Displaying items by tag: Samuel L Jackson

THE PIANO LESSON

US, 2024, 127 minutes, Colour.

Samuel L.Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins, Michael Potts, Stephan James.

Directed by Malcolm Washington.

The film version of one of the several plays by August Wilson tracing the history of African Americans and the exploration of their culture – Fences, Ma Rainey’s Bottom… It has been adapted for the screen with Malcolm Washington directing.

Producer Denzel Washington, father of Malcolm and of the star, John David, with his wife Paulette and daughter Olivia having cameo roles as mother and daughter, when asked what audiences would get out of the film, replied that it depended what audiences brought to the film.

To this extent, it is very much a film for African-Americans, the background of slavery, the domination of the South, emancipation, racism, African-American culture and traditions, moving into the conflicts and freedoms of the 20^th century.

The film opens in 1911, celebration of Independence Day, a white celebration while, at the same time, a group of black men are taking a piano from a landowner’s house and sending it to Pittsburgh. The father of the family is pursued and killed.

The action takes place mainly in Pittsburgh in 1936, one of the sons, Boy Willie, John David Washington, coming with his friend Lyman, Ray Fisher, with a truckload of watermelons to sell to get money to buy a property of the landowner who has died falling down a well. He hopes to sell the piano to raise the rest of the money for the sale. However, he experiences the clash with his sister, Berneice, a widow with a daughter, Danielle Deadwyler. The patriarch of the house is played by Samuel L.J ackson. Also in the cast are one of his brothers who is visiting as well as the local pastor who aims at building a church.

This is very much filmed theatre but with a number of exterior sequences. However, it is very much a film of words and performance. Central to the drama of the family is the sense of ghosts and spirits haunting, the effect on families, the need for some kind of exorcism.

The wider audience will be interested in this exploration of African-American themes but may often feel that they are observing from the outside.

1. The work of August Wilson? Theatre? Cinema? African-American themes in history?
2. 1911, July 4, the south, the White celebration, patriotism, colour and song? The contrast with the African-Americans, the situation, Mississippi, work, owners, the piano, the stealing, pushing and carrying it, the escape, with Boy Willie, Boy Charlie, the fire, the pursuit, his death?
3. 1936, the desert, the city, the neighbourhoods, the black area? Homes, the streets, nightclubs, church? The musical score, the songs and their lyrics, atmosphere?
4. The theatricality of the piece, on stage, most of the action within the house, the external scenes, Mississippi, the pursuit of Boy Charlie, the drive, the sales of the watermelons? The visual equivalence of the words?
5. The focus on Boy Willie, his age, his mother and father, the memories of 1911, the piano? The death of Sutter, falling down the well, huge man, suspicions, the Yellow Ghost, Berneice asserting that Boy Willie pushed him? The visuals? His friendship with Lyman, the truck, driving to Pittsburgh, the watermelons, the sale, hopes for the money for a for the land?
6. Doaker, the uncle, his brothers, his work, settling in the North, his personality, observing, intervening? Berneice, her experience in the south, the death of her husband, mourning for him, her daughter? Her bitter attitudes? Antagonism towards Boy Willie? Her bitter words, the relationship with Avery? Raising the funds? Avery’s proposal, her harsh response? The scenes of antagonism with Boy Willie? Her nerves, the apparition of Sutter, Boy Willie’s sceptical reaction? The conversations about his appearing, Joker, the daughter? The ominous presence?
7. Lyman, more simple, from the South, wanting to stay in the North, accompanying Boy Willie, their shared experiences, his conversation, the watermelons, in the house, Boy Wining and the bargaining with the suit, shirt, shoes? His going out, at the club, the music, the conversation, his return, the encounter with Berneice, the perfume, the kiss, her response?
8. Boy Wining, his past, one of the brothers, the news of his wife’s death, the music, his drinking, in the house, cheerful, contribution to the controversies?
9. The buildup to a climax, Berneice, the anxieties, Avery’s coming to exorcise the ghosts, the quoting of the scripture, Boy Willie and his experience, the struggle with the ghost, his return downstairs? The reconciliation with Berneice?
10. Love and tensions within the family? The future?
11. And the symbolism of the piano, stolen from Sutter, transfer to the North, the mother playing it, the flashbacks of mother and daughter, Berneice playing it, stopping when her mother died, the carvings on the piano, the family heritage, not selling it, Avery wanting to start the Church, Boy Willie wanting to sell it for buying the property?

