little old me to fucking ruin it all for you. That would make me a penis and who wants to be a penis? Not this guy. What I'll do instead is state that Rogue One is a high octane, gritty, and ridiculously entertaining movie. Director Gareth Edwards has helmed the best popcorn movie this year because this movie is unmercifully exciting. It's an actual war film with sacrifices for the greater good and casualties. There are literally bodies scattered on the beach. It's not in the vein of Saving Private Ryan but it easily could have been.

What else helps this movie along is the really nice diversity of the cast. Yes the lead in the movie is a white girl, Felicity Jones playing Jyn Orso, but her surrounding cast does NOT include a white man. Her right hand man, Cassian Andor is played by Diego Luna and the other two key actors in this movie are Asian men. The incredible Donnie Yen plays the blind Chirrut Imwe and Wen Jiang plays Baze Malbus, Chirrut's protector and best friend. And let's not forget the Oscar Award winning Forrest Whitaker who plays the righteous rebel Saw Gerrera. This has to be the most diverse cast ever seen in a Star Wars film.

M biggest beef with this film is not just the lack of any real emotional punch but the horrible score by Oscar winner (still don't know how that shit happened) Michael Giacchino was not just disappointing but upsetting. The music supplied for this film was basically background noise and for the first non John Williams score for a Star Wars film it should have blown the roof off the theater. That didn't happen at all. Now in fairness to him he only had between three and four weeks to score the film due to reshoots and scheduling but for a $200 million dollar budgeted film the music should have been better. That being said I give Rogue One a solid three buckets of Killer Korn out of five. Enjoy this offering and I'll see you at the theater.

 

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is the latest film from writer/director Scott Derrickson and honestly it's better than I thought it would be. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the egotistical, know-it-all Dr. Stephen Strange at times this movie telegraphs where it's going. Thankfully that doesn't happen enough to get annoying but there are no real surprises here. That doesn't keep it from being entertaining and the performances are all top notch.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Ben Wong, Mads Mikkelesen, and Tilda Swinton all turn in great performances. They do their best to convince a broken Stephen Strange to fight on the side of light while all he wants to do is go back to his previous life as the preeminent neurosurgeon in the country. A vicious car accident (that even a blind person could see coming) takes the doctor's hands from him and the quest begins on trying to get them back.

Along the way there's some witty humor that's sprinkled in certain places and some trippy special effects that take architecture to a level never before seen. My only issue with Doctor Strange is the atrocious score offered up by Oscar award winning composer Michael Giacchino. This movie definitely deserved better music. Since that and a certain casting decision are my biggest issues here I give Doctor Strange three buckets of Killer Korn.