Fruitvale Station
Film Review by Kam Williams
Bittersweet Biopic Recounts Final Hours in Oscar Grant’s Life
Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) and his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz), were returning to Oakland in the wee hours of the morning after attending a New Year’s Eve 2009 celebration when their crowded train was stopped by police in response to a report of a disturbance. Oscar was among a number of male passengers ordered onto the platform at Fruitvale Station, where he was initially allowed to sit quietly with his back against the wall.
However, he was subsequently ordered to lie on his stomach so that he could be handcuffed and placed under arrest. When he resisted, a struggle ensued during which Oscar could be heard begging not to be Tasered as a cop yelling “bitch-ass [N-word]” forced him to the ground.
Another officer pulled out a pistol and proceeded to shoot unarmed Oscar in the back, prompting the mortally-wounded young father to exclaim, “I got a 4 year-old daughter!” The entire incident was captured on a cell phone by a fellow straphanger who posted the video on Youtube, thereby instantly turning the controversial slaying into an international cause célèbre.
Had Oscar been callously executed or accidentally killed by a cop who had merely mistaken his .40 caliber weapon for his stun gun? Guilt or innocence, a matter ultimately left for a jury to decide, is not the primary focus of Fruitvale Station.
Instead, this bittersweet biopic seeks to humanize the very colorful Oscar Grant by chronicling the serendipitous series of events leading up to his untimely demise. The film unfolds over the course of the last day in the charming 22 year-old’s abbreviated life, a period during which he interacts affectionately with Sophina, their daughter (Ariana Neal), his mother (Octavia Spencer), pals, strangers and other relatives.
For instance, we see Oscar inform his disappointed girlfriend that he’s lost his job as a clerk at the local supermarket. Later, he tucks tiny Tatiana into bed and promises to take her to Chuck E. Cheese the next day. And he ominously takes to heart his mom’s erroneous presumption that riding the train would be a lot safer than driving to San Francisco that fateful night.
Already winning awards at both the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, Fruitvale Station marks the remarkable writing and directorial debut of Ryan Coogler. A recent USC School of Cinematic Arts grad, the gifted 27 year-old exhibits the talents of a seasoned veteran here, crafting a character-driven tale that’s touching and emotionally-engaging without resort to either sentimentality or melodrama.
Some of the credit must also go to Michael B. Jordan for his compelling, warts-and-all portrayal of Oscar, a complicated soul with perhaps as many positive attributes as faults. The support cast deserves a share of accolades, too, for ensuring that the palpable production, one well grounded in a sobering, inner-city reality, never hits a false note.
Whether Oscar Grant deserves to be remembered as a martyr or a provocateur, this poignant portrait of him as a flawed free-spirit is moving enough to be remembered come Academy Awards season.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 85 minutes
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
To see a trailer for Fruitvale Station, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxUJwJfcQaQ
What Money Can’t Buy
The Moral Limits of Markets
by Michael J. Sandel
Book Review by Kam Williams
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Paperback, $15.00
254 pages
ISBN: 978-0-374-53365-6
“We live at a time when almost everything can be bought and sold... Over the past three decades, markets—and market values—have come to govern our lives as never before… As the Cold War ended, markets and market thinking enjoyed unrivaled prestige.
And yet, even as growing numbers of countries around the world embraced market mechanisms in the operation of their economies, something else was happening. Market values were coming to play a greater and greater role in social life…
Today, the logic of buying and selling no longer applies to material goods alone but increasingly governs the whole of life. It is time to ask whether we want to live this way.”
-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pages 5-6)
Economists have been referred to by cynics as emotional cripples who know the price of everything but appreciate the value of nothing. Increasingly, the same might be said of people in general as we’ve come to embrace the commodification of virtually every aspect of human existence.
For example, nowadays, you can pay an East Indian woman to serve as a surrogate mom for $6,250. Or you can shoot a rhinoceros on the endangered species list for $150,0000; or rent out the space on your forehead as corporate ad space for $777.
