Director: Cord Jefferson
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Okieriete Onaodowan, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Michael Cyril Creighton
Running Time: 117 min.
Rating: R
★★★ (out of ★★★★)
American Fiction revolves around a thought provoking premise that tackles issues of race, art and hypocrisy head on, as writer/director Cord Jefferson strikes a different kind of chord in adapting Percival Everett's 2001 novel, Erasure. His script handles a potentially controversial topic with brutal honesty, uncomfortably intersecting with the fictitious book it spoofs to examine the current cultural climate. It's far from perfect, but even with an overabundance of family drama and a bizarre ending, much of this works.
A brilliant Jeffrey Wright plays a misunderstood genius too smart for his own good, going to extreme lengths to prove his point to a society he no longer recognizes. The plan works both better and worse than expected, but for a protagonist so hard on himself, unexpected success only magnifies his own insecurities and biting criticisms about a system too broken to fix. It's delightfully ironic watching this stubborn intellectual embraced for what he most detests, with Jefferson not only exploring themes of diversity, but how this idea of "selling out" complicates the already shaky balance between art and commerce.
Los Angeles based African-American writer and professor Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Wright) has just been put on temporary leave by his university for offending students during racially sensitive discussions. Per the board's request, he reluctantly returns to Boston to spend time with his family and attend a literary seminar. But his panel is overshadowed by popular author Sintara Golden's (Issa Rae) newest bestseller, We's Lives in Da Ghetto, which pedals in Black stereotypes such as gang violence, drugs and incarceration. It also stands in stark contrast to Monk's output, which his agent Arthur (John Ortiz) describes as not being "Black enough" to sell.
Resented by his physician sister Lisa (Tracie Ellis Ross) for being the favorite son, Monk clashes with hard partying plastic surgeon brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), as they consider admitting their Alzheimer's afflicted mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams) into a care facility. But after dating lawyer Coraline (Erika Alexander), Monk begins writing My Pafology, a satirical novel exaggerating and spoofing the most offensive Black stereotypes.
After mockingly submitting this book, the publishers are blown away, giving Monk a huge monetary advance as he adopts the fake persona of fugitive author "Stagg R. Leigh" for authenticity's sake. But while intentionally trying to sabotage the deal by demanding its title be changed to Fuck, hotshot Hollywood producer Wiley Valdespino (Adam Brody) expresses interest in adapting it into a feature film. Now, a mortified Monk must decide whether to reveal himself as being behind this literary masterpiece he intended as a big joke.
Even if many of Monk's viewpoints are on target, what ends up plaguing him is the self-destructive ways he goes about proving it. You can't help but feel a little empathy for someone who wants to be published for all the right reasons and create art of lasting significance. But his definition of quality differs greatly from the public, who he feels are being dishonest with themselves by celebrating the "poverty porn" in Sintara's book.
Besides finding Sintara to be cashing in on racist tropes, Monk's astounded at the stupidity of anyone impressed by literature so transparently exploitive. For him it cuts deeper than just a mere difference in taste, but even when he pushes the envelope too far, Wright depicts this character with a dignity that still makes him seem like the smartest, most rational person in the room. There's a particularly humorous scene where Sintara reads embarrassing excerpts from her acclaimed novel and you can see the exasperation on Wright's face that the audience is somehow eating this all up.
Whether Monk's correctly assessing trash is almost beside the point once we realize most of his anger is rooted in unresolved family turmoil. This does creates a bit of a dilemma for the film since that plot pales in comparison to the hijinks surrounding his novel. Jefferson may not completely succeed in tying both together, but Sterling K. Brown gives a breakout performance as Cliff, whose reckless persona buries a history of repressed pain. Leslie Uggams is subtly heartbreaking as the matriarch in mental decline, Tracee Ellis Ross makes maximum impact with her limited screen time, while Erika Alexander's Coraline has the patience of a saint. That is until Monk totally implodes, causing her to draw a line in the sand when it comes to his erratic behavior.
It takes almost an hour for Jefferson to get to the meat of this story, but when he does there's plenty of insightful commentary about institutional bias. Monk's invitation to be a Literary Award judge backfires spectacularly, leading to an argument with Sintara that cuts to the core of the script's best ideas. There's no telling how high the film's ceiling could have been with more scenes like this. Instead, we get a tantalizing meta development in the vein of Stranger Than Fiction or Adaptation, teeing up a tease that flies off the rails without any clear resolution.
Whether Monk does turn some kind of a corner is definitely up
for debate and analysis, like much of what occurs. It's also one of the few recent
cinematic efforts dealing with race that takes real risks and could continue provoking discussions long after the credits roll. Frustrating and rewarding, it's ultimately about a
writer banging his head
against the wall, consumed by how everyone fails to see what's right in front of their faces.
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