*For those wondering, there was no May movie log because I watched no movies in May. 😦
8th: The Watermelon Woman – Cheryl Dunye (1996)
Watched at home. This was the first banner on the criterion channel, I gave it a watch, and am sure glad that I did. First of all, it’s a story I had not seen before. An exploration of race, sexuality, and identity through the eyes of a black, lesbian filmmaker. One of the things that struck me most was just how similar it was to other movies and tv shows that I love. I’m thinking of the stories that follow a person (almost always a straight, white man) through the trials of dating and just being a modern person. You know like Annie Hall, The Graduate, etc. Some of the most highly-esteemed movies ever made. I feel guilty that my biggest takeaway from this film was how refreshing I found the perspective in this one. I hope that I can watch more of Dunye’s films, or other black and queer filmmakers, and be able to pay more attention to the film as just a film. With that being said, I thought The Watermelon Woman really worked for the most part. I loved the style of short vignettes. My favorite one being the archive literally named C.L.I.T. (Center for Lesbian Information and Technology). I thought the way the plot unfolded was really well-done and poignant. I loved how Cheryl starts finding more and more connection with the Watermelon Woman. They’re both black filmmakers, they both are dating white women. And as Cheryl soon finds out they are both exploited by the film industry and by their partners. It’s heartbreaking when Cheryl finds out that Faye Richards (the Watermelon Woman) was embarrassed by her role in these white films. That the thing that connects Cheryl and her was so shameful for her. I think there are some things that don’t work quite as well. The film is pretty short and it still feels a bit stretched. I think the vignette style can only work for so long, especially as the main plotline picks up more steam. Still, I’m really stoked about this film. I’m excited to check out more of Dunye’s work.
Grade: B+
Watermelon Woman, The – Cheryl Dunye (1996)
19th: She’s Gotta Have It – Spike Lee (1986)
Watched at home. Right away you can tell Lee’s singular talent and unique vision. It’s remarkable how confident and ambitious he is. And I think for the most part his intent with the film has aged pretty well. It’s a pretty nuanced look at how awful men are when it comes to dating. A lot of what Nola Darling says, especially in her closing monologue, is really eloquent, thoughtful, and still-prescient stuff. I think no matter what, I should give Lee props for examining this issue, and really investigating it in the film. Now, even with his good intent, I’m not sure it totally works. The main issue is obviously the rape scene. It feels so unnecessary and incompatible with the tone of the rest of the film. It looks like Lee felt that way too saying later, “If I was able to have any do-overs, that would be it. It was just totally … stupid. I was immature. It made light of rape, and that’s the one thing I would take back. I was immature and I hate that I did not view rape as the vile act that it is.” My only other qualm with the film is perhaps with its approach. The film is presented as a documentary/reflection by Nola on why she doesn’t date men monogamously. And as I’ve said, her closing speech on it is brilliant. However, I can’t help but feel that for a movie that is promoting her freedom, it spends most of its time showing men treating her poorly. There’s something about her being the passive voice throughout most of the movie that kind of feels off. All that being said, I think filmmaking is incredible. I think, for the most part, it’s a really enjoyable movie. And honestly, it’s fitting that Lee’s first feature would be complicated and divisive. He never backs away from tough issues. It’s what makes him one of the best filmmakers.
Grade: B
She’s Gotta Have it – Spike Lee (1986)
19th: Inside Man – Spike Lee (2006)
A Spike Lee double feature! This one is quite different than She’s Gotta Have It. The only thing complicated about it is its elaborate plot. Does it work? Sure! There’s a ton of people in it. I mean, it’s hard to beat Denzel, Willem Dafoe, Jodie Foster, and Clive Owen all in one movie. Not to mention Ziggy from The Wire! And after consulting with Wikipedia, the plot is pretty cool. Now, that wasn’t really transparent to me from watching. I was left pretty confused. But I honestly enjoyed the movie enough to watch it again. And I think if I did, I’d probably understand the movie a whole lot better. Also, I loved the digs Lee takes at the police even in a bank heist movie.
Grade: B
Inside Man – Spike Lee (2006)
20th: Everybody Wants Some!! – Richard Linklater
I watched it again! Everybody take a drink.