In Europe, the cost to pollute is $18 per metric ton. In California, you can upgrade your prison cell for $82 a night. And a mercenary soldier of fortune collects $1,000 a day to fight in Afghanistan.
Do you find this state of affairs unsettling, or are you so jaded that you accept the notion that everything has a price. If that is the case, where does it end? Will we soon not only be hiring strangers as friends and lovers, but even to be our spouses?
This is the dire dystopia contemplated by Michael J. Sandel in What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, a thoughtful opus examining a cornucopia of ethical questions touching areas ranging from medicine to law education to personal relations. Should society intervene and, for instance, prevent a fertile female from renting out her womb to another who is barren? Or does everything have its price as suggested by Red Foxx ages ago in an off-color skit on a Laff Record lp.
How we answer that question collectively will determine whether there’s any hope of reversing capitalism’s runaway exploitation of the human condition.
To order a copy of What Money Can’t Buy, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374533652/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20
Senator Rick Santorum
The “EchoLight Studios” Interview
with Kam Williams
Presidential Candidate-Turned-CEO of Faith-Based Film Studio
Born in Winchester, Virginia on May 10, 1958, Rick Santorum is ever the advocate for families, freedom, the United States and faith. The former Senator from Pennsylvania spent last year as a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
A grassroots approach to campaigning catapulted him to frontrunner status, as he won 11 states and over 4 million votes during the primary season. Earlier in his political career, prior to serving in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007, Rick served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995.
He is also the author of a couple of New York Times best-sellers, “American Patriots” and “It Takes a Family.” Rick and his wife of 23 years, Karen, are the parents of seven wonderful children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, Peter, Patrick and Isabella.
Senator Santorum recently spoke with me about taking the reins of EchoLight Studios, as CEO of the first vertically-integrated Christian movie studio to offer production financing, marketing and distribution across all releasing platforms.
Kam Williams: Hey, Senator Santorum, I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
Rick Santorum: Hi, Kam. It’s very kind of you to take my call.
KW: How is your daughter Bella, and the rest of the family?
RS: Thank you so much for asking. She is doing fabulously. She’s had a tremendous year since the campaign ended, and has been healthy, so I just feel like we’ve been extraordinarily blessed. Thanks again for asking. I have to tell you, that is the most common question I get when I talk to people. It’s very heartwarming for a dad who is very proud of his little girl.
KW: Great! I’m happy to hear she’s doing well. So, what interested you in EchoLight Studios?
RS: I’ve always been interested in the idea of culture-shaping institutions, and film is obviously a huge shaper of the culture. I’ve long felt that folks who share my value structure have not done a very good job at getting involved in that space and creating content. When a friend of mine who is an investor in this company came to me and said, “Hey, I want to show you what I’m up to,” I got interested in it. And over the course of 8 or 9 months I got more and more involved to the point where I decided that it would be a good use of my time and energy to work with a unique company that is really structured like no other in the industry. It’s a vertically-integrated film company which not only has the money to develop and produce films, but has the capability to distribute them everywhere down the line, from theatrically to DVDs. It’s a full-service movie studio, and we’re very excited about it.
KW: Does it seem to you that a certain secular political correctness has become the state religion which is backing people of faith into a corner where they no longer feel free to express their views without serious repercussions? Look at the blowback Chik-fil-A encountered when one of its executives cited the Bible in objecting to gay marriage.
RS: You hear a lot about diversity from folks on the left, but diversity only seems to include things they want to talk about. Chik-fil-A is a great example. But on a whole variety of fronts you’re sort of ostracized if you don’t stand by the orthodox liberal point-of-view that the media seem to adhere to. You see this in a lot in films, too. I could cite example after example where they strip out controversial material because it mentions God or Jesus or faith or some moral teachings. It’s really sad that you can’t have real-life depictions of how people of faith live their lives, and have that reflected in movies without accusations like, “You’re a theocrat! You’re trying to preach to us.” No, this is how people live their lives. The sad part is that what Hollywood has done is sort of scrub faith out of the picture. It sanitizes any mention of God or faith or Christ.
