Supremacy

I found this on Netflix and decided to give it a gander. It is intense and deals with the racial tension that has always existed between the races. The recently paroled inmate vs the aging man who was once an inmate. It seeks to show how they are different but the same. Each has come to a decision that not only affects them but others. In the end they both learn from each other that hate is a business and both of them have been pawns of propaganda. Very interesting para-drama between the mother and the daughter. The daughter blurred the family lines with self-preservation. Tension mounts throughout the entire movie and each must face their own mortality and fears in order to survive.

Saw the Atlanta premiere of Supremacy as part of the Pan African Film Festival. The movie is about a recently released white supremacist who is picked up by his lady friend. Along the way, things go array and they have to seek refuge in the home of an ex-convict (Danny Glover). The former prisoner is set not to go back to prison while Mr. Walker (Danny Glover) is set to lead his family to safety. A high stakes film that is based on a real life story. According to the director who was at the screening, the story was shot in 10 days. Danny Glover shared that it was a team effort and they were free to share their true emotion of this tense movie. This movie touches on the complexity of family, society, and justice as the characters fight to find a path to their own escape. It is a star performance by Danny Glover as he attempts to keep calm during the rage of emotion.

As a thriller this works nicely, mostly because of the performances. The characters and the setting is pretty simple. As is the mindset of certain individuals in this. Danny Glover showing is once again, that contrary to what one of his characters says, he's not getting too old for this. Good performance to counter the other lead performance. Racism and violence meets with dignity and calmness.

In the most crazy situation, where everything seems to fall apart, it's tough to stay cool and not be affected by this. The movie is obviously a morality tale, not only about crime (and that you're alone in it, even when it seems like you have an ally), but the stark contrast between hate and love. Real family and made up family too ...

When the film "Supremacy" begins, you see a message that says that this story is based on a real case. I did a bit of research and could find nothing about this case--but it sure left me wanting to know more. The opening scene is just outside a prison and Garrett Tully (Joe Anderson) has been released. A women he doesn't know is there to pick him up, and obviously some sort of wicked plan is uniting them. Before too long, their pickup truck is stopped by the police and Tully panics and kills the cop. They flee and soon take refuge in a home full of people. The choice of homes is ironic, considering that Tully is an avowed white supremacist--and their captives are a black family. Through the rest of the film, you see Tully and his female accomplice terrorize the family and you wonder if any of these people are going to end up alive by the end of the story.

As you can tell by my description that this film has a very simple plot. However, it makes the most of it and is an awfully well made film considering its humble pedigree. The director (Deon Taylor) and the writer (Eric J. Adams) are relative newbies with filmmaking. And, apart from Danny Glover who plays the family patriarch, the actors are mostly folks who will be unknown to the viewer. But it all works so well. In particular, the acting of Anderson as the kidnapper, Lela Rochon (Odessa, the mother) and Glover (Mr. Walker) are really superb and make the story seem quite real.

This is not a perfect film but it is far better than I'd expected it to be. The ending alone is more than enough reason to watch the film. My only reservations are about the appropriateness of the film for all audiences. It has a few violent scenes, one sexual encounter and a ton of language that might just make you blush. While the language certainly help to give this one an R rating here in the States, I appreciated how the film avoided being politically correct--and used extremely vivid and offensive racial epithets and stereotypes. After all, racism is ugly and here it is shown in all its ugliness. Well done and worth seeing.

I thought the storyline was believable. I think you're acting was just okay. If it wasn't for Danny Glover, the movie would have sucked.