Strange Fruit

The opening credits for the writer/director Kyle Schickner (Full Frontal, Rose by any other Name) film STRANGE FRUIT are eloquently beautiful camera passages down a Louisiana bayou at night, the end point being an isolated little club (the Gator) reached only by a floating raft. The mood is set for an atmospheric Southern Gothic drama: what follows is an overly complicated exploration of racism, homophobia, family dysfunction, police corruption, prejudice (racial and gender), and most important gay homophobia! Too many irons in the fire make a film that has a lot of potential come to a confusing end: too many of the subplots and motivations remain unexplained.

There is a lynching of a black gay man in the parking lot of The Gator (a gay bar where people of like minds can hide at night as long as they stay in the closet outside the bar). The mother Emma Ayers (a radiant Berlinda Tolbert) and her ne're-do-well remaining son Duane (David Raibon) are convinced the incident was a murder but the sheriff (Sam Jones) and his redneck deputies (with the exception of Deputy Conover - Jared Day) dismiss the lynching as justified because it was 'sexually motivated' and gay men deserve such an end. Emma calls the victim's childhood friend William Boyals (the fine Kent Faulcon), a successful lawyer now in New York, to come and investigate. What William discovers upon his return to his hometown is a cast of characters that includes hateful white trash, closeted black gays afraid to defend each other, 'law enforcement' that is anything but honest, the strength and devotion of his 'aunt Emma', and the mother that disowned him when he came out of the closet to be a successful gay man. The story proceeds to follow leads about the lynching and along the way there are other murders and lynchings that muddle the picture until the finale when the words of the Gator owner explain the happenings: 'Nothing is ever like it appears to be'.

The film is moody, atmospheric, and there are some fine performances by Faulcon, Tolbert, Raibon, Jared Day and Jones. The problems include a script that opts for generalities and clichés and once again a music score and recording system that buries a lot of the dialogue. But it is refreshing to see a story that views the black gay life in the South from the vantage of a handsome, successful, gay black man. Though overly long at 115 minutes, STRANGE FRUIT is still a film of interest for the chances it takes.

"Strange Fruit" certainly occupies a lonely niche on the video shelves - a gay drama with an African American cast and themes. For that alone, it was worth a look-see. Centering around the lynching murder of a gay black man in a small New Orleans parish, the tone teeters between realistic and over-the-top at times. Perhaps it is the 'momma' who seems to be way too young (topped by an ineffective gray wig - wasn't there an actress of age willing to take the role?) or maybe it is the 'moustache twirling' sheriff that unbalances "Fruit", but the film's reality suffers none-the-less. The acting is pretty good, with a background love story (for those who don't care for crime drama). My major problem with "Fruit" is that it seems overly long at nearly two hours and could have been streamlined a bit. On their indy budget, sound suffered the most and the editing is static and doesn't help move the film a long one iota.

I was fortunate to catch this movie at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. "Strange Fruit" is a breakout film-in-waiting. Kent Faulcon is the next big thing. Fans of TV LAND will recognize Berlinda Tolbert (of "The Jeffersons"). Her performance is certain to win a legion of new fans. Sam Jones is the newcomer on the block, but his performance is remarkably nuanced and affecting. KUDOS to all involved. This is certainly a writer/director to watch. There is a totally unanticipated plot twist that I will not divulge. Watch the movie...you won't see it coming, either. From the opening credits to the closing credits, this is a low budget masterwork filled with conviction and integrity. SEE IT!

I just saw this excellent film at the Asheville Fim Festival and was just stunned! The movie was so well written. The acting flawless. I was in tears at a couple of places during the movie. Mr. Faulcon was just tremendous in the lead role, especially in the last few minutes. His powerful acting was one thing that brought me to tears at the end. It kind of had the feel of "In The Heat of the Night". Very sad movie that makes you think about being gay in the South and also being black and gay in the South. As a note, Mr. Shickner was in the audience and hosted a Q&A after the movie. (I was actually sitting next to him and another producer without even knowing it. Pretty neat!)

Highly recommended, especially if you grew up gay in the South.

I went to see this 3 nights ago here in Cork, Ireland. It was the world premiere of it, in the tiny cinema in the Triskel Arts Centre as part of the Cork Film Festival.

I found "Strange Fruit" to be an excellent movie. It is a bit rough around the edges, but for a low-budget movie that is to be expected! In general the acting (particularly from the main lead Kent Faulcon) is wonderful, the cinematography and direction excellent, and the script hugely entertaining and thought-provoking, with some nice set-ups and witty dialogue.

The ending was a bit sudden, with no conclusion given to characters and events once the finale came to its gripping end ... but perhaps that's what the filmmakers were going for? It certainly did make the movie more unsettling. I did like the fact that the main character never came to terms with his mother on screen: it leaves you wondering whether or not he ever will, as in real-life sometimes these things are never settled. This was a good choice, to leave it unresolved rather than sentimentally wrapping it up!

Taut and suspenseful throughout, "Strange Fruit" is a hugely ambitious debut and I have high hopes for what the writer/director Kyle Schickner will unleash next. He - and his colleagues - are a talent worth watching.

I hope "Strange Fruit" gets a wider release soon, as more people deserve to see this movie, an above-average thriller with some original and insightful twists on homophobia and racism in America's Deep South.

Highly Recommended: 7/10