Fiction à l'américaine

For reference, I frequently enjoy dumb-fun, mindless movies and watch basically everything superhero-related. You know... the kinds of movies where the writing is rarely the draw. Then I watch something with great writing and feel metaphorical whiplash. The difference is drastic.

Witty dialogue, intriguing story and clever scenarios elevate everything. The cast all give fantastic performances, especially Jeffrey Wright. But for me personally, by far the best attribute is the comedy. I full-volume laughed throughout. And the humor feels entirely original.

My only dislike is a few subplots, like the love life of his brother or the maid, that don't seem to be related to the main plot. They feel out of place and detract from the main story. Otherwise, I found American Fiction to be highly entertaining.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 1/4/2024)

This is a very thoughtful and entertaining movie. My wife seldom comments much but even a day later she commented on how good it is.

Jeffrey Wright is professor and novelist Thelonious Ellison. His family and close friends call him 'Monk' in honor of the famous jazz musician and composer Thelonious Monk, who died in 1982 at the age of 64.

This Monk takes his writing novels very seriously but is not achieving much success. Meanwhile he encounters another author, a well-educated and well-spoken black woman. However when she reads a portion of her latest popular book, it is all broken English and black slang. He is taken aback, what is going on here?

At some point he decides to spoof the industry, he writes a novel of black characters who use reprehensible language and ghetto slang. He writes it as a joke with a made-up pen name. To his surprise and shock the publishing company loves it, they offer a big sum to publish it, and another company is jockeying for the movie rights.

Reflecting on the story I am a bit loss on how to explain the last half hour of it, but it is overall a very well-made and entertaining movie. Jeffrey Wright is superb in the role.

My wife and I watched it at home, streaming on Prime.

The part of the movie that concerns liberal white guilt driving forcing black voices into a box is funny and right on point. I live in the same area as this movie takes place and know many black people who express the same sentiments as the main character here... (Monk). But ironically it seems that the story that wanted to be told was likely interfered with by corporate suits and perhaps the screenplay didn't have a great ending.

Most of the movie is wonderful but the main character's LGBT brother is very likely not needed and was put in there to satisfy an agenda. Ironically... this movie itself is a vehicle for the message while also critiquing it. And at the end of the story it looks like it is going to go with a very Tootsie like ending but they do a few zigs and zags that I wonder if was just to extend the run time.

Overall though, very entertaining.

It could be that I am incorrectly reading this movie, however initially you would think the movie is the mockery of the racial rhetoric in media. It is basically thrown right in your face. However I think the movie is making a mockery of the viewers. It is basically saying: "You as a viewer now know perfectly what is happening in media, you are now aware of the 'correct' perspective, you are now a 'genius'". The same way monk was called a 'genius' by his mother. It taunts us with the answer to this specific social issue, seemingly playing into the idea that people want to have a form of higher understanding over others. Monk thinks he has the higher understanding, and holds on to it till the bitter end. In the meantime he alienates the people around him to so dearly protect his own pride. He seems insecure about his background and thus creates a facade for himself, a rhetoric, that he sees the world how it really is and he, and all black people, are the victims. Its all just foolish human behavior, there is no higher understanding, there is no real perspective, there is only your perspective, and the perspective of others. It is important to keep listening to what people are saying with compassion and understanding.

I am aware of the irony woven in this review, but I guess that is the beauty of human nature, our flaws are what keep the world spinning.

American Fiction is a rightfully angry satire that gets a lot of laughs out of showing how the industry isn't as progressive as it thinks it is. What makes it even better is that it's also a surprisingly investing family drama that is exactly the kind of film it's complaining there aren't enough of.

The only thing that doesn't entirely land is the ending. It's still on point with everything the film has been saying for the past 2 hours and it is gloriously meta but it feels like it comes at the cost of an actually satisfying resolution to the character based drama it's been focusing on. Regardless, it's an interesting swing.

Jeffrey Wright is amazing in an all too rare leading role. It's the constant shock at how gullible everyone is, the glee in writing his parody book (which is visualised in a fun way) and the quieter moments of reflection. It offers further proof of his comedic talents and shows he can command the screen, though that was never in doubt.

With tons of charisma and a restrained sadness, Sterling K. Brown is really good, even if this performance doesn't feel Academy Award worthy. However, that's more of a general complaint with watching films after the nominations are announced since it adds a distracting and unfair disadvantage to any performance nominated.

Cord Jefferson makes an impressive debut with both his screenplay and direction. The writing has so much wit and the direction has the visual staging to back it up for some very clever gags. Laura Karpman's score accomplishes the difficult task of being a constant presence without becoming overbearing thanks to its calm and easygoing nature.