THE KILL ROOM

US, 2023, 98 minutes, Colour.

Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Samuel L.Jackson, Amy Keum, Maya Hawke, Dree Hemingway, Jennifer Kim, Larry Pine, Candy Buckley, Tom Pecinka, Nikolai Tsankhov.

Directed by Nicol Paone.

As the title for a film about competitiveness in the art world, The Kill Room doesn’t seem quite likely.

In fact, the film does open with a murder, a seemingly charming man walking along the street, Joe Manganiello, reacts to an insult and kill someone. It emerges that he is a hitman, completely amoral, but with potential charm. Samuel L.Jackson plays a shady character, involved in the food industry, but with links to organised crime.

The other strand of the film focuses on Patrice, Uma Thurman, director of a Gallery, caught up in high society, but in financial needs. Then comes the strange linking of the two worlds.

The proposal is that the hitman attempt some paintings – but, surprisingly, is successful. The scheme for his paintings is money laundering with the paintings sold but staying in the Gallery. However, Patrice’s enthusiastic assistant, is keen to promote them. Consequently, the hitman becomes a celebrated artist, called The Bagman, with exhibitions and sales.

So, this is a satirical comedy, critique of cut throat action in the art world, paralleling it with the world of organised crime and hits.

The comparison would be Velvet Buzzsaw which had a star cast also critical of cut throat action in the art world.

1. The title? The finale and the storage of empty cases?
2. The satiric perspective of the film? Serious themes? The hitman, dealing, money laundering, the bosses? The contrast with the art world? Bringing them together?
3. The city settings, the bars, the Jewish bagel shop, the art gallery, streets and buildings, but exhibitions, the studio for The Big man? Atmosphere? Musical score?
4. Introduction to Reggie, of the incident, the killing? The continued hits? The later background to Reggie’s life, his sister, trouble, her addiction, his helping her out, the murders? The gang bosses? The relationship with Gordon? Is to do the paintings, seeing him at work, his reaction to be an artist, introduction to the art world?
5. Patrice, her gallery, her drug habit, financial difficulties, the story of her cutting off a famous artist, her motivations? Leslie as her internal? Discussions with Greece, the paintings, grease and her anger? The various rivals, Fern, Annika, the power of The Kimono and her articles? Different clientele? The exhibition, no sales, her later explaining to Reggie Greece’s childhood and her paintings? Her financial difficulties?
6. Her drug habit, connections with Note, discussion about the paintings, note having a painting, Gordon seeing it, the idea for laundering money through art? His visit to Greece, their interactions, her refusal? Growing financial difficulties, going to see Gordon, Gordon commissioning Reggie to paint, her reaction to the paintings, promotion, the sales, the money laundering? Leslie and her enthusiasm, the word getting around, the rival painters, The Kimono, the clients? Are getting in deeper?
7. Reggie, the painting, the effect, the demands on his revealing himself, his secrecy, the paintings, the plastic bags, his arrangements, Patrice exhibiting them, the reality of the murders? Her visiting the studio? Talking with him, explanations, finding something of his inner self? The exhibition, the Kimono and the interview, the various jealousies?
8. Patrice, having the money, going to the functions, the snide remarks of people? Leslie, her enthusiasm?
9. The gang bosses, the control of Reggie, the links with Gordon? The confrontation at the paintings, the session with Patrice and Reggie?
10. Patrice, the discovery of Reggie’s being a hitman, her vomiting, the video? Interpreted as response to the art? Her idea, greater fraud, the connection with Annika and her assistant, the information about the oligarchs and their paintings? The plan, Miami, the exhibition, the secrecy, everybody assembled, the filming of the encounter, Reggie in the bag over the oligarch, the mobster coming in, killing the oligarch, killing the assistant? Everybody seeing it as video, applauding?
11. The reputation of the bagman? System of carting artworks to diverse, the bodies inside? Reggie, the boat, to Cuba and is disappearing? Patrice, the final conversation with Gordon? And the box arriving at the Kill Room?