KW: But what about The Bible miniseries which was such a hit on TV recently?
RS: A Biblical epic is another thing. That’s okay with them, because it’s just a Bible story. But if you’re interested in talking about how faith really works in people’s lives, and want try to tell that story grittily, truthfully and authentically, that’s missing. That’s a missing component in large part because of political correctness and a desire to appeal to a broader audience. Well, they don’t seem to worry about appealing to a broader audience when they promote other values inconsistent with where most of America is. They have no problem putting edgy stuff in movies that they know aren’t agreed to by most of the American public. But when it comes to faith-oriented fare, they stay way far away from it. So, what I hope to do with these faith and family films is to show faith in its authentic form. I don’t want to be pastor-in-chief. I don’t want to preach to anybody. A lot of our movies are going to be true stories, and we’re going to show the role of faith as it really is. And hopefully, it will feel natural and not forced. That’s what we have to do. We have to produce quality content. No one wants to see poorly-scripted, poorly-made, poorly-acted Christian content. We need to produce high-quality, compelling stories that have a heart.
KW: Why is it that Congress can open each session with a prayer, yet it’s forbidden to do the same thing in public schools? It seems that we’ve ushered God out of most of the public square.
RS: That’s true and, to me, it’s really a violation of what our Constitution says, and of what is essential for a good and decent society. A good and decent society allows everyone access to the public square, whether I agree with them or not. Sadly, someone who has a moral point-of-view that is informed by, say Friedrich Nietzsche [who pronounced “God is dead!’], has the right to advance their beliefs in the public square, while someone whose morality is informed by Jesus Christ can’t. They’re supposedly bad. What makes Nietzsche more legitimate under the Constitution than Christ? Nothing. The whole idea of the Constitution was to let people of faith as well as those of no faith have their voices heard and respected. I don’t vilify people because I disagree with them. I don’t assume they’re bigots or haters, but that’s the way people of faith are depicted now, when in the public square.
KW: What did you think of President Obama’s recent statement about parochial schools he made while in Ireland?
RS: Sorry, Kam, I haven’t heard it. We’ve been on vacation, and I deliberately tuned out while away. I apologize.
KW: He basically dissed religious schools, saying they encourage division. As a product of Catholic schools, I was shocked, especially since they have done such a great job serving inner-city communities with poor public schools.
RS: That wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not in a position to comment on it.
KW: Well, when you’re up to speed, I hope we can chat again about this and some of the other issues of the day. Meanwhile, thanks for the time, Senator, and I look forward to reviewing the pictures you produce as CEO of EchoLight Studio.
RS: That sounds great. Thanks, Kam.
To order a copy of “American Patriots,” visit:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414379080/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
To order a copy of “It Takes a Family,” visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/193223683X/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
The Heat
Film Review by Kam Williams
Bullock and McCarthy Paired as Unlikely Partners in Good Cop-Bad Cop Comedy
FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) has been dispatched to Boston where she’s assigned to apprehend a ruthless drug kingpin. However, her boss is concerned about the uptight, 12-year veteran’s horrible habit of rubbing her relatively-relaxed colleagues the wrong way.
Sure enough, upon arriving in Beantown, the proper Yale grad manages to irritate her new partner even before they’re formally introduced, when the two have a spat over a spot in a police precinct parking lot. Sarah subsequently meets foul-mouthed Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), a hard-nosed city cop working a beat on a rough side of town.
They still grudgingly agree to investigate the narcotics case together, and it doesn’t take long for their contrasting law enforcement styles to generate a lot of friction. Nerdy Sarah tends to play it by the book while Dirty Harry-like Shannon could care less about following the rules or respecting suspects’ rights. Nevertheless, they’re soon following a trail of clues that takes them from a seedy nightclub to a rundown tenement to an abandoned warehouse along the waterfront.