Grade: A
23rd: School Daze – Spike Lee (1988)
Watched at home. I didn’t like it. I don’t think it works. And it has one pretty gross/problematic moment. Still, it’s probably more interesting than 99% of other filmmaker’s misses. For one, it’s a musical. It’s crazy to me that Lee’s instinct for his follow-up would be a musical. Second, it’s a musical about the escalating tensions at an all-black college centered around greek-life, apartheid, and whether adopting any white culture is selling-out. That’s probably not even the best way to put it. My point is that they’re nuanced issues. And it’s amazing to me that Lee tried to tackle it in a musical in his second feature. The other major thing going for this movie is talent. This movie has Lawerence Fishburne (credited as Larry), Giancarlo Esposito, and Samuel L. Jackson (credited as Sam). Lee obviously had an eye for talent and the performances really help to carry the movie. So what doesn’t work? I found the plot to be overly complicated. I’m not a huge fan of musicals anyway, but this one wouldn’t have worked even if I were. The songs are clever but they’re so long. It really felt like they were just there to stretch out the movie as much as possible. But the biggest issue is with the resolution of the movie. Once again, the main tension in the final act is a rape scene. And I know Lee is trying to make a point. He makes complicated films. But it’s still not handled that deftly and leaves you feeling like he fucked up.
Grade: C-
School Daze – Spike Lee (1988)
25th: Mo’ Better Blues – Spike Lee (1990)
Watched at home by myself. Still rolling through these Spike Lee movies. I thought this one was a mixed bag. I found it to be pretty slow, fairly clichéd, and a little lackluster as a story. And while the sexual politics of this film were better than in some other early Lee movies, I’m not so sure about the portrayal of the club owners here. As much as I love John Turturro, it felt unnecessarily stereotypical at best and perhaps anti-Semetic at worst. So that’s not great. On the other hand, this movie features Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes. Washington’s performance, in particular, is so fucking charismatic. I found myself compelled by him and his talent even more than the character he’s playing. It was that transcendent. Especially in a scene like the “radio songs” rap. I’m not sure anyone else could have pulled that bit off. I’m not even sure it works in the movie. But his performance makes it worth watching. I also really liked Spike Lee’s performance! I think he’s a pretty underrated actor. I love how he inserts himself into this movie as a pathetic character. It’s really funny. Ultimately, I did think the last act and the ending did come together. I’m kind of a sucker for the cyclical-nature-of-things montage that Lee uses. And the actual filmmaking throughout the movie is really good. I loved the winding shots through the hallways. I loved how Lee shoots the performances. There’s a lot of similarities to how Scorcese shoots his movies. It’s clear even when the stories don’t work, that Lee has so much talent. So once again, while I don’t think this movie totally works, it is certainly interesting.
Grade: B-
Mo’ Better Blues – Spike Lee (1990)
29th: Clockers – Spike Lee (1995)
Watched at home by myself. This was one of Lee’s films that I was most excited about. It comes up often when people discuss his best works. You’ve got Harvey Keitel and John Turturro in lead roles, as well as Martin Scorsese producing. After watching it, there are a lot of things to admire. I particularly liked Lee’s focus on the corner itself and the frequent nods he makes to the history of black people in cities. I really liked his quick inserts of graphic violence, the close-ups of bullet holes in people, the small scenes of people taking these drugs. It was apparent right away that Lee wasn’t going to back down from the human toll that the drug trade takes. Even if he’s making a gangster / crime-film, his focus is going to be on the people. However, there was one major contextual element going against the movie for me. This film is so, so, so similar to The Wire. It really feels like a prototype to it more than a separate story. The film is written by Richard Price (who would go on to write for The Wire). It has almost the exact setting and set-up of season 1. We follow a mid-level gangster as he runs the drug trade in a courtyard. We focus on his relationship with his boss, to the kids nearby, and to the police. It seems like this person may be shying off of the drug trade due to his interests in the outside world just as an investigation begins looking into him. On its own, I think Clockers mostly works. The performances are great. The filmmaking is exciting. Where the movie falls short is really just in its execution compared to The Wire. And again, it’s just hard to watch the movie without comparing the two. The Wire has so many things going for it. But mainly, it just has time and space to tell an incredibly nuanced story. Clockers, on the other hand, feels rushed. Some of the elements, like Strike’s obsession with trains, just feel like a movie placeholder for an emotional payoff. What else can I say? On its own Clockers is a decent, well-made, film. Compared with The Wire, it falls a bit flat.
Grade: B-
Clockers – Spike Lee (1995)
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