Constellation

I saw this at the Chicago Int'l Film Festival. I really liked it although it wasn't as polished as many movies we see in the theatre these days. But the characters seemed real; the dialog was so real that I asked the director, who was there, if it was ad-libbed. He said, no, maybe only 5%.

The ensemble cast was excellent; some familiar faces (Billy Dee Williams, Lesley Ann Warren, Rae Dawn Chong)...but in roles that seemed to fit them very well.

The score, some well known songs, some not, was sometimes distracting. And the last scene, a very emotional one, had music "swelling" in the background, that made it seem like a made-for-TV movie. That could be improved. But overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone (race not important) who's had to deal with unresolved family "issues".

Constellation" Shines with the Brilliant Beauty of Its Namesake.

It is interesting to note that the movie CONSTELLATION was first screened in 2005, just after the Academy Award-winning CRASH. And like "Crash," it provides a penetrating look into how race relations have influenced the American character; but un-like "Crash," it gives much more credit to the role that love has played in developing that character. Director-writer Jordan Walker-Pearlman opens his film with a quote from Jeffery Seaver in which the author observes that between love and death, "Love is more powerful and lasts longer." The film "Constellation" attempts to prove that point by tracing the history of an interracial relationship and its painfully mixed impact upon the lives of the couple involved as well as their family and friends.

Set in Huntsville, Alabama, the movie starts around World War II when a very bold young black woman named Carmel Boxer, played with effecting simplicity by Gabrielle Union, and a young white soldier named Bear, played by Daniel Bess, defy social convention and the law by pursuing a secret romance. With her younger brother Helms Boxer acting as their look-out, they enjoy brief times together hidden by the cover of night; until Carmel decides to visit Bear in broad daylight as his platoon is preparing to deploy. That decision proves devastating when her lover is ordered to walk away from her and board his train, leaving Carmel behind in a room where several white men assault her. We do not see an actual gang rape but the implication is clear enough and so is the bitter aftermath. We come to understand that aftermath some 50 years later shortly following Carmel's death as family members and friends--Black and White--gather to mourn her passing as well to make some kind of peace between each other.

Veteran actor Billy Dee Williams plays the now mature Helms who, unable and unwilling to cope with his country's racism, has made a life for himself as an artist in Paris. The price of doing so, however, has been the loss of a viable relationship with either of his daughters, and, two apparently failed marriages. Relationship is a key word for this movie because the "Constellation" referred to by the title more than anything else is a constellation, or grouping, of deeply intimate interactions. Relationships between lovers, between a brother and a sister, between friends, between Blacks and Whites, and between the past and the present. Walker-Pearlman weaves these relationships together and explores their human depths with sheer mastery set to a mesmerizing score of America's classical music forms, including jazz, gospel, American classic, folk, and rap. In his vision of America, specifically the U.S., racial antagonism comprises only a fraction of what has bound Blacks and Whites together. They have also been bound by shared culture, history, tragedies, triumphs, and blood.

Plum acting roles are rare for veteran black male actors but that of Helms Boxer is a perfect fit for Williams, who actually is an accomplished visual artist as well as an actor. He finds himself in good company with a constellation of bona fide stars that include: Lesley Ann Warren, Rae Dawn Chong, Clarence Williams III, Hill Harper, and Zoe Saldana.

Recent high profile interracial marriages might lead some to feel that "Constellation" squeezes a bit too much drama out of the subject. But anyone under that impression might consider that the last laws officially barring interracial marriage in the United States were just taken off the books, in the year 2000, in the very state where this movie is set: Alabama. One of the great triumphs of the film is its ability to acknowledge the agony of past prejudices while celebrating the triumphs of family and love in the here and now.

For a person of white decent and growing up in the North before living my life in the South, I found the film to be a step in right direction as far as the storyline. As with anything placed out into public scrutiny, there will always be those who feel it doesn't suit their taste. In the short time being a part of the film, cast and crew, I was allowed to see and feel firsthand the attempts by Jordan and his crew to capture the meaning of and present a subject that at times is too controversial to talk about. Cudos for stepping forward to help us, as a nation, to bridge the gap and clear up the misunderstandings that we allow to cloud our judgment. American's have the right voice their opinions, that is what is great about this country, and am proud to be currently serving to defend this right and equally proud to have been, regardless of how small, a part of this film.

Stunning performances by Billy Dee Williams, Gabrielle Union, Leslie Ann Warren, and Zoe Saldana. Melissa DeSousa was perfect as the daughter trying to please her daddy (Billy Dee). The scene between Leslie Ann Warren and Rae Dawn Chong was very powerful. The contention between the two women in one mans life came across on screen beautifully. Hill Harpers scene with Billy Dee Williams in the housing project was powerful, sensitive and touching. Miss Unions narration of the story line is unique and memorable. But Zoe Saldana's self searching role was haunting. She emotes talent and deep feelings in her work. Truly destined to greatness. Jordan walker-Perlman's directing really tugs at the heart string with the way he displays the interpersonal relationships of the characters.

I watched two episodes thinking this might get better, but it actually got worse.

This is something that must have gotten a lot of investment judging from the cast and the special effects, so why did anyone greenlight this story?

Jonathan Banks usually has pretty good sense as to what media to be a part of and I expected better, and even more so with Noomi Rapace.

I don't give 1/10 ratings very often. To me, a 1/10 review is an unwatchable show. While "Constellation" is not unwatchable in the beginning because it piques your curiosity, it is worse than unwatchable in the long run because it wastes the time it takes to watch a few episodes to realize it is unwatchable and assuming viewers are utter fools.

Another really irritating thing is how they draw things out with no reason other than to draw them out. For example, nothing on the International Space Station seems to work or be dependable.

I just feel bad that if you don't take my advice and avoid this sad excuse for a science fiction movie you will be wasting your time watching it before you quit in disgust.

Sorry ... 1/10.