Thus unfolds The Heat, a good cop-bad cop comedy reuniting director Paul Feig with Melissa McCarthy, the relentlessly-raunchy scene-stealer who upstaged the rest of the ensemble in his equally-hilarious Bridesmaids. Here, McCarthy holds her own in a lead role opposite Sandra Bullock, with the pair generating just the right chemistry as terminally-mismatched partners.
Though the talented supporting cast includes Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport and Jane Curtin, make no mistake, this flick is all about the witty repartee between the protagonists. Typical is this salty exchange coming in close quarters, where Sarah’s complaint “Your breast is invading my space.” is met by Shannon’s fair warning to “Keep your finger off my areola.”
In another scene, Sarah blushes while Shannon plays a game of Russian roulette with a pistol pointed directly at a perp’s gonads. Despite all the bawdy jokes, The Heat is grounded by a sensitive storyline that actually has you investing emotionally in the characters.
So, don’t be surprised to shed a few tears as the curtain comes down on this two-fisted tale of female empowerment about a pair of polar-opposite lady lawmen who eventually set aside their differences to get their man while forging an enduring friendship worthy of a sequel.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for violence, crude humor and pervasive profanity
Running time: 117 minutes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
To see a trailer for The Heat, visit:
Fana Mokoena
The “World War Z” Interview
with Kam Williams
A Fan of Fana
Born in on May 13, 1971, veteran South African actor Fana Mokoena garnered worldwide acclaim for his powerful portrayal of General Augustin Bizimungu opposite Oscar-nominees Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo in Hotel Rwanda. He previously worked with World War Z director Marc Forster on Machine Gun Preacher where he played John Garang, leader of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army.
Fana’s other film credits include supporting roles in Safe House, Inside Story, State of Violence and Man on Ground, for which he received an Africa Movie Academy Award. Here, he talks about his latest outing opposite Brad Pitt in World War Z where he reunites with Forster as U.N. Deputy Secretary General Thierry Umutoni.
Kam Williams: Hi Fana, thanks for the interview.
Fana Mokoena: Thank you.
KW: How is Madiba’s [Nelson Mandela] health holding up?
FM: I’m seriously worried about him but I've learned to let him go. It's hard.
KW: What interested you in World War Z?
FM: That it was a brave stab at the Zombie genre. We haven't seen one at this scale, and I immediately saw how it was going to work.
KW: How was it working with director Marc Forster?
FM: He trusted me with the work, and I found that refreshing. It helps you grow.
KW: What was it like acting opposite an icon like Brad Pitt?
FM: Awesome! Awe-inspiring! Awe-striking! It was incredible to watch him work.
KW: How would you describe your character, Thierry Umutoni?
FM: As a measured character. Hard-driven, but kind and compassionate. No drama.
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
FM: I first had to read the book to cover my basics. Then I had to understand the world of the zombie, and familiarize myself with what the end of the world means to my character personally.
KW: What message do you think people will take away from the film?
FM: I hope they take away the overarching message that the end of the world is all our responsibility.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
FM: I’m still reading my birthday gift, 'Speeches That Changed the World.’ It’s a compilation of speeches by some of the greatest men and women in history.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857382470/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
KW: Belated happy birthday! The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?
FM: I’ve been going retro on Ephraim Lewis and the last song I listened to was “Captured.”
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002HAR/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
FM: I like our traditional dishes, but I can cook a mean pasta, too.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
FM: A sign: “Work in Progress.”
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
FM: Happiness and longevity.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
FM: The chicken and the doves we used to have at home.
KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
FM: Tenacity and integrity.
KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?
FM: Art and graphics.
KW: The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?
FM: Citizen Kane, the second greatest movie ever made.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
FM: Just as a guy who worked hard.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Fana, and I will be keeping Mandela in my prayers.
FM: Thanks, Kam.
To see a trailer for World War Z, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md6Dvxdr0